Reader: Langley P. Eide, 33, of Redwood City, California

The Spot: Sundown at Arrow Glacier Camp, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

The Moment: One of the best parts about climbing Kilimanjaro is that all the guides and porters are Tanzanians. So, while the goal is 19,340-foot (5,895-meter) Uhuru Peak, Africa's highest point, the gift is a crash course in Kiswahili, Maasai and Chagga tribal languages and traditions, and some fine-grained analysis of the East African Football Conference. Pictured is Leonard, a guide with African Environments / Mountain Madness.

This picture was taken at Arrow Glacier Camp the evening before the first ascent in more than two years of the western breach to Crater Camp—it had been off-limits since a deadly rockslide in 2005. Many of the porters still remember Arrow Glacier. Today, however, there are no deep snowfields here at Arrow Glacier Camp (16,200 feet [4,938 meters]). You have to climb another 2,000-plus feet (610-plus meters) just to see the famous snows of Kilimanjaro. 

Do-It-Yourself: Mountain Madness (www.mountainmadness.com) was our climbing outfitter. They do a tremendous job on Kilimanjaro.

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Gear prizes provided by Columbia Sportswear 







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