Category: Mount Kilimanjaro

Michael Matthews was a 22-year-old climber from London who tragically lost his life on May 13, 1999, while descending from the summit of Mt. Everest. He was wearing a red Northface Himalayan down suit with black trim, black One-Sport boots with yellow trim, and was carrying a silver metal ice axe. It is believed that he was approximately 200-300 meters above the balcony when he passed away. Despite requests and investigations, his body has never been found. Matthews had a dream to climb Mt. Everest and became the youngest climber from the UK to reach the summit. He was an attractive and likable man, the son of a millionaire, and a renowned merchant in London at a young age. On the day he passed away, he was with his mountain guide, Mike Smith, and they both made it to the top. Three hours later, Matthews disappeared while battling gales and snow. He became the 162nd person to die on the mountain. The expedition group descended through the death zone, which is above 8000 meters above sea level, causing a bitter dispute between the Matthews family, the tour guides, and the company that organized the expedition. The Matthews family took legal action against the guiding company, OTT Expeditions, claiming that the guides had defrauded their son. However, the company stated that the young man knew the inherent dangers of climbing the mountain. Matthews' family blamed three guides, Nick Kekus, Martin Doyle, and Mike Smith, and took legal action against John Tinker, the former co-director of OTT Expeditions. Tinker defended the expedition, stating that climbing Everest is extremely dangerous, and they made that clear to the Matthews family before Michael joined the expedition. A documentary was made about Matthews' story, and the family's accusations sparked fear among the guides that another version

The Machame Route is sometimes referred to as the "Whiskey Route" due to its reputation for being a more challenging climb compared to other routes up Mount Kilimanjaro, such as the Marangu Route, which is sometimes referred to as the "Coca-Cola Route". The Machame Route is said to be more rugged and demanding, requiring a certain level of physical fitness and endurance. There are a few theories about how the Machame Route earned its nickname. One theory is that it's because the route is more scenic and adventurous, much like enjoying a glass of whiskey. Another theory is that the route is more demanding and requires more mental toughness, much like drinking whiskey. Regardless of the origin of the nickname, the Machame Route remains a popular choice for adventurous climbers looking for a challenge. Click here to book the 7 days popular Machame Route Why is the Machame Route so popular? Machame route is one of the most popular routes for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. There are several reasons why this route is so popular: Scenic beauty: Machame route is known for its stunning scenery. Climbers pass through different vegetation zones, including rainforest, heath, and moorland. The route also offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including the Shira Plateau, Barranco Wall, and Uhuru Peak. High success rate: Machame route has a high success rate of around 85%. This is because the route allows climbers enough time to acclimatize to the altitude, which reduces the chances of altitude sickness. Varied terrain: Machame route is known for its varied terrain, which makes the climb more interesting and challenging. Climbers will encounter steep ascents, rocky trails, and boulder fields, which requires a combination of physical and mental endurance. Flexibility: Machame route can be completed in 6-7 days, making it a flexible option for

Junko Tabei is a name that will forever be associated with mountaineering history. She was the first woman to successfully summit Mount Everest, and her achievements have inspired countless women around the world to pursue their dreams and push beyond their limits. Tabei was the sixth daughter in a family of seven born in Miharu, Fukushima a popular town in Japan, due to the 2011 nuclear plant incident. Despite being viewed as a fragile, feeble youngster, she started mountain climbing at the age of 10 when she went on a class excursion to Mount Nasu. Tabei only made a few climbs throughout her time in high school, although having an urge in doing more. Her family did not have the money for such an expensive activity. Early Life and Climbing Career Junko Tabei was born in 1939 in Miharu, a town in the Fukushima prefecture of Japan. She first became interested in climbing as a university student, where she joined a mountaineering club. In 1969, she founded the Ladies Climbing Club, which was dedicated to encouraging women to pursue mountaineering. Tabei participated in the mountain climbing club when she attended Showa Women's University from 1958 to 1962 to study English literature and teaching. Tabei founded the Ladies Climbing Club: Japan (LCC) in 1969 after receiving her degree. The club, the first of its type in Japan, with the motto "Let's go on an overseas expedition by ourselves." Later, Tabei said that the way in which she was treated by male mountaineers at the time—some of whom refused to accompany her on climbs and others who believed she was simply interested in climbing to find a husband—led her to create the club. She scaled peaks like Mount Fuji in Japan and the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps at this period. Junko's

Spencer Matthews, a reality TV star and younger brother of Michael Matthews, retraced his late brother’s steps to Mount Everest to bring his brother's body back home, in a new emotional documentary. Michael Matthews disappeared in 1999, after becoming the youngest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 22. Spencer decided to climb the mountain, along with survivalist Bear Grylls and mountaineer Nirmal 'Nims' Purja, to try to recover his brother's body. A film crew captured the entire journey, and Spencer’s documentary, Finding Michael, will be released on Disney+. In the documentary's trailer, Spencer is seen looking at a picture of his brother wearing a red ski jacket. He expresses his sadness by saying: "I hate the picture. All I see is a young man in the process of losing his life." Spencer then reveals that he wants to bring his brother's body back home by saying: "My heart says we should go and find him. And if we can, bring him home. We need the best people possible. We have one of the greatest, Nims Purja. We have to look all over the mountain."   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by S P E N C E R M A T T H E W S (@spencermatthews) Bear Grylls is also seen in the documentary trailer saying, "Stay safe. If you get hold of Mike, I hear his voice screaming that one loud." Bear then goes on to explain that seven people on average lose their lives every year while attempting to climb Everest, and that no mountain is worth dying for a second time over. Nims Purja leads the search crew, which is made up of 10 people, but the group is hit by unexpected challenges and adverse weather.

On his eighth attempt to summit Everest, Nobukazu Kuriki, born in 1982, a Japanese climber who had nearly all of his fingers amputated on the mountain passed away in 2018. "Solo without oxygen" was how Kuriki touted his climbing technique. Kuriki's approach was not, however, acknowledged as "solo without oxygen" by the mountaineering community.In reality, he was aided by Sherpas, and he occasionally hid oxygen bottles. He delivered popular lectures around Japan on the subject of "shared adventure" and the importance of tenacity, and he gained a large following on social media with his online postings, which included videos and pictures of his climbs. Throughout his career, Kuriki was successful in scaling the Seven Summits, which are the tallest mountains on each of the six continents. These mountains include Denali, Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Carstensz Pyramid, and Mount Vinson. Yoshimoto Creative Agency, a talent agency, served as his representative.Once or twice a year, Kuriki would ascend the Himalayas at a high altitude. In August 2007 and May 2009, he successfully ascended the 8000-meter peaks Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri. He attempted to climb Mount Everest without oxygen while streaming a live video feed online in September 2009 and September 2010, however he was unable to go past 8,000 meters. Nobukazu Kuriki, who was in his mid-thirties, got sick on Monday while descending, according to his team's Facebook post. Kuriki stopped responding to radio communications, and when we peered up in the dark from the bottom, we couldn't see his headlamp. "The team near Camp 2 climbed up his route to search for him and discovered Kuriki who passed away due to low body temperature," it said. He'd gotten to 7,400 meters. During his 2012 attempt on Everest's West Ridge, Kuriki suffered severe frostbite and lost all but one of