Mount Kilimanjaro - a challenge at any age

Written by Michael Vass

Mount Kilimanjaro is no simple hill. That is at least an understatement when you consider the full 19,000 plus height of the African mountain. It’s an effort that most cannot overcome, at least not without a regiment of training and preparation for weeks or longer. Even with preparation, even the best often turn back from the summit.

So when Ann Curry of NBC was tasked with the climb and little preparation, I expected complete failure. She is not a mountain climber, and in fact has not accomplished a bigger hill than half the size of Mount Kilimanjaro. And she did that back in her college days, some 30 years ago.

Thus I have to say that I was very impressed with what she did in fact do. The fact she did not reach the summit is not important. Altitude sickness can hit anyone, and it affected the whole crew with Curry. But they did ascend the mountain up to 15,000 feet. That is no small feat for a woman of 52, or anyone for that matter.

I expected the publicity stunt of NBC to be from the base of the mountain. Maybe a trivial ascension to 3 or 5,000 feet. But the effort made was far more than I expected. And Ann Curry should be applauded for the success she did achieve.