I decided that, while I was still in pretty good shape, I should take a trip to the dark continent of Africa to attempt to climb the highest free standing mountain in the world, Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa. And while I was going that far, I should take in a few safaris as well, to see african elephants, giraffes and zebras, rhinos before they go extinct, hippos and hyena, and some large members of the cat family.

This ended up being the most expensive international trip of my life, by far. The safaris were incredible, and I saw many more animals than I had even expected to see. For the safaris alone, it was all worth it, I must say. However, when it came to hiking the big mountain, I didn't make it to the top. And it's really just a walk in the park, literally. The daily distances and elevation gains are nothing compared to what I do frequently in Alaska, but it's the altitude. Many people who have hiked with me in Alaska say they can't keep up with me and complain that I wear them out, but they have made it to the top. I was doing great at the lower elevations, and I did make it to the high camp, but I just wasn't acclimatizing, and they forced me to go back down.

Kenya

Tanzania