CLIMBER BLOG: Dr. Greg Allgood

WHY I JOINED SOTSK

I’d do just about anything to build awareness and help address the global clean water crisis. To have the chance to do this while fulfilling a life-time ambition of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is a dream come true. But, what I’ve found is that it’s even better because I’m doing this with a group of spectacular people. I truly feel blessed to be part of this effort and know it will make a difference.

If the climb ended today, what I’m thinking about is enjoying my life as I live it. It’s about the climb more than the destination. I’m meditating on a note a friend sent me prior to the climb.

“Climb that mountain for all of us that need you and support you. And as long as you do your best, great things will come. So don’t put undue pressure on yourself…in the mental and physical game you are about to take on. Just remember, you are strong and your mission is clear and pure, and as long as you do your best, the outcome will be just as it should be. It is a long-term game we are playing my friend…a long-term game. The outcomes are still to be decided, even with all the progress along the way.”

- Dr. Greg Allgood

CLIMBER BLOG: ALEXANDRA COUSTEAU

WHY I JOINED SOTSK

I wear a lot of hats…author, explorer, filmmaker…and I put all of them towards understanding the inter connectivity of the world’s water resources and looking for ways to redefine our relationship to water…how we value it, use it, and manage it. I’m looking to shape the conversation about water so that people can understand we’re all downstream from each other. Water unites us. It’s the one thing that is universal. Every human needs it to survive. We need it to raise livestock, farm, and build.

I come from a family that spent most of its time below sea level, and I did too. Even though I’ve broadened my focus to include both fresh water and salt water and investigate the interconnectedness of water on our planet, I’ve never ventured this far up until the sky. Thankfully, I haven’t gotten altitude sickness yet! Maybe because I’ve spent so much time breathing mixed gas at depth.

So much of the issues that we’re facing with our water and one of the ways climate change will affect our water is the melting of glaciers. And the glaciers of Kili are melting. So fast that should I decide to come back in a few years, they could be gone. It’s one of the best places to see the impact climate change is having on our glaciers and our water supply. For that I’m very grateful to be here. And what gives me hope is seeing that the climbers here really do want to know more about what’s happening and be part of the solution and inspire others to do it.

I just hope I make it to the top!

But if the climb were to end today, I’d take away so many things…new friends, memories of an exquisitely beautiful place, the warmth of our guides and porters (I feel an incredible gratitude for them making us feel so comfortable), the conversations over meals and the trail. I feel really good about pushing my limits. I’ve never been to 15,000 feet, and I feel great!

I’m so happy to be part of something amazing with amazing people, and I’m grateful to Kenna for making it happen.

-Alexandra Cousteau