When L. Renee Blount joined an expedition to scale Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro at the end of 2021, her mission was to have fun and share her experience with others through photography. “I wanted to capture the joy of the journey. It’s not only the summit that matters,” says Blount, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was invited on the adventure by Andrew Alexander King, a mountaineer from Los Angeles who’s training to climb the Seven Summits. Blount trekked 45 miles over three and a half days through farmland, rainforest, bogs, an alpine desert, and arctic zones, and she suffered a bout of altitude sickness at 15,000 feet. “I couldn’t keep anything down and just kind of soldiered through it,” she says.

Blount and King reached the top of the 19,340-foot mountain on December 29, with the help of , a local travel company whose guides Blount describes as “true heroes and elite athletes.” But the highlight of their trip happened a couple of days later. After leading Blount and King on a safari—an opportunity to observe wildlife from the safety of a Toyota Land Cruiser—their guides took them to meet members of three tribes indigenous to East Africa’s Rift Valley: the Maasai, the Hadza, and the Datoga. For Blount, visiting with the Datoga felt like a homecoming. “They kept looking at me, and then a guide said, ‘The chief wants to welcome you home.’ They were sure I could be from their tribe,” she says. “I don’t think I am, but it was interesting to have someone feel like intrinsically I belonged to them.” It was an honor, Blount says, to spend time with and take photographs of some of the world’s “greatest explorers and survivalists,” who she communicated with mostly through laughter and eye contact. “We don’t speak the same language, but everyone knows how to laugh,” she says. “That’s what my photos are about.”

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On August 16, Tanzania’s tourism department launched broadband internet service on . Cue the handwringing. People don’t fly all the way to Tanzania, and spend $2,500 or more on a guided hike, just to listen to their phones buzz, am I right?��

Every time there’s news of high-speed internet, or even cell phone service, reaching remote areas—U.S. national parks or Everest, to name a couple—people are about the spread of modern connectivity to hitherto unconnected places. Those complaints are invalid.��

If you’re the kind of person who likes whining about connectivity reaching new places, you’d better start warming up your complaint muscles. By the end of next year, . And , too. It’s easier to list countries that won’t be served by Starlink by the end of 2023 than ones that will: Russia, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and China. And China already has to its own, very censored, version of the internet.��

Besides, complaining about internet connectivity reaching rural places comes from a place of obscene privilege.��

The comments on this Instagram post are indicative of the types of attitudes ���ϳԹ��� readers have about expanded access to the internet in rural and remote areas.

“People who praise this service fail to see that they diminish the very experience they are seeking,” writes Andy Bloedorn.

Roselynn Ressa asks, “Isn’t the whole idea of getting outside to be in nature and unconnected?

“I’m really shocked that we are allowing corporate America’s greed and brainwashing to infiltrate even the outdoor community that claims to be all about preserving remote wilderness,” says Matthew Saville.

I’ve recently been using Starlink to take high-speed internet to formerly unserved places. ��One place that now has internet, thanks to Starlink, is a family cabin located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northern Montana (my wife’s family is Blackfeet). And thanks to the technology, we’ve been able to spend a little more time there, even when it overlaps with work. I can research articles and handle large files with ease, even while my wife conducts virtual sessions with clients of her therapy practice.

That’s a very privileged example of the flexibility remote access to the internet can give two people who have the means to enjoy it. To many of our neighbors on the reservation, access to the internet is not a luxury. According to , only 51 percent of households in the Blackfeet Nation had access to broadband internet. Only 60 percent owned a computer. And that’s hampered everything from economic development to access to education to healthcare. tells the story of one of our neighbors who has to choose between attending high school and helping his family raise cattle. An operator of a local tour guide service and cafe has been unable to collect payment from customers when her unreliable and painfully slow rural internet service goes out.

Data backs up those anecdotes globally. that a ten-percent expansion in access to broadband can lead to a 1.21 percent increase in Gross Domestic Product in developed economies like ours, and a 1.38 percent increase in developing countries. And there is room for that growth. Even here in the United States, of people living in rural areas do not have access to internet that reaches download speeds of 25 Megabits per second. In Tanzania, where Kilimanjaro is located, only of people in 2020 had internet connections exceeding 250 Kilobits per second.��

A report from the Center for American Progress of this limited access. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, 67 percent of American workers in non-metropolitan areas were unable to telework. In 2019, 18.7 percent of American households were “underbanked,” meaning they were reliant on predatory institutions like payday lenders and check cashing services rather than actual banks, not because they didn’t have accounts at those banks, but because they didn’t have the internet access required to use them.��

Those inequities caused by lack of access to the internet exacerbate underlying inequalities. That same CAP report found that American children living in rural areas were twice as likely to lack access to the Internet necessary for remote learning compared to children living in cities and suburbs. Where only ten percent of white families in this country lack high-speed internet at home, that number grows to 15 percent for nonwhite families. Over 20 percent of homes making under $25,000 annually lack high speed internet. That number is under five percent for households earning $100,000 or more per year.��

What does all this have to do with internet access in outdoor playgrounds? Often, the places that privileged people treat as vacation or activity destinations are places others call home. That’s true for the Blackfeet Nation, up on the eastern side of , and it’s true for Kilimanjaro, where live within sight of the mountain.��

But what about you, and your precious time outdoors? If you don’t want your phone to ring, just turn it off.��

The post Kilimanjaro’s Getting the Internet—and That’s a Good Thing appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Kilimanjaro could soon look quite different, and not just because of its��. The Tanzanian government����construction of a cable car on the 19,341-foot peak, the highest summit in Africa��and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Still, while it may technically be approved, the project is far from a sure bet.

The nation’s��government�� the cable-car idea in May 2019. Its goal: to increase the area’s tourism by 50 percent. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kilimanjaro attracted some 50,000 tourists a year,��roughly 35,000 of whom��attempted the summit. Others admired the landmark from its surrounding national park. That same year,��Constantine Kanyasu, then deputy minister of tourism for Tanzania, told me the cable car would help students and travelers under 15 years old and older than 50 experience the mountain’s beauty.

But�� urged the government to reconsider, and�� erupted with opinions. Porters and guides joined forces in opposition through local lobbying groups, while climbers launched��. Tanzanian officials��remained��mostly quiet on the topic, promising that they’d study feasibility and environmental and societal impacts before moving forward.

But in December 2020, the government gave its blessing for the cable car.��Paul Banga, the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) spokesperson for the project, has emphasized��that approval does not mean confirmation, however. “We are waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism before we start looking for investors,” Banga said during a TANAPA workshop, according to the��. When��Banga��responded to me on WhatsApp in January, he told me that��if and when officials move forward on the matter,��“the government decision will be communicated to the public.”

Timing for such a��decision, like many details surrounding this project, remains unclear. But as a Kilimanjaro climber and frequent Tanzania traveler, my curiosity got the best of me after the 2019 announcement. I’ve spent nearly two years tracking this project, from messaging��Tanzanian government officials to speaking with at least a dozen local and global experts. Here’s what I’ve uncovered about its��most pressing questions, including insider perspectives on whether it will actually happen.

Where Would the Kilimanjaro Cable Car Run?

All reports and inside sources point to Machame, a scenic and popular route on the peak’s��southern side. Machame attracts nearly half of all Kilimanjaro climbers, with its high success rate (85 percent for a seven-day climb) and beautiful passage��through five��ecosystems. Machame is also easily accessible from A23, the region’s main road, so it’s a natural choice for this kind of tourist attraction.

Merwyn Nunes, a Tanzanian��who opposes the cable car, worked for the��Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism before serving as a tourist representative for the Kilimanjaro region. Nunes now owns , a company that runs tours��from the Serengeti to Kilimanjaro National Park. He shared his best intel on what a proposed route could look like.��

The plan, he said, is that “six pillars strong enough to carry 15��cable cars will be built along the route.��Each cable car will carry six people on a 20-minute ride to the Shira Plateau.” One of three volcanic cones, the Shira��is located at about 12,000 feet on a high plateau that stretches for eight miles before meeting Kilimanjaro’s tallest volcanic cone, Kibo, and its summit, Uhuru peak. With Kibo’s views and a relatively flat, open plateau, this area would be the most practical cable-car landing pad.��

Could Altitude Sickness Pose Issues for Tourists?

While specifics are forthcoming, it’s likely the cable car would start near the Machame gate (elevation 5,380 feet) and climb roughly 7,000 feet to the Shira Plateau in 20 minutes, according to Nunes. Could this cause altitude sickness? Yes. Altitude effects can start anywhere from��4,900 to 6,500 feet. Ascending too quickly increases the chances��of altitude-related illnesses, like acute mountain sickness,��s that include��headache, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath.��

In fact,�� from the Mayo Clinic suggests that 20 percent of those traveling to higher altitudes below 18,000 feet will suffer some form of altitude sickness. But a lot depends on the amount of time visitors remain��at high elevation. One study in the peer-reviewed journal�� notes that symptoms typically present upon 6��to��12 hours of arrival at altitude—but that’s much longer than tourists usually spend atop a cable-car route.��

Will a Cable Car Affect Kilimanjaro’s Biodiversity?

The project’s��environmental impact is a major concern among opponents. Kilimanjaro’s five diverse vegetation zones encompass everything from forests and farmland to desert and glaciers—which have��, a fact that has made many a headline. But Kilimanjaro’s receding glaciers highlight more than a rapidly changing climate; they’re representative of the area’s fragile ecosystems, home to vulnerable species like elephants, who wander the surrounding��forests, and migrating birds that travel through the nation’s Endemic Bird Area, which encompasses both the peak��and much of southern Kenya.

To protect Kilimanjaro’s ecosystems and natural beauty—two factors that helped Kilimanjaro National Park earn Unesco��World Heritage status in 1987—the Tanzanian government promised to conduct an environmental and social impact assessment before approving the cable car. In August 2019, Kanyasu, the former deputy minister of tourism, told me that the��environmental element of that study was complete.

But the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) isn’t convinced. A��spokesperson for the organization said that while the environmental and social impact assessment did recognize the area’s diverse ecosystems, it “does not assess how they will be impacted by the cable-car development.” As the nature advisory body for the Unesco��World Heritage Center, the IUCN sent a letter to the state party of Tanzania recommending it��not pursue the project due to negative effects on the environment and “outstanding universal value.” The group has��yet to hear back.��

On the other hand, the mountain’s tens of thousands of annual climbers already stress Kilimanjaro’s environment with litter and trampled vegetation, according to the��. Steven Dale, a principal at the architecture and engineering firm��, which specializes in��cable-car consulting, and who is not affiliated with the project, says a cable car in and of itself is environmentally benign. “As a means to convey people from the bottom to the top of a mountain in an environmentally sensitive area, there’s probably no better means to do that,” he said.

Will Porters, Guides, and Climbing Outfitters Lose Business?

The 2019 announcement left Tanzania’s climbing community in shock. Would porters and guides lose their jobs? Would travelers choose the quicker, cheaper route up part of Kilimanjaro versus trekking for six or seven days to the summit? Concerned��parties joined Nunes’s local anti-cable-car lobbying group, Voice of Kilimanjaro, “to give voice to a mountain that has no voice of its own,” said Nunes.��

While many of these guides and porters are still not fans of the project, they’re less worried about job loss and more concerned about the sanctity of their treasured home mountain.����

“I think people who really want to climb Kilimanjaro would still choose to climb Kilimanjaro to reach the summit instead of taking a short cable-car ride for sightseeing,” said Vivian Temba, director of marketing for the Tanzania-based climbing outfitter��. “But the overall appeal of Mount Kilimanjaro as a natural attraction might diminish. Imagine��you’re beginning your Kili climb,��and instead of seeing the mountain in its natural glory, you see steel towers and cables.”

So��Will the Kilimanjaro Cable Car Actually Come to Fruition?

From a purely logistical standpoint, it could. “A system like this could be constructed in a year,��although my suspicion would be, in a location as geographically isolated and complicated politically and logistically, it would take one to two years,” said Dale of SCJ Alliance. “But the proof is going to be whether or not they can get it across the line financially��and from a permit perspective. That’s really what this all boils down to. It’s not about the idea. We can debate about whether it’s a good idea or not. The question is really, Can they get it across the finish line?”

Experts well versed in the Tanzanian government’s inner workings, like Nunes, have doubts. “There appears to be some dragging of feet in government circles on this project,” he said. “On the other hand, I am holding my breath, not knowing what to expect. The danger that I see here is that the ruling party and present government’s policy is pegged on industrialism of the economy. Cable cars are looked upon as an industry. My personal feeling is that it will not happen.”��

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In October, the Department of the Interior proposed an entrance fee hike that would roughly double the cost to visit 17 of the country’s most popular national parks. The National Park Service carries a $12 billion budget shortage, leaving it without funds to repair things like roads, buildings, and restrooms. The rate increase was pitched as a way to fill the gap. “Targeted fee increases at some of our most-visited parks will help ensure that they are protected and preserved in perpetuity,” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said .

The proposal ignored a lot of other factors, like the Trump administration’s simultaneous plan to cut $400 million from the Park Service budget. It also ignored the possible repercussions on surrounding towns. A from the University of Montana, however, focuses on just that. Looking at just Yellowstone National Park, the study found that Zinke’s increase would cost towns within a 60-mile radius of Yellowstone about $3.4 million each year. And this prediction accounts for only the price increase on seven-day passes, which is just 30 percent of visitors, says Jeremy Sage, associate director of the university’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. The overall impact is likely much greater.

“It’s not surprising, really,” Sage says. “Think about any good or service: When the price goes up, the demand for it goes down. Entry into the park and spending in neighboring communities is a complementary good—if peanut butter prices go up, demand for jelly goes down.”

The proposed park fees would increase during peak visiting season—June to October—and would raise vehicle passes to about $70, motorcycle passes to $50, and hiker and cyclist passes to $30. As a comparison, at Grand Canyon last year, those fees were $30, $25, and $15, respectively. Park fees have been rising in recent years, so in a sense this is continuing a trend. Campgrounds and parks across the country have increased fees on everything from senior citizen passes to picnicking. National parks are also increasingly more popular and crowded. Last year, a record 331 million people visited the parks, and with the lines and crowds, there’s a real demand to limit traffic.

In a way, the fee hike acts like surge pricing for Lyft and Uber. It deters some while charging a premium for those who can afford it, which in turn helps the budget shortfall. The question raised by the University of Montana’s study, however, is what’s the smartest way to do this?

The researchers knew that when travel becomes more expensive, fewer people visit parks; for every 10 percent increase in travel costs, park visits decline by about 3 percent. That figure may change a little depending on the type of visitor. While people who live in Montana may pay about $100 to visit Yellowstone, an international traveler is paying thousands of dollars, so a park fee increase doesn’t factor into the travel budget the same way. But nearly 80 percent of the people who visit Yellowstone are Americans from at least one state away, and the entry fee hike has a real impact on them.

For these people, Zinke’s proposed entrance fee hike adds about 14 percent to travel costs, which means tens of thousands of Americans will decide not to visit Yellowstone, according to the study. That adds up to millions of lost dollars for surrounding towns. And that’s only for people unwilling to pay the higher price for the seven-day pass. A lot of other fees could be raised, too. If you use this same arithmetic for the 16 other parks—including Arches, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and Zion National Parks—you get an idea of what Zinke’s proposal might do across the United States. It’s no small matter, because money from parks visitors create in local U.S. communities.

What’s more, Zinke’s pay structure will hit low-income families the hardest. That’s raised a lot of complaints . There’s also a lot of anger and confusion over why other options weren’t explored. For example, to visit Kilimanjaro National Park, in Tanzania, the government charges foreigners $70 per person per day. Locals get in for $4.45. A fee structure like this, according to the study, also makes more sense because adding $40 or more onto an international plane ticket doesn’t affect the overall cost that much, and research proves these visitors will still make the trip. “We’re not saying this is what you should absolutely do,” Sage says, “but take a look at other options.”

This gets at what most concerns Sage: He worries that Zinke’s department hasn’t done much research. The Department of the Interior figures the added fees will increase the Park Service’s budget by 34 percent next year. But that doesn’t seem to account for the loss in visitors or a number of other factors. When Sage’s department asked Zinke’s office for its research, he never heard back. “I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest they’ve done a good enough job of exploring other options.”

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Kilimanjaro is known for its packed summit during the high season; on a given day, you could be sharing it with one hundred other people. For filmmaker ��and his guide��, hiking it during the low season provided the solitude they sought.��Find more from Watson on Instagram�� and Motta's guiding outfit on Facebook��.��

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It’s easy to see why is known as the Queen of Pain.��For starters, the Red Bull athlete is an absolute monster on two wheels: she is a seven-time mountain bike world champion and has won the storied race a record-tying four times. She’s also won national and world championships in whitewater rafting, adventure racing, cross-country skiing, and orienteering, a sport that involves pathfinding in unfamiliar and rugged terrain. And although she is in her late 40s, Rusch has no intention of slowing down. This past March, Rusch and teammate became��the third party ever to summit Mount Kilimanjaro via bikes.��

I recently caught up with Rusch from her home in Ketchum, Idaho, to chat about her training, the ride up Kilimanjaro, and how she nurtures her body and mind for lasting peak performance.��

Training

I train on my mountain bike as much as possible. The majority of my riding is long and relatively slow. I’d say only about 20 percent of my total training volume is high intensity.��

I work with a coach who builds my workout schedule. Over time, I’ve realized the importance of being flexible and evolving the plan based on both how my body is adapting and the other things going on in my life. It’s hard to nail a big training week at the same time you are remodeling your house.��

Favorite Workout

I love nothing more than a long 6 to 8 hour ride with friends on the mountain bike trails around Ketchum. I’m getting in the prescribed “long ride” workout and the great aerobic and strength benefits that come with it, but it’s easy to forget about that when I’m out in nature with friends.��

Kilimanjaro Prep

In addition to my usual routine, I did some training that was more mountain-specific. While wearing a weighted vest and carrying a backpack, I walked up a steep incline on a treadmill in an altitude tent. I also slept in an altitude tent in the weeks leading up to the ride. Both strategies were immensely helpful—my body was well-adapted before I even stepped foot on the mountain.��

Dealing with Dark Spots

Whenever I get down and catch myself with negative thoughts, I pretend I’m saying those things aloud to another person. I ask myself, would you ever say, “Well, it looks like you’re really blowing up, you’re day is over,” to a training partner who is struggling? Of course not! You’d tell him, “Keep pushing and just make it through the next five minutes.” Or maybe you’d say, “Eat, drink, and hang in there until the next aid station.” Going through this exercise helps me replace negative thoughts with positive ones.��

I guess what I’m saying is that you’ve got to be kind to yourself. If you are kind to yourself, most of the time you’ll get through the dark spot in a better mood and without wasting precious energy ruminating.��

Mind Over Matter��

Meditation has become a key part of my routine. I use an app called and meditate for 10 minutes every day. This small part of my day carries over into everything else I do. It helps me stay more present and focused in the moment, which is integral to solid performance in just about any endeavor, including bike racing.

Daily Nutrition

My guiding credo is that I try not to eat anything that comes in a package. I eat a well-balanced diet of whole, natural foods. I’ve tried going gluten-free and vegetarian, but neither stuck. For me, staying away from processed foods is most important.��

Performance Fueling

During longer endurance races, I aim for between 150 to��200 calories per��hour, almost all of which are from sports drinks. It’s hard to take your hands off the [mountain bike] handlebars for too long, and eating can feel like a chore, so drinking a bottle, which I can easily and quickly consume with one hand, every hour works best for me.��

The specifics of fueling—e.g., solid vs. liquid, what brand of energy gel to use —is individual. But once you have developed a plan that works for you, I can’t stress enough the importance of sticking to it. If you fall behind on nutrition and hydration, you start to feel crappy, which makes you want to eat and drink even less, which only makes you feel crappier. It’s a vicious cycle and a hole this is almost impossible to climb out of.��

Recovery

I like to wear compression clothing after hard training and races and I also regularly use a foam roller. I’m not obsessive about it, but whenever I turn on the TV, I’ll hop on the [foam] roller at the same time.��

Tactics like compression and foam rolling help at the margin, but by far the most important thing for my recovery is sleep. I sleep a ton—8 to 10 hours a night.��

Aging Gracefully

You don’t need to be 25��years��old to have your greatest performance. At age 47, I’m still improving and having some of the best days of my career. I may not be as strong or have the same VO2 max as when I was younger, but wisdom is the great equalizer. I’m smarter about things like nutrition and race tactics, and I have a special self-knowledge that only results from years of experience.��

Motivation��

I tend to thrive most whenever I link what I’m doing to a greater purpose. For the Kilimanjaro ride, I worked with World Bicycle Relief, a charity that provides bikes to students and workers in rural Africa, to raise a dollar for every foot of elevation climbed. Those $19,341 dollars will purchase something like 120 bikes.��

[Note: Rusch is just shy of her fundraising goal. You can learn more about World Bicycle Relief and donate .]

The post How Did Veteran Endurance Athlete Rebecca Rusch Summit Mount Kilimanjaro on a Mountain Bike? appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Earlier this year, adventurer teamed up with professional mountain biker to attempt something that's only been done once in history: climb and descend Mount Kilimanjaro on mountain bikes. To make things even more interesting, the two decided to keep��the mission totally self-supported, meaning they didn't accept help from porters, or from medicine to help with altitude sickness. The goal of the expedition was to raise one dollar for every foot of climbing they did (that's $19,240) for , a charity that builds burly bikes for folks living in remote areas throughout Africa. This exclusive clip is a behind-the-scenes look at the trip, and the gear they used��to make it possible. Look for a full documentary on the expedition later this year.��

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Climbing the highest peak on one or more of the world’s seven continents is a worthy goal—and I understand why you, and so many other people, gravitate to 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and 22,840-foot Aconcagua in Argentina

The climbs on the main routes to the top of each are generally considered “long walks” rather than actual mountaineering expeditions. Yet they can still pose considerable challenges. Both hikes are exhausting and will take multiple days to complete. Plus, you’ll be battling against the unpredictability of the weather on them, the thin air of high elevation, and the potentially dangerous effects of altitude sickness. So, there’s no guarantee you’ll reach the top of either one.

But which one would I recommend? Not so fast. Let’s go through the pros and cons so you can make your own semi-informed decision.

Kilimanjaro
Aconcagua

To Climb: Kilimanjaro

TREK DURATION: 5-6 days

PROS: With tea stands along the way for drinks and snacks and huts for spending the night, the hike up the popular Marangu Route is definitely the most luxurious, foreign, high-altitude adventure you’ll find. Another bonus: most reputable guide services on the mountain bring along a team of surprisingly excellent cooks to prepare your meals and a group of porters for your gear. Kilimanjaro is easy to access, with the trailhead only about an hour from the local airport, and reaching its snow-covered volcanic cone really will leave you breathless—and not just because of the thin air.

CONS: The crowds. Roughly 15,000 people reach the summit each year, and you’ll feel like they all reached the summit at the same time as you. This is not a solitary experience, nor is it a technical one in any way (That’s either “pro” or “con,” depending on what you’re looking for.)

SUCCESS RATE: The general statistic used says that 40 percent of climbers make it to the top.

GUIDE SERVICE: Of all the great guide services on Kilimanjaro, might be the best. Its success rate is close to 90 percent, and though its treks are longer and pricier, they avoid the jam-packed Marangu Route. Climb prices start at $4,000.

To Climb: Aconcagua

TREK DURATION: 18 to 21 days

PROS: This jagged, humpbacked 22,840-foot peak is the tallest mountain in the Western and Southern hemispheres—or anywhere else outside of Asia. Yet, if you follow the popular Normal Route on the north side, you can make the long slog to the top without using the crampons and ropes you should pack.

CONS: On the frigid summit, the weather can change at any moment—and the strong winds can be brutal. When you’re climbing well above 20,000 feet, the sense of vulnerability and exposure is almost as strong as the ultraviolet rays beating down on you through the thin, dry air.

SUCCESS RATE: No concrete records are kept, but the average seems to be around 50 percent of climbers reaching the summit.

GUIDE SERVICE: Mountain Guides International has been leading climbers to the top of Aconcagua with relatively high success for more than two decades. Its 20-day trips limit the number of guests to six to eight people, accompanied by two guides. Price: $4,400.

THE CHOICE: Aconcagua. Despite all the reasons to climb Kilimanjaro—its scenery, its beauty, a chance to see the famed snows frosting its summit before global warming melts them—there’s something about some day being able to brag to your grandkids (and yourself) that you climbed a 22,000-foot-plus mountain peak. Aconcagua takes nearly two weeks more time to climb, so it’s definitely a much bigger time investment, and the weather conditions definitely can get more extreme. But the payoff of peering down at the surrounding, 20,000-foot peaks of the Andes makes it all worth it.

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Your dream vacation is waiting. Ski Antarctica, fly-fish Alaska, beach-hop in Cuba, and cross four more adventures off your bucket list with our picks for the best classic trips.

Knock Off Two Icons

Machu Picchu and the Galápagos

Hit Machu Picchu and the Galápagos in one adventure with ’s new multisport itinerary. The 14-day trip includes rafting Peru’s Class I–III Urubamba River, a train ride to Machu Picchu with a guided hike among the ruins, and hiking, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, and cycling in the Galápagos. From $5,799.

Float the Grand Canyon in a Dory

Much more elegant than a raft

A classic 87-mile trip from Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch with , the grandfather of Colorado River running. Pass the cliffs of Marble Canyon, hike to Native American ruins, camp on sandy beaches, and ride 19 major rapids in a storied wooden dory, which holds four guests and is much more elegant than a raft. Six-to-eight-day trip from $2,943.

Ski-Trek Antarctica

Re-create Shackleton’s 1916 route

Twelve skiers pull their own 70-pound sledges from Antarctica’s King Haakon Bay more than 20 miles to Fortuna Bay, re-creating portions of Shackleton’s famed 1916 route. The precipitous alpine route, with hazardous crevasses and high winds, makes for an unforgettable journey. From $14,630, .

Climb Mount Kilimanjaro

See the Big Five

This journey starts with a ten-day climb of Kilimanjaro via the Grand Traverse, a little-traveled route that virtually circumnavigates the famed 19,341-foot peak. Add on a 12-day safari, including game drives in the most wildlife-rich area of northern Tanzania and three days walking in the Great Rift Valley. $14,500, .

Fly-Fish Alaska

All about the fish

, on the shore of Lake Iliamna, the largest lake in Alaska, has always been the gold standard for serious fishermen. Under new ownership, the rustic, seventies-era cedar-log lodge underwent a makeover with major upgrades. But it’s still about the fish. With three DeHavilland airplanes and private leases to more than 98,000 acres, fly-fish for trophy king in the morning and deep-sea-fish for halibut in the afternoon. , except for air transfer.

Trek New Zealand

A new long-distance trail to get lost in

After ten years of trail building, New Zealand’s Te Araroa—the Long Pathway—is open. The 1,864-mile path starts at Cape Reinga, at the northern tip of the North Island, requires a ferry ride across the Cook Strait, and ends on the southernmost tip of the South Island. For routes and map notes, go to .

Explore Cuba

(Legally)

Take advantage of thawing relations between the U.S. and Cuba with ‘s 100 percent legal, nine-day, total-immersion trip, which includes visiting a tobacco plantation, an organic farm, artisan cooperatives, and a tour of Old Havana led by the city’s official Historian’s office. Dine on traditional meals in private homes, stay at the five-star Melia Cohiba, and cruise the seaside Malecón in classic American autos from the 40’s and 50’s. $4,498.

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