A few years back a team of celebrity climbers came together under the Summit On The Summit banner to make a charity ascent of Kilimanjaro in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of clean drinking water to developing nations around the planet. Their efforts were very successful, garnering plenty of media attention for the cause as people like Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch and Jimmy Chin lent their support to the project. Fast forward three years and the water crisis across the globe has probably only become more pressing as global climate change alters the planet even further. With that in mind, a new team of climbers has gone back to Kili to remind us once again about this important issue.The Summit On The Summit program is the brainchild of musician Kenna, who led the first expedition to Kilimanjaro back in 2010. Now, he is returning to the 5895 meter (19,341 ft) peak once again to lead a new team to the top. Joining him on this outing are actors Justin Chatwin and Beau Garrett, as well as singer Mark Foster, amongst others. Mountain guides Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton are also part of the team.
The group will be following the popular Marangu Route, spending seven days on the expedition. You'll be able to follow their progress on Facebook and Twitter of course, but they've also put a considerable effort into revamping the SOTS website to include more social elements while incorporating new ways to engage with the audience following along at home. By registering for the site, we can not only get updates on the team's progress but also get the opportunity to win prizes from sponsors such as HP and KLM.
I was a big supporter of the original Summit On The Summit expedition in 2010 and remain so today. The issue of clean drinking water is such an important one and it holds potential consequences for all of us. Good luck to all the climbers as they head up Kili in the next few days, and don't forget to enjoy the walk!
