Barefoot Kilimanjaro trekkers complete climb

by Kraig Becker on

Last week we told you about a group of climbers from South Africa who were attempting to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa, without wearing shoes. Over the weekend, these barefoot adventurers completed their climb, but not without overcoming plenty of challenges along the way.

The team, which calls itself the Barefoot Impi, made their final push to the top of the 19,340-foot Kilimanjaro early Saturday morning. Setting out from the Kibo Huts, they trekked for more than four hours before reaching Gilman’s Point, one of the more famous landmarks on the way to the summit. At that point, they had walked barefoot for hours in below-freezing temperatures while dealing with steep slopes littered with loose volcanic scree. The next stage of the hike wouldn’t be any easier however, as two feet of fresh snow had hit the top of the mountain a few days ealier, and they had to make the rest of the climb in icy-powder – sans shoes.

Eventually they did make it to the top, and all five members of the team who had set out on this barefoot quest managed to complete the trek without any kind of natural or artificial protection on their feet. That’s a fairly remarkable accomplishment considering the temperatures and surface conditions they had to endure to get there. You can read all about their final day on the mountain in a blog post here.

As we mentioned in our original story, this charity climb was undertaken to raise funds for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, which is one of the first of its kind on the entire continent. No word on whether or not the Barefoot Impi team reached their fund raising goals, but clearly they were successful on their venture to scale the mountain.

My feet hurt just thinking about it.

[Photo courtesy BarefootImpi.org]

Climbers attempting Kilimanjaro barefoot

by Kraig Becker on

A team of South African climbers has traveled to Tanzania, where they hope to climb Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain on the African continent, without wearing shoes. Over the next few days, these barefoot adventurers hope to scale the mountain in an effort to raise funds for a children’s hospital back home.

According to the group’s website, the team of five climbers, and their support crew, arrived on the mountain yesterday and started their ascent. Early on, they passed through a pine forest, which provided a soft surface for their bare feet, but as the day wore on, they entered a tropical rainforest, where the trail gave way to gravel instead. While that proved to be a more challenging surface to hike on, they still managed to reach their first camp without too many problems.

In the days ahead, things won’t quite be so easy however. Today, they’ll leave the forests behind completely and move into the alpine marshlands of Kilimanjaro. That zone is punctuated with lush grasses and strange plants, which, aside from a few thorny bushes, shouldn’t offer too much of a problem either. After that, it is on to the alpine desert, which is much rockier and harder to walk on, even while wearing boots. The final push to the summit will include plenty of volcanic scree, not to mention snow and ice. The cold temperatures on the final approach to the 19,340-foot summit may actually numb their feet from the pain – that is if they don’t lose a toe or two to frostbite first.

In order to make this barefoot climb, the team has established a set of rules that will govern their approach. Those rules dictate that they must walk or climb every meter of the mountain without wearing any kind of artificial or natural substance on their feet. Furthermore, they pledge to walk each day between their camps in this fashion, although it seems likely they’ll put on some comfy slippers when they reach their end point for the day.

By undertaking this trek, the team is hoping to raise funds for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in South Africa. 100% of the proceeds generated from the climb will go to that organization, which is one of the first of its kind in Africa.

Having climbed Kilimanjaro myself, I can’t imagine attempting it without shoes. My feet hurt at the end of a long day as it was, and that was while wearing a good pair of hiking boots. Going completely barefoot seems crazy to me, and I’ll be incredibly impressed if they actually make it.

Lost on the trail? Satellite tracking system can help

by Chris Owen on

Getting lost on the trail, injured during a climb or into some other unplanned situation can make a great day a lousy one really fast. Adventure travel often takes us to remote places and when accidents happen there might not be a 911 to call or close-by hospital to visit. On their own, travelers often have to make do with the resources at hand. Prepared for anything, some travelers pack registered locator beacons that can make the difference between life and death.

As an integral part of worldwide search and rescue, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates the Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) System to detect and locate travelers in distress almost anywhere in the world at anytime and in almost any condition.

NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking System, called COSPAS-SARSAT. This system uses a network of satellites to quickly detect and locate distress signals from emergency beacons onboard aircraft and boats, and from smaller, handheld personal locator beacons called PLBs.

Easy to get, these PLB’s start at about $100, worth every penny if lost or stranded with no cell phone signal or help in sight. There are three types of beacons used to transmit distress signals, EPIRBs (for maritime use), ELTs (for aviation use), and PLBs (used for land-based applications).

In 2011, NOAA satellites were critical in the rescues of 207 people from life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters. Satellites picked up distress signals from emergency beacons carried by downed pilots, shipwrecked boaters and stranded hikers, and relayed the information about their location to first responders on the ground.

Of the 207 saves last year, 122 people were rescued from the water, 14 from aviation incidents, and 71 in land situations where they used their PLBs. Other rescue highlights from the year include:

  • Alaska had the most people rescued on land last year with 39, followed by Florida with 11, and California with 8.
  • NOAA SARSAT played a critical role in the rescue of a group of student hikers from a grizzly bear attack in Alaska by directing first responders to the scene.
  • In the pitch of night, two people were rescued from a life raft after their boat sank 140 miles off the coast of Marco Island, Florida.
  • An elderly hiker was rescued 74 miles south of Colorado Springs, Colo., during a heavy snowstorm.

Thinking this might be a good idea for your next adventure? These devices must be registered first.

Register a PLB online or download a beacon registration form from the registration website and fax to (301) 568-8649 or call NOAA at 1-888-212-SAVE (7283).

Noaa Photo


African game reserves flooded, travelers stranded

by Chris Owen on

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa and a UNESCO Biosphere location. This week, the park was closed as massive flooding of the once-in-one-hundred-years magnitude stranding American and Canadian tourists who had to be airlifted out yesterday.

After a swollen river burst its banks and washed-out a bridge. “There wasn’t any other way to get out of the park,” Canadian Linda Freeman, airlifted out of the area told Reuters.

Flooding in southeast Africa this week has killed at least five people, forced thousands to evacuate homes and led to an airlift of about 20 foreign tourists in the southern provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane, weather officials said.

All organized game drives have been suspended as more than 1,500 people have been forced to flee their homes with local weather stations reporting a 267mm rainfall (10.5 inches) in one 24 hour period earlier this week, over five times the classification for heavy rain.




Gadling’s Kraig Becker was on safari in Kruger National Park not long ago and tells us:

“In all, I spent six days in Kruger, and was given the chance to explore it both on foot and by vehicle. In those days, I found that it lived up to its billing as one of the top safari destinations in all of Africa. Not only is the wildlife all that you would expect, and more, but the landscapes are breathtaking as well. In my travels within the park boundaries, I saw beautiful rivers, emerald forests, and stunning canyons. The gorgeous scenery was an element I wasn’t expecting, and it helped to further separate Kruger from the Serengeti.” Read more here.

Flickr photo by Sito Wijngaarden

Gadling Gear Review: The North Face Jammu Jacket

by Mike Barish on

Waterproof winter jackets don’t always leave you dry. Sure, they keep the rain, snow and ice out, but they often end up leaving you drenched in your own sweat. The breathability of a jacket is almost as important as how impenetrable it is to the elements. Sadly, most coats that try to combine warmth and waterproofing end up sacrificing personal climate control. If you’re going to be active throughout the winter, finding a jacket that’s comfortable, allows for a full range of motion and keeps you dry and warm is a necessity. That’s why I was so eager to try the new Jammu jacket from The North Face.There are plenty of lightweight hard shell layers that attempt to combine all of these elements and fail miserably. The Jammu features Polartec’s NeoShell technology that provides both stretch and warmth with breathability and accomplishes everything far more effectively than most of its competitors.

What struck me immediately with the Jammu is its weight. At less than two pounds, the Jammu is remarkably lightweight and, as such, comfortable. The stretch and give of the fabric makes hiking, snowshoeing and climbing easy. And, unlike other jackets with helmet-compatible hoods, the Jammu and its hood fit properly even if you’re wearing nothing on your head.

The breathability – which is noticeable the moment you start working up a sweat on the trail – is exactly what you want from a jacket made for an active winter lifestyle. I wore the Jammu hiking and was impressed that it kept me dry in a light rain while also making sure that I didn’t stew inside it.

While incredibly durable and well-made, sadly the Jammu is not as warm as I expected from a Summit Series jacket from The North Face. While it’s certainly suitable for engaging in winter sports, it lacks the insulation of other jackets of similar weights. The Polartec NeoShell does a fantastic job of keeping you dry, but it seems to sacrifice some warmth in doing so.

This is not to say that it’s not a winter jacket. So long as you’re wearing suitable base layers and staying active, the Jammu does what it promises. However, once you’re off the trail and back in town, it’s not quite warm enough to act as your only winter jacket. As with all technical gear, the Jammu is meant to be paired with an active winter wardrobe that allows for layering.

That Jammu is an impressive jacket without a doubt. It keeps you dry, allows sweat to escape, withstands the wind and is incredibly lightweight. The Polartec NeoShell is remarkably effective at keeping water out and making sure that sweat doesn’t stay in. However, it is unmistakably a technical jacket intended for use with other technical gear to ensure your total comfort.

If you’re looking for a jacket that allows you to stay active all winter, the Jammu is a great option and will handle everything that you throw at it. Just be sure to combine it with the appropriate gear so that it can do its job properly.

The Jammu is $399 and available via The North Face,