Climibing Mount Kilimanjaro for a Cause: Our Journey Thus Far

By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD and Kevin Hoeflinger

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice.

6 months ago, Kevin and I committed to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2024. Climbing a mountain has always been something we have wanted to do as a father and son, but it never felt like it was the right time to take on the challenge.

After lots of discussion, we decided on the nearly 20,000 foot snow-covered peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. We knew this mountain would be a demanding challenge but that we could achieve it with proper training and mindset.

Furthermore, we felt that we could use this experience as a springboard to help others. We wanted to bring a deeper sense of purpose to help fuel us to accomplish this mission. Thus, we decided to raise money for two charities we believe are doing great work in the world: SameYou and Tanzania Health and Medical Education Foundation (TAHMEF).

By announcing this goal to the world and creating a fundraising goal, we had fully committed ourselves to climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. In a sense, this removed some of the pressure because we knew that we needed to put in the work and make our dream a reality since we had announced it to the world.

Now that we were fully committed, what next? The list of things we needed to do to get the trip organized seemed daunting. But like anything, we just took action on a first step. For us, this was researching everything involved in planning, training for, and climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. This included reading online articles, ordering and browsing a few top books, and watching YouTube videos.

After researching for a week or so, we determined the most important first step for us to take was picking a climbing operator. You cannot climb Mt Kilimanjaro by yourself. Per Tanzania law, you need to go through a certified climbing operator to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. So we started researching the various companies, reading and watching reviews, and talking to company representatives.

Based on how helpful and informative they were throughout this process, we chose Climbing Kilimanjaro. Brian from Climbing Kilimanjaro answered all of our questions and concerns across several phone calls and email exchanges. It really set them apart and made us comfortable choosing them as our climbing operator. We have been very satisfied with our decision so far as they have continued to be of help with our training and preparation.

Once we chose a climbing company, everything else seemed to quickly fall in place. I will admit that my son Kevin did most of the work in organizing our trip. The plane fights, the extensive hiking materials and clothing list, medications including antimalarials, and formulating a solid training plan were all absolute necessities to make our trip a successful one.

The following will briefly describe the training we have done. However, training will be unique for each person and it is important to figure out what works best for you.

We both had a pretty good aerobic base 6 months ago when we first started training. So from there, we decided to ramp up our walking, especially walking at an incline. Dr. Hoeflinger mainly used his Nordic Track treadmill for incline training (usually at a 35 degree angle). Kevin usually used the stair stepper or the treadmill at an incline at his gym for incline training. We live in Toledo, Ohio so it is pretty flat and this was the main way to could simulate elevation gain. Next, we lifted weights a few times each week to improve our overall body strength.

Lastly, we started "rucking," or walking with weighted packs. Dr. Hoeflinger usually walked with 15-20 lbs in his pack and Kevin usually walked walked with 20-25 lbs in his pack. This helped build up the muscle strength in our legs and familiarize our bodies with carrying a pack while hiking.

You can learn more about training for Mt Kilimanjaro here or by using the numerous articles and videos available online.

As anything in life, we just took it one step at a time. Things can seem overwhelming at times but that's when you pause for a moment, take a deep breath and keep moving forward. It is now only two weeks from our departure for Africa and we are nearly ready. Our flights, including about 28 hours of transit time each way, are booked. All our clothing has arrived, been tried on to ensure proper fit, and tested on some long hikes. We have our medications and our training is nearly complete. An idea and plan put together 6 months ago is approaching fruition. The climb officially begins on September 9 and we are doing the 8-day Lemosho climb. We will continue documenting our journey up to and through the completion of the climb. The only piece left is our mindset and determination, which will ultimately be tested on the mountain itself.

Overall, we hope to inspire others on many different levels to reach for goals and dreams in their own lives that they think are impossible. Furthermore, we hope to raise money for a good cause for two great charities, SameYou and the TAHMEF. 100% of money raised will be donated evenly between these two charities. You can learn more about the charities and our fundraiser here.

We are extremely grateful for everyone who has donated so far and all of the people who have wished us luck on our journey!

Impactful Quote of the Week

"Grinned and pointed and there, ahead, all he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that there was where he was going."

- Ernest Hemingway, The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Keep dreaming,

Brian and Kevin Hoeflinger