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!