https://www.cruoglioconsulting.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/2f5772e3-cf1e-4890-9e9f-1b913db4e228/Kara-headshot.png https://www.cruoglioconsulting.com/kilimanjaro2026 daily 0.75 2026-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/1a0a1ee5-05a9-48f4-b2fc-b3c838897e22/IMG_2408.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Heading for the adventure of a lifetime! January 8, 2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/5450b792-6bcd-4d92-9851-19c8f043c7d9/PXL_20260108_061328568.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Meeting our crew for the first time, just before a 3 hour drive to the entrance gate. That is our badass guide, Lucina, in the center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/4496b221-75c7-4835-8a1c-a5f772ff968c/IMG_2427.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Setting off on the trail from Lemosho Glades. (2,389ft / 7,838m) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/cb10114e-a8c2-4f2b-9e1a-4abcfc567cd4/IMG_2460.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Arriving at Mti Mkubwa (or Big Tree Camp) after our first day of hiking. (9,137ft / 2,785m) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/0a8409b2-5fa4-48d9-accd-6c7612107862/IMG_4607.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 These were our sleeping tents. Bre and I each had one to ourselves, Kari and Mary shared one. (Everyone's choice!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/44916f4d-d8a9-483b-94d6-7d88b1acfc27/IMG_2534.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 This was the mess tent where we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One of our guides always ate with us to make sure we were feeling and eating well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/4077921e-889a-4dc6-8630-4fa4316a773e/IMG_2537.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Our first glimpse of Kibo came at the end of day 2, following a massive thunderstorm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/36139ad2-a242-4165-b5e1-12626052924d/IMG_2591.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 We worked hard on our "pose game" for group shots - this one is my favorite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/15f28554-e376-48b8-93dc-7bfc24ba8627/IMG_8139.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 This is a good example of what the trail was often like, when we weren't climbing over rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/bf8c273d-ba15-41a8-8ed0-0e8a2c7b7f79/PXL_20260111_092356542.MP.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 There was more climbing up and down rocks than I expected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/e76befcd-d3f0-4085-859e-b19b97d83f7b/IMG_4725.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Sometimes we felt like we were with Sam and Frodo, on our way to Mordor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/918980a2-859f-4860-bad0-41cb1378c384/PXL_20260111_051308780.MP.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Sometimes we felt like we were in The Martian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/02fde952-c445-45b7-b949-5ee68aa14433/IMG_2583.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 I love how this picture captures the smallness of us contrasted with the vastness of the landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/b64f00a4-26c6-4558-b3a4-d6d80a8aee5c/IMG_2632.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 This was our whole crew. Our mantra was: One team, one dream. Nonstop, to the top. More fire, more water. Hakuna matata! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/100b0add-ca1f-481f-aec0-71e3e6d42c36/IMG_4668.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Morning selfie with Kibo in the background, getting a little closer each day. You can see the frost on our tents here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/4fd513de-b371-484f-ae07-99fd0e21d0dc/IMG_8206.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Heading out on day 5 with our guides, Lucina and Freddy. Kibo getting ever closer in the background. January 12, 2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/3755760b-ab74-4ac1-a202-1430fbd64afa/PXL_20260112_084505379.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Arriving at School Huts, our basecamp for the summit assault. We slept here for two nights. (15,476ft / 4,717m) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/11606806-4ca2-45a2-bda8-f176ca9274cf/IMG_4688.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Sunrise at 17,000 feet with Mawenzi peak in the distance. I was the photographer, not the subject, here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/5a43b283-6ca3-4210-973d-3d220763f2c9/IMG_4690.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 I took this selfie during one of my lowest points on the summit assault. The sun had just risen and we still had so far to go, I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. The background captures an accurate depiction of how steep the climb was. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/795d831d-78d3-4e4c-bbcc-65efcca6d401/PXL_20260113_085920572.TS-000.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 We made it! Uhuru Peak (19,341ft / 5,895m) January 13, 2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/295190fc-cbbd-46d1-931c-834624f5aad0/IMG_4721.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 I made it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/d2126925-1cef-4ecf-b80f-19394256a3bd/IMG_2711.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 This is the most accurate depiction of how I felt upon reaching the summit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/2ab8d854-e996-4e1d-b4ea-43178dfafa1f/IMG_4704.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 A view from the summit - above the clouds! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/186c7984-0a75-4dcc-a18e-432209988910/PXL_20260113_092335406.MP.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Another view from the summit - above the clouds! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/fcbb535a-49fc-41a7-a9c3-3cc280cf8de4/IMG_4734.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Our last glimpse of Kibo from the trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/3664e087-f197-45c7-8180-dcd317946078/IMG_2785.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 Last group photo with Kibo during a brief stop at High Camp. (12,959 ft / 3,950m) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/3ff0ece8-e9f3-4953-b172-fd508fd83b2b/IMG_2787.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 On the descent. These stone steps were brutal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/e1c9b913-9072-465d-a5ba-eb9a7963cac9/PXL_20260115_045100408.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 One last group photo on the trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/f92c5c5e-50a9-4722-9d6b-5e5c7e0a344a/IMG_4741.jpeg Kilimanjaro 2026 And...scene. January 15, 2026 (5,358ft / 1,633m) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671feceb6fdc5e1b38c48696/8d385beb-5906-450c-b72b-cd1cebcca7c0/IMG_4721.jpeg