Earlier this year the Summit on the Summit team comprised of celebrities Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Kenna, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold and others climbed Mount Kiliamanjaro raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis. MTV is airing a 90-minute documentary about the celebrities’ climb on March 14. 

The trailer is overly dramatic and exaggerates the conditions on the mountain, but should prove to be an entertaining film.  The cinematagraphy is appears amazing.

On January 12, Jessica Biel along with fellow celebrities on the Summit on the Summit team, climbed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Point.  Each member reached the top successfully. 

Temperatures were reportedly in the single digits during the final ascent, which is not uncommon on the upper slopes of the mountain during nightime.  The team also had to endure low visibility as snowy conditions. 

Jessica Biel and the rest of the Summit on the Summit team began their climb up Mount Kilimanjaro on Thursday, January 7th.  The team is climbing Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the global clean water crisis.

The website is sparse on details, but it appears that the group is ascending via a variation of the 7 day Shira route.  They were at Moir Hut on day 3 and are currently at Barranco Camp on day 4. 

A new report published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has estimated that Mount Kilimanjaro’s glaciers will be gone  within the next 20 year.  Based on aerial photographs and extracts of ice, the authors measured the pace of the glacial retreat to arrive at their time frame.

Scientists have calculated that Kilimanjaro’s ice sheet has shrunk 85% since 1912, with the rate accelerating in recent.  In the last 9 years, the three remaining ice fields have shrunk by 26%.

Following the much publicized BT Red Nose Climb for Comic Relief, where a team of UK celebrities climbed Kilimanjaro to raise money for malaria prevention earlier this year, next January a group of US celebrities are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with Summit on the Summit to raise awareness of the global clean water crisis.  

Among the celebrities are music artist Justin Timberlake, actress Jessica Biel, actress Isabel Lucas, rapper Lupe Fiasco, and singer Kenna.  More celebrities are expected to join.

It has been reported that the climb will take six days.  This is a bit peculiar if true because a short itinerary would pretty much guarantee that only half of the team will make it to the top.  Six days is not nearly enough time for most people to acclimatize to the altitude.  Hopefully, the charity climb will use a longer route so more of the team can summit.

It will be interesting to follow their climb as it unfolds.