Kilimanjaro Expedition Dispatch

July 14, 2008 – Lots of Cheering as Huffines Reach Crater Rim

It’s the 14th of July, 2008 at about 1:00 in the afternoon and I am standing in the most amazing place. Let me try to describe to you where we are. We are at 18,990 ft above sea level on top of the crater rim of Kilimanjaro. I can look down into the snow filled cater of Kilimanjaro and across to the other side

and see the BAI tents going up at 18,700 ft which will be our Crater Camp and where the team will spend the night tonight. I can look across the crater rim far out away, one mile away yet, and see the sign that marks the very top of Africa at 19,340 ft. I can look down below to the Huffines family. I am losing them now in a field of clouds below us that reaches out the horizon.

This flow of clouds covers Africa far below us. We are definitely on top of the continent and the entire family is joining me here at Stella Point. They’ve done just great! We set out to try and reach the top of the crater in 5-6 hours. Actually the first wave of the Huffines family climbers and BAI guides got here in only 4 hours. The second wave arrived in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Right now young Russell (who is only 11 years old), his mother Mary Catherine and the BAI guides, Frank and Julius, are stepping up onto the crater rim. Everyone is singing, clapping and cheering. Everybody made it to the top of Kilimanjaro and we are looking down into the crater now. The whole team is going to walk that last mile together this afternoon. We will in fact stand on the rooftop of Africa at Uhuru Point.