[caption id="attachment_3648" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Ngorongoro Crater"][/caption] With one week away from departure, yes, one week, 7 days or 168 hours, I'm excited!! Does it show? My trip preparation to Tanzania has come along well... or so I think. Trying to juggle work, training and trip preparation has not been easy, but it's got to be done. What's left to do? Fortunately, not much. T ...

With two weeks away 'til my departure, things are getting rather hectic. Between the Holiday rush at work, maintaining my training program and prepping for my trip, I've been going absolutely nuts. There is one thing keeping me sane however. I'm leaving in 2 weeks!! I can't wait to be on the long haul flight to Tanzania, forced time on a plane to relax! Looking forward to catching up on some sleep, reading ...

With less than 5 weeks from departure, I hope that my current training plan will help me reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. So what have I been up to anyway? Training, training, and yes, more training!! While the hike itself is not the most extraneous, hiking in high altitude is difficult. Although I'm always fairly in shape because I workout regularly, hiking to Kilimanjaro motivated me to take my workout to ...

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Photo Credit: orvis.com"][/caption] Other than paying for the 7-day tour itself, the next most expensive part of hiking Kilimanjaro is purchasing the right gear for the hike. During the 7 days on the mountain, I'll be hiking through various climates, from hot, to cold, to windy, to rainy and to snowy. The key to successfully cross these different climate ...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Source: http://www.top-things-to-do.com/africa/zanzibar.jpg"][/caption] As I prepare myself physically and mentally for my Kilimanjaro hike, part of me is really excited to get that out-of-the-way so I can then enjoy 4 days in Zanzibar, also known as the Spice Island due to the abundant spice plantations on the island. Besides the fact that Zanzibar is ...

If you ask me if I'm scared of the Kilimanjaro climb, my answer is no. Sleeping in a tent for 6 nights, no available bathrooms on the mountain, hiking every day for 7 days or being exposed to the cold  doesn't bother me. I know I can deal with the uncomfort I may be facing. But if you wonder what my biggest fear is. Here it goes: I'm worried about experiencing altitude sickness once I reach a certain altitu ...

Today is a special day! After two weeks of pure procrastination, I booked my flight! I began searching for flights a few weeks back and found one itinerary that I liked for a good price. Now, good price when flying Montreal-Kilimanjaro doesn't mean exactly cheap but let's just say it was the most affordable option. I've never really been a procrastinator when it comes to booking travel until it was time to ...

After much debate between South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, I finally chose my next destination! And the winner is..... (drumroll)..... TANZANIA! Not only am I going to Tanzania, but I'm giving myself a physical challenge. The challenge to climb Kilimanjaro, the 4th highest mountain in the World (5,882m), and the highest mountain you can climb without any mountaineering experience. As my second tr ...