Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a feat that requires mental fortitude and physical endurance. Standing 19,341 feet tall, it is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the most popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts.

Over the years, many celebrities and professional athletes have taken on the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro. In this article, we will discuss celebrities and athletes who have conquered Mount Kilimanjaro and also some that have failed.

Charity Climbs

Celebrities tend to hang out with other celebrities. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that they also tend to climb Kilimanjaro together, as part of a group for a cause. Let’s take a look at some celebrity charity climbs.

The Summit on the Summit

The Summit on the Summit is a campaign that aims to raise awareness of the global clean water crisis and to support clean water initiatives around the world. It was initiated by the American actor and activist, Kenna, who climbed Kilimanjaro with a group of celebrities in 2010.

Some of the celebrities who joined Summit on the Summit include:

Kenna

Kenna Zemedkun, known professionally as Kenna, is an Ethiopian-born American musician and philanthropist. His motivation for bringing awareness to the global clean water crisis is personal, as his father was deeply affected by water-borne illness as a child and his uncle had passed away from a related illness.  

Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles in films such as The Illusionist and The A-Team, as well as the television series 7th Heaven. She has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and PETA.

Isabel Lucas

Isabel Lucas is an Australian actress and model. She is known for her roles in films such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Water Diviner. She has also been involved in environmental activism, advocating for sustainable living and renewable energy.

Emile Hirsch

Emile Hirsch is an American actor. He is known for his roles in films such as Into the Wild and Milk. He has also been involved in charitable causes, including the International Medical Corps and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his socially conscious lyrics and has been involved in several charitable initiatives, including the Lupe Fiasco Foundation, which supports education and community development.

Santigold

Santigold is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is known for her eclectic music style and has been involved in several charitable initiatives, including the Red Cross and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Jimmy Chin

Jimmy Chin is an American professional mountain athlete, photographer, film director, and author. Chin has been a professional climber and skier on The North Face Athlete team for over 20 years. He won the 2019 Academy Award for Free Solo.

Michael Muller

Michael Muller is an American photographer and filmmaker. He is known for his celebrity portraits and has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the Oceanic Preservation Society and the Michael Muller Shark Fund.

Summit on the Summit II

In 2012, Kenna organized another climb of Kilimanjaro with a group of celebrities to continue raising awareness and funds for clean water initiatives.

Some of the celebrities who joined Kenna on this return climb included:

Justin Chatwin

Justin Chatwin is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles in films such as War of the Worlds and The Invisible, as well as the television series Shameless. He has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the Alzheimer’s Association and the David Lynch Foundation.

Beau Garrett

Beau Garrett is an American actress and model. She is known for her roles in films such as Tron: Legacy and the television series Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce. She has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the American Heart Association and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Mark Foster

Mark Foster is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the band Foster the People and has been involved in several charitable initiatives, including the Music for Relief and the United Nations Foundation.

Kick Kennedy

Kick Kennedy is an American journalist, activist, and member of the Kennedy family. She has been involved in several charitable causes, including the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Skyler Shaye

Skyler Shaye is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for her roles in films such as Bratz and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2. She has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the American Heart Association and the Trevor Project.

Elise Eberle

Elise Eberle is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films such as The Astronaut Farmer and the television series Salem. She has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the American Cancer Society and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his socially conscious lyrics and has been involved in several charitable initiatives, including the Hip Hop Caucus and the Robin Hood Foundation.

Cisco Adler

Cisco Adler is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his work with several bands, including Shwayze and Whitestarr. He has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the Surfrider Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Red Nose Climb

The Red Nose Climb is a charitable initiative that raises funds for Comic Relief, a UK-based charity that supports projects in Africa and around the world. The climb involves a group of celebrities climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for the charity. The first Red Nose Climb took place in 2009, and several celebrities have since participated in subsequent climbs.

Some of the celebrities who climbed Kilimanjaro as part of the Red Nose Climb include:

Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Cole is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She first gained fame as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud, before embarking on a successful solo career. She has also appeared as a judge on several seasons of the British version of the reality show The X Factor.

Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the pop group Take That. He has also worked as a solo artist and a judge on the British version of The X Factor.

Chris Moyles

Chris Moyles is an English radio and television presenter. He is best known for hosting The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 for over eight years. He has also appeared on several television shows, including Chris Moyles’ Quiz Night and The Jump.

Kimberley Walsh

Kimberley Walsh is an English singer, actress, and television presenter. She rose to fame as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud. She has also appeared in several television shows and musicals, including Shrek the Musical and Elf: The Musical.

Alesha Dixon

Alesha Dixon is an English singer, dancer, and television presenter. She first gained fame as a member of the girl group Mis-Teeq. She has also appeared as a judge on several seasons of the British version of the reality show Strictly Come Dancing.

Ronan Keating

Ronan Keating is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the pop group Boyzone. He has also worked as a solo artist and appeared in several films and television shows, including Goddess and Postman Pat: The Movie.

Denise Van Outen

Denise Van Outen is an English actress, singer, and television presenter. She has appeared in several television shows and musicals, including Chicago and Legally Blonde. She has also presented several television shows, including The Big Breakfast and The Saturday Show.

Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter. She has hosted several television shows, including Top of the Pops and Celebrity Juice. She has also worked as a radio presenter for BBC Radio 1 and 2.

Ben Shephard

Ben Shephard is an English television presenter and journalist. He has hosted several television shows, including Tipping Point and Good Morning Britain. He has also worked as a journalist for Sky Sports and GMTV.

Waterboys – Conquering Kili

Several celebrities and athletes have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro as part of Waterboys, an organization started by NFL player Chris Long. Waterboys is a nonprofit that provides clean water to communities in need. Through their efforts, Waterboys has been able to provide clean water to thousands of people in East Africa.

Here are some of the individuals who have climbed Kilimanjaro as part of Waterboys:

Chris Long

Chris Long is a former NFL player and the founder of Waterboys. He climbed Kilimanjaro in 2013 and has continued to lead Waterboys’ expeditions to the mountain.

Nate Boyer

Nate Boyer is a former NFL player and Green Beret who climbed Kilimanjaro with Waterboys in 2015. He has since become an ambassador for the organization and has helped raise awareness and funds for its mission.

Connor Barwin

Connor Barwin is a former NFL player who climbed Kilimanjaro with Waterboys in 2016. He has continued to support the organization’s efforts to provide clean water to communities in need.

Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson was a former NFL player who climbed Kilimanjaro with Waterboys in 2016. He passed away in 2021, but his commitment to Waterboys’ mission continues to inspire others.

Kyle Long

Kyle Long is a former NFL player and the younger brother of Chris Long. He climbed Kilimanjaro with Waterboys in 2019 and has been a vocal supporter of the organization’s efforts to provide clean water to communities in need.

Shezanne Cassim

Shezanne Cassim is a comedian and filmmaker who climbed Kilimanjaro with Waterboys in 2018. He documented the experience in a short film called “Climbing Kilimanjaro for Clean Water.”

Project C: Change

Project C:CHANGE is dedicated to raising awareness in China and Asia about global environmental degradation, climate change and conservation. Using the power of celebrity, Project C:CHANGE engages multiple media channels to bring attention to protecting the world’s natural resources.

Other Celebrities Who Climbed Kilimanjaro

Here are celebrities that climbed Kilimanjaro.

Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore is an American actress and singer known for her roles in movies like A Walk to Remember and Tangled and as a singer with hit songs like “Candy” and “Crush”. She climbed Kilimanjaro in 2018 as part of a charity climb to raise funds for the non-profit organization, CARE, which focuses on women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation.

Julianne Hough

Julianne Hough is an American dancer, actress, and singer known for her roles in America’s Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars and Grease: Live. In 2019, she climbed Kilimanjaro with a group of friends to celebrate her 31st birthday.

Asha Leo

Asha Leo is a British model and TV presenter. She is also famous as a correspondent on NBC’s Access Hollywood. She came to Tanzania in 2015 and successfully climbed Kilimanjaro with Ultimate Kilimanjaro. 

Celebrities Who Failed on Kilimanjaro

Not everyone makes it to the summit. Here are a few celebrities that did not reach the top of Kilimanjaro.

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She experienced severe altitude sickness on her attempt to climb Kilimanjaro in 2010. After developing high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), a dangerous build-up of fluid in the lungs, she was evacuated on a stretcher and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Robbie Savage

Robbie Savage, the former professional footballer, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2013. He climbed as part of a charity trek to raise money for the Responsible Gambling Trust and a project to help school children in Kenya. At around 12,000 ft, he became seriously ill due to HAPE and was brought to the hospital, where he recovered fully.

Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis, 13-time Pro Bowl linebacker and Superbowl Champion, never climbed Kilimanjaro. He was planning to participate in a charity trek called TackleKili, which supports World Serve International. The organization is aimed at developing locally sustainable drinking water resources in eastern Africa. However, Lewis decided not to attempt the mountain due to an injured foot and fever.

Ann Curry

Ann Curry, American journalist, climbed Kilimanjaro in 2008 to document the glacial retreat on the mountain. She learned of her assignment only three weeks before her departure so the inexperienced climber did not train. Her and her crew failed to summit due to altitude sickness. She had hoped to broadcast live from the peak, but they ultimately turned around at 16,000 feet.