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Join Richard C. Wiese, past President of The Explorers Club and AMNH Expeditions Explorer-in-Residence , on this epic adventure of a lifetime to the Roof of Africa. We begin our journey with an optional visit to Ngorongoro Crater , a self-contained eco-system that boasts the highest concentration of wildlife in East Africa , and known to many as “The Eighth Wonder of the World”. The first day will be spent on a warm up hike up and down the Empakai Crater. On the second day, your stay at the a lodge on the Crater rim (7,600 feet above sea level) will allow you optimal conditions for acclimatization as well as spectacular views of the Crater floor.

With a head start on your acclimatization for Kilimanjaro, you will return to your lodge located in the hills outside of Arusha. At the climb briefing, you will be meet up with the rest of your group who are not able to join the Ngorongoro extension. This group will have a day before the start of the climb to relax - or to join an optional short hike on Mount Meru Mountain , followed by a picnic lunch and an afternoon game drive in Arusha National Park . These options will give this group some recovery time from their trip and/or a chance for additional acclimatization.

The Kilimanjaro trek begins, pole, pole (Swahili for slowly, slowly) , on the most scenic route ascending through Lemosho Glades , via the Western Breach of Kilimanjaro, and joining up with the Machame Route mid-way. Your journey will take you through five distinct climate zones as you reach the glaciated peaks of Kibo. Buffalo and elephant sightings are possible on the first day trekking through the forest. The trail leads up to the western edge of the Shira Plateau, and the hike across the plateau is said to be one of the most stunningly beautiful hikes in Africa .

We've also planned to camp inside the crater on the night before the final ascent. We will likely be the only group which is a rare and awe-inspiring experience. The beauty about this plan is that we will be one of the first groups at the summit. The camp is set in soft "beach" sand, and looking from the tent, you can see vertical ice walls up close.

Moreover, the final ascent only takes an hour and a half, versus the normal eight hours beginning at midnight.

This program has been especially designed for optimal acclimatization, safety, comfort - with summit success in mind. The total period on Kilimanjaro is 9 days / 8 nights, the climb/ascent being seven and a half days and the descent a day and a half.

All the trekking is done by daylight except for a few hours of the early morning departure up the Western Breach. Overall this trek is designed to get you closer to nature, and to experience Kilimanjaro in a way that so few others do.

This program is tentatively planned for reaching the summit at sunrise on Easter Sunday (with an optional Easter egg hunt!). Shortly after leaving the summit on Easter Sunday, we will pass by Leopard Point, a location made famous by Ernest Hemingway in the The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

At the end of your climb, you may chose to join an optional safari extension to the Serengeti or Lake Manyara both of which boast an incredible wealth of habitats and diverse African wildlife.

Wiese's Kilimanjaro climbs have been featured in The NY Times , Travel and Leisure and in the May 2005 issue of Men's Journal , which called the climb one of the 100 greatest adventures. In a 2004 cover story in Esquire , he was identified by the magazine as one of “Ten Tough Bastards”. His first ascent on Kilimanjaro was at the age of 11 with his father. This 2008 Expedition will be his eleventh ascent of Kilimanjaro. Wiese has prided himself in leading novice and aspiring trekkers.

Wiese is a native of Head of the Harbor, NY and spent many of his childhood days fishing in the Stony Brook mill pond. A graduate of Brown University , he started his career as a science journalist. In 2002, he was elected as the youngest president of The Explorers Club in its 100 year history. For the past two years Wiese has been hosting ABC's Exploration with Richard Wiese and he continues to host various other nature and exploration documentaries. Recently his travels took him to the Denakil Desert in Ethiopia to film a documentary special for BBC and Discovery, The Hottest Place on Earth, for release in 2008.

The climb is limited to 12 participants. Availability is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

This program contains strenuous activity, and a good level of fitness is essential. It is advised to consult your physician.

Optional Safaris available: PRE-climb – Ngorongoro Crater and/or POST-climb – Serengeti

A detailed program information package will be issued upon booking. This will include a packing list & training guide.

Richard Wiese will be available to answer any questions regarding the trek by phone or email 917-363-5088 or richard@newsweather.com ).

• A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person is required at the time of booking (by check made payable to “Grown Oak LLC” ). BOOKING FORM ENCLOSED. Booking deadline: January 15, 2008

• Payment in full is due January 31, 2008 ($4,900 balance payable to “Grown Oak LLC”).

In the event of written cancellation, the following forfeiture of the program price will be assessed based on the number of days prior to the trip departure the cancellation was received:

Travel insurance, which provides coverage for injury illness, trip cancellation and loss or damage of luggage and its contents, is strongly recommended.

• Transfers to/from Kilimanjaro International Airport and to/from Kilimanjaro National Park trailheads.

• Lecturer/Host, Richard Wiese, the former President of the Explorers Club and experienced Kilimanjaro climber, who will lead the group.

• Professional mountain guides (NOLS qualified), head guide, cooks and porters.

• All safety equipment (including portable altitude chamber and oxygen for emergency use).

Costs of obtaining passports or visas; laundry; communication charges; optional safaris; optional activities; international airfare; airport departure taxes and any other applicable airport taxes; excess baggage fees; travelers' insurance; health insurance; gratuities to guides, porters up the mountain and transfer drivers; room service charges; sleeping bags, or other personal trekking gear.

Date 2008	Day #	DAILY PROGRAM	Overnight Location
Thursday, March 13	Day 1	Depart New York / JFK Airport (evening) Fly to Arusha, via Amsterdam	Onboard flight to Amsterdam
Friday, March 14	Day 2	Arrive in Arusha / Kilimanjaro International Airport (evening ) Met on arrival and transferred to your lodge for dinner /overnight.	Overnight in Arusha, Kigongoni Lodge* (HB)*
Saturday, March 15	Day 3	Rest day – with optional hike and game drive activities Transfer to Mount Meru Mountain for a hike for acclimatization purposes, followed by a picnic lunch and an afternoon game drives in Arusha National Park .	Overnight in Arusha, Kigongoni Lodge* (HB)*
Sunday, March 16	Day 4	*Kilimanjaro Day 1* : LEMOSHO TRAILHEAD (7,800 ft./ 2,375 m) ~ FOREST CAMP (9,300 ft./ 2,830 m) Departure from Arusha will be at around 7:30am for Londorossi gate, about 4hours, where you will complete entry formalities. Then drive to the Lemosho trailhead (another hour to reach the trailhead). Upon arrival at trailhead, eat lunch, then commence through undisturbed forest which winds to the first camp, only about 3-4 hours of trekking.	Overnight at Forest Camp (Mtee Mkubwa Camp)
Monday, March 17	Day 5	*Kilimanjaro Day 2:* FOREST CAMP ~ SHIRA 1 CAMP (12,200 ft./ 3,720 m) Once out of the forest, take a steep track into a Savannah of tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. Ascend through the lush rolling hills below the Shira plateau, finally reaching camp at the edge of the plateau, a day of 5-6 hours trekking. The view of Kibo from across the plateau is amazing.	Overnight at Shira 1 Camp
Tuesday, March 18	Day 6	*Kilimanjaro Day 3:* SHIRA 1 CAMP ~ SHIRA 2 CAMP (12,600 ft./ 3,900 m) Full day exploration of the Shira plateau; Trek east toward Kibo's glaciered peak, with the option to visit the ancient collapsed Shira cone, the oldest of Kilimanjaro's three volcanoes. Arrive at Shira 2 camp (Fischers' Camp), at 12,600 ft. Shira is one of the highest plateaus on earth, averaging over 12,000 feet. Trekking time without the optional excursions is about 3 hours.	Overnight at Shira 2 Camp
Wednesday, March 19	Day 7	*Kilimanjaro Day 4:* SHIRA 2 CAMP ~ MOIR CAMP (13,800 ft./ 4,205 m) Proceed steadily upward through the heather and into the barren high altitude desert, toward the "Shark's Tooth", to Moir Camp. The trek is about 2-3 hours. Moir camp is an isolated and seldom used camp affording views over the Shira Plateau, and north into Kenya 's Amboselli Game Reserve. Adding this day provides an extra day on the magnificent Shira Plateau, and moreover an extra day of valuable acclimatization.	Overnight at Moir Camp

Thursday, March 20	Day 8	*Kilimanjaro Day 5:* MOIR CAMP ~ LAVA TOWER CAMP (15,000 ft./4,570 m.) Proceed steadily up and down the expansive ridgelines of high desert to Lava Tower . The trek is about 4 hours. Lava Tower , a 300 foot volcanic plug, marks an exposed pass at 15,000 feet, where the campsite is set. Scramble to the top of Lava Tower for fabulous panoramic views, and a different perspective of your campsite.	Overnight at Lava Tower Camp
Friday, March 21	Day 9	*Kilimanjaro Day 6:* LAVA TOWER CAMP ~ ARROW GLACIER CAMP (16,100 ft./ 4,905 m) A 1.5 - 2 hour-trek up a steep, boulder-strewn path bring us to Arrow Glacier camp, at the foot of the great Western Breach. From this campsite rises the steep path up to the crater. The massive headwall of the breach glows a warm red in the afternoon sun, while you rest in camp in preparation for the most challenging day ahead.	Overnight at Arrow Glacier Camp
Saturday, March 22	Day 10	*Kilimanjaro Day 7:* ARROW GLACIER CAMP ~ CRATER CAMP (18,750 ft./ 5,715m) After a 2am wake-up call and a hot breakfast, we begin to ascend the Western Breach at 3am, which will take approximately 5-7 hours. Upon reaching the crater rim, we'll be treated to a stunning view of the Northern Icefields, the Furtwangler Glacier, and Uhuru Peak itself. Another 30 minutes will take us to our camp, set in soft sands near the retreating vertical ice walls of the Furtwangler glacier. Rest and replenish in the mess tent, then opt to explore the strange lunar landscape of the inner crater, to include a visit to Reusch Crater, the ash pit, and the glaciers. So few that trek Kilimanjaro ever experience the summit zone in this way.	Overnight at Crater Camp
Sunday, March 23	Day 11	*Kilimanjaro Day 8 - Summit Day and begin descent:* CRATER CAMP ~ UHURU PEAK (19,340 ft./ 5,895 m) ~ MWEKA CAMP (10,070 ft./ 3,070 m) Rise early to watch the sunrise from the summit, which will take about 1.5 hours from Crater Camp. After a short time at the summit, descend along the gently sloping crater rim to Stella Point, then descend back to Barafu Camp for lunch. In the afternoon continue the descent into the Heather Zone to Mweka Camp for the night. The trekking time from Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp will be from 6-8 hours. Total trekking time is from 8-10 hours.	Overnight at Mweka Camp
Sunday, March 24	Day 12	*Kilimanjaro Day 9:* Reach base of Kilimanjaro: MWEKA CAMP ~ MWEKA GATE (5,370 ft. /1,635 m) Descend straight to the gate (2-3 hours), where you'll have lunch and will be awarded climbing certificates. Transfer back to Arusha for a much-welcomed shower! Option 1 - Day room at Keo Hotel, Arusha. Fly to New York via Amsterdam . Option 2 - Safari extension (see below): Climb debrief & safari trip briefing.	Option 1 – Day room in Arusha at Keo Hotel. Overnight on board flight from Arusha to Amsterdam . Option 2 - Overnight in Arusha, Kigongoni Lodge (HB)
Monday, March 25	Day 13	Arrive in New York (JFK) in the late afternoon.	n/a

Itineraries for a pre-climb safari extension (Ngorongoro Crater) and/or post-climb safari (Serengeti & Lake Manyara) are available upon request.

The Ngorongoro Crater pre-climb safari is a wonderful experience and only adds two days to your trip. The Ngorongoro Crater is at an altitude of about 7500 feet above sea level and spending two nights at the Crater will help on the acclimatization process. While at the crater guests can have a full day Empakai Crater hike with an armed ranger and a local Maasai guide. The Empakai Crater is full of bird life and an occasional buffalo and other game. This hike will warm the muscles and at the same time, invigorate climbers with the fresh air of the wild African bush…

Date 2008	Day #	Program	Overnight Location
Tuesday, March 11	Extra Day 1	Depart New York in the evening for Arusha, via Amsterdam	On board flight from New York to Amsterdam .
Wednesday, March 12	Extra Day 2	Arrival in Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport , in the evening	Overnight in Arusha, Kigongoni Lodge (HB)
Thursday, March 13	Day 1	Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater / Empakai Crater Depart from Arusha at 8am for Empakai Crater in the Ngorongoro Highlands. This drive is about 5 hours, picking up a park ranger at the Olmoti Ranger Post and driving the last hour with the ranger in the vehicle. Upon arrival at camp, pick up lunch boxes (prepared by the camp crew before arrival), and b egin the descent with an armed ranger through the lush forest leading to the crater floor about 1500 feet below. Along the way, enjoy the exotic vegetation and stunning views of the flamingo-lined soda lake Thousands of flamingos line the shore, which gives the impression of a “pink beach” during the walk down. The walk around the lake takes approximately 3 hours, and the total trek is from 4 to 5 hours. Upon arrival back at the campsite, a hot shower will be available in a shower tent. Dinner will follow in the dining tent.	Overnight at *Empakai Special Camp* *site.*
Friday, March 14	Day 2 *	Ngorongoro Crater Transfer to a lodge on the rim of the Crater with magnificent panoramic views. Game drive in the Crater followed by dinner at the lodge.	Overnight in Ngorongoro Crater area (Property TBD)
Saturday, March 15	Day 3	Transfer back to Arusha. Join balance of group who arrive on Friday March 14 only.	Overnight in Arusha, Kigongoni Lodge (HB)

Probably no other mountain in the world has the same mystique and appeal of Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa at 19,340 ft. It is also the highest mountain on earth that is not part of a mountain range and its snow-capped peak hovers majestically over the African plain. This is the most famous large mountain that a novice climber can scale. It rises majestically from the hot savannah to a frigid glacier . In the nine times that I have climbed Kilimanjaro, I have discovered that journey to the summit can be a profound and life altering experience.

Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the few places in the world where ice and snow can be found on the equator. The ice fields Ernest Hemingway once described as "wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun" have lost 82 percent of their ice since 1912—the year their full coverage was first measured, but most scientists believe tropical glaciers began receding as early as the 1850's.

According to leading climatologists if current climatic conditions persist, the legendary glaciers, icing the peaks of Africa's highest summit for nearly 12,000 years, could be gone entirely within two decades. Having personally visited Mount Kilimanjaro several times since the early 1970's I can unequivocally say that through observation that the size of its glaciers has noticeably diminished.

However, Nature 's Betsy Mason argues that “although it's tempting to blame the (Kilimanjaro) ice loss on global warming, researchers think that deforestation of the mountain's foothills is the more likely culprit.” With a growing population and more farming forests at the base of Kilimanjaro have been steadily disappearing for decades. “Without the forests' humidity,” Mason reports, “previously moisture-laden winds blew dry. No longer replenished with water, the ice is evaporating in the strong equatorial sunshine.”

On my October 2007 expedition to Kilimanjaro, I placed a weather station atop the Kilimanjaro peak as part of Global Warming monitoring mission. The research garnered from this station will hopefully assist the scientists in measuring the impact on the glacier – both above and below. I look forward to returning to Uhuruh Peak with you in 2008 to observe the weather monitoring progress…