DAY 12

The team has safely descended from Kilimanjaro and are enjoying hot showers and warm beds at their hotel in Mungaru, Tanzania. Please visit this site again as we continue to update it with images, audio and details about the climb. Please be sure to visit the Freedom For Life Foundation web site to view current events and activities that you may want to participate in.

DAY 10

18,400' and the final summit for the team. Darol has climbed as far as his strength and equipment will take him. You can hear how heavy his breathing is from the altitude. Darol would have never made it without the love, support and encouragement from friends and family.

DAY 9

The team reaches 17,400' and the 7th camp site! 2 days and 2000' from Uhuru. Darol is strong and anxious to get to the top!

DAY 8

16,500' and arrival at Camp #6. No other details due to weak phone connection.

DAY 7

From 15,400' Kevin Cherilla reports excellent progress for the team thus far. The team is moving into the most difficult section of Kilimanjaro. Darol will use the the One-Off climber with large wheels so he can navigate the loose Scree. The climber is also equipped with a hand powered winch so he can crank himself up the steep vertical sections. The very last section of the climb will be completed with the use of a rescue device designed by Skedco. Darol will lay on his back and crank his body to the summit. Robert French, Darol's team doctor celebrated his 40th Birthday yesterday. Robert and the team enjoyed Birthday cake sent by his girlfriend Gabriel.

DAY 5

The first report from Kilimanjaro came early Sunday morning. Kevin Cherilla called in and left a voice message. Darol called later in the evening to further the progress report. At 5:30 PM they were at 12,500 feet and were spending the night at Herambo Camp. The weather was cloudy and there was slight snow fall. Darol said they would be at 14,000 feet by Monday evening. The next few days will prove to be far more challenging as oxygen levels drop, the temperature falls, and the climb is steep. This is when everyone will have to pace themselves and really dig in. The calls we receive from the team are not always audible enough to record for everyone to hear. It's a wonder that an everyday cell phone can send voices across the globe. On that note we do have a sound bite from an interview by Gillian Kohl of Arizona Public Radio, KNAU. Gillian trailed along with Darol as he was training 2 weeks before departing for Tanzania.

Mt. Kilmanjaro

Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet).

DAY 1

We received a phone call today from Greg Stirling of Borderless World. Greg is a part of the video production team that is climbing along with Darol. Greg reports that the team was able to climb 2000 ft. today and are ahead of schedule. All of the team members are doing well and are ready to sleep. Borderless World is working on a documentary video titled "One Man's Ascent to Freedom." There is a very interesting clip here showing how Darol will climb to the top. Borderless World is based in Vancouver BC Canada and under the leadership of Greg Stirling the team will document Darol's ascent to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Nakara Hotel, Marangu, Tanzania

Nakara Hotel in Marangu, Tanzania is well known for its hospitality and the many groups of travelers who stop here before their journey into Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. Nakara Hotel is located on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, around one hundred kilometres from Kilimanjaro Airport. With the Marangu Gate only 2kms from the hotel, it's perfectly suited to climbers. Narative from Darol.

Training in Rollinsville, Colorado

Darol Kubacz and his Phoenix AZ based team have departed for Africa as scheduled. We received a phone call on August 5Th, but the audio was very distorted and could not be understood. Hopefully the next call will be better. Please stay in touch with the Blog since it will be updated as soon as anything new comes in. The picture above is of Darol and Erik Weihenmayer on a recent training climb in July at Rollinsville Co. Darol and Erik were accompanied by Steve Ackerman. Steve is the only paraplegic athlete to ride around the world on a hand cycle. The image below (left to right) shows Darol Kubacz, Steve Ackerman, Erik Weihenmayer, and Ben Witherell as they summit the Continental Divide. Read about this day adventure here. Thanks to Ben for the great pictures!

Meet Kevin Cherilla, Expedition Leader

His face is hidden but his passion for adventure is not! Kevin Cherilla will team up with Freedom For Life in the 2008 ascent on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kevin is no stranger to Mt. Kili as he has led numerous groups of all ages and abilities to the summit. If you don't know Kevin check out his personal bio.

"I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to the desert of Phoenix,Arizona in 1993 where I began rock climbing with the Arizona Mountaineering Club. I have been mountaineering for almost two decades and my adventures have taken me to six continents and over 20 countries. Since 1995, I have had the privilege of traveling the world with world-class, blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer: rock and ice climbing, running marathons, biking, and mountaineering. Our adventures over the years have been featured on the front cover of TIME, Outside, Climbing, and Weekly Reader magazines. We have also been featured on the Oprah Show, Jay Leno, David Letterman, and many world news programs. I served as base camp manager for the NFB 2001 Everest Expedition during which Weihenmayer became the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest and our team broke five world records! Our Mt. Everest documentary, "Farther Than the Eye Can See", has won 20 international film festival awards, along with several Emmy's.” Learn more about Kevin Cherilla.

2nd Annual Real Deal

June 27-29, 2008 Freedom for Life participated in a team adventure challenge in the Colorado Rockies. Each team consisted of 3 able bodied and 2 disabled members. The event included 2 days of mountain biking , river rafting, rock climbing and orienteering. The goal was for team members to work together to complete the timed challenges. Freedom For Life enhanced the event by providing 4 off road arm powered bikes for disabled athletes to use. This challenging event brought people of all different abilities together to share their strengths and overcome the challenges of each event. The Real Deal is organized by World Team Sports

African Travel Association World Congress

Darol Kubacz was able to travel to Tanzania, Africa in June to participate in the the 13th Annual World Congress of the African Travel Association. As a panel member he encouraged the delegates to "see their disabled population as people with something to offer instead of people who are a burden." He concluded that "American and European disabled travelers would be more inclined to visit Africa if the infrastructure was in place for a a more positive experience."

The congress provided an opportunity for Freedom For Life to explore service projects and partnerships with organizations that work to conserve coral reefs. One such organization, Counterpart
is already making headway integrating volunteer teams, local people and industry to help restore our diminishing coral reefs.

Welcome to FFL Blog!

For the latest updates and details about Freedom For Life Foundation check this blog frequently. This blog will serve as a news feed on the 2008 climb to Mt. Kilimanjaro for Darol Kubacz and his climbing team.