A clean country does three things well. It keeps smoke out of air, germs out of water, and trash off the street. That takes solid infrastructure and strong rules. Money matters, but discipline matters more. Leaders must set and enforce rules while…
Dirty air, foul water, rotting trash, and poor hygiene drag a country down. Pollution and poverty often go hand in hand. The poorest countries can seldom fund the construction and maintainence of infrastructure that keeps the environment clean. Without water pipes, landfills,…
Climbing Kilimanjaro changes people. It opens a door. For many, it’s the first taste of real adventure. Standing at the summit proves they can accomplish hard things. After the success, they look for more challenges and ask the question: what’s next? There…
The Hollywood movie The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) told the true story of two lions that stalked railway crews in Kenya. The Tsavo lions killed about 35 people before Colonel Patterson stopped them. Many think that was the worst human-lion conflict…
Yes. Mount Kilimanjaro is a volcano. Specifically, it is a stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano. A stratovolcano is a classic, cone-shaped type of volcano. It’s built from multiple layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and rock. Stratovolcanoes typically erupt explosively…
We often say that anyone with a reasonable degree of fitness can climb Kilimanjaro. This applies to people who are in their 50’s, 60’s, or even older. Anne Lorimor is the world record holder for the oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro. She…
Lions are apex predators, also known as a top predators or super predators. They are the top of a food chain, without natural predators of their own. Though their diet may consist of a wide variety of animals, what they typically eat…
What Makes a Food Weird? Sometimes it’s the ingredients. Often, it’s the kind of animal or animal part itself that are not typically seen as food in Western cultures. Sometimes it’s the process – fermenting things, aging them, or eating them while…
To climb Kilimanjaro, a heavy down jacket is mandatory. Summit night can be dark, extremely windy and brutally cold. While temperatures may be mild, perhaps 20°F to 30°F (-7°C to -1°C), you should be prepared for much harsher conditions. We have had…
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measurement of the total size of a country’s economy. It tracks the total value of goods and services produced within a nation. Bigger countries usually have bigger GDPs. For rich countries, GDP shows global influence and trade power. However,…
In the animal kingdom, being big offers advantages. Larger animals are less vulnerable to predation. They are stronger and can more easily defend themselves. Larger animals have more capacity to store energy in the form of fat and retain body heat. Finally, larger bodies…
The Global Peace Index (GPI) is a measurement of how peaceful a country is across three primary areas: ongoing conflict, societal safety, and militarization. Analysts study crime levels, political stability, incarceration rates, and military spending to produce a numerical score. Lower scores indicate higher levels…
I recently participated in a seven-day, 155-mile (250 km) ultramarathon called the Atacama Crossing (organized by RacingThePlanet). The race took place in the Atacama Desert of Chile, the driest non-polar desert in the world, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes…
Doug Hansen was a postal worker and amateur climber from Washington state who died high on Mount Everest during the 1996 disaster. This article discusses who he was and his final expedition. WARNING: This article contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised….
Where is Aconcagua Located? Aconcagua is located in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, near the border with Chile. It sits within Aconcagua Provincial Park in Mendoza Province. The nearest major city is Mendoza, about 70 miles (113 km) southeast of the mountain….
Yes. Humans belong to the order Primates, a group defined by shared anatomy, genetics, and behavior. This group includes lemurs, monkeys, apes, and us. Within it we sit in the family Hominidae, also called the great apes. Taxonomic Classification & Shared Traits…
