2002. 112 pages, photos. A new guidebook and narrative to climbing Africa's highest peak. Paperback. An 'Everyman's' guide to climbing Kilimanjaro, written for 'average' people by two middle-aged folks who climbed it themselves. They take you through the entire process, including finding out if you're up to the task, both medically and entally; gettinginto shape for the climb; getting there & getting as guide; gearing up; medical issues; and, finally, what the climb it like. This is not a guidebook per se, but a book to get you prepared for the climb of your life. Paperback.
Neville Shulman in the foreword of the book
'If you manage to stand on the roof of Africa, you will experience the kind of exhilaration which comes but rarely in an individual's lifetime. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is an intriguing and stimulating book. It should be carried inside a backpack, knapsack, suitcase, or even a jacket pocket and referred to constantly and will save the climber, trekker, or even tourist no end of trouble.'
Book Description
Have you ever considered climbing to the top of Africa? Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest point on the continent of Africa at 19,340 feet. But unlike most of the world's highest mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed by the 'average' person. If you want to learn more about cliimbing Mount Kilimanjaro, then this is the book for you! Carmichael and Stoddard describe the process of planning, preparation, and execution of their Mount Kilimanjaro adventure. Their expertise in the biological sciences gives credence to their recommendations for physical training and their precautions taken to prevent altitude sickness. The book is intended to be a step-by-step guide for training, making arrangements, gearing up, and preparing for potential medical problems, time differences and language barriers. They offer hiking guidelines, mental strategies, and even photography techniques. Their diary of the six-day climb gives a vivid description of how they made it up the mountain and back down.
From the Author
I wanted to share my concerns about a reader's review of Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro posted on Amazon.com. This anonymous contributor ('a reader from Buffalo') compares climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to visiting Space Mountain in Disneyland. This is worrisome because some people who read this review may not take the proper preparation that is needed to make a safe ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro.
This point was brought home to me by a letter sent to me in November 2003 from a veterinarian in Wisconsin who almost died on Mount Kilimanjaro. She asked me to emphasize that there are real life-threatening risks involved at these altitudes. She and I talked on the phone, and I must say that her point is a good one, and I agree with her. You will also note our Memorial in the second edition of Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to Dr. Amran Cohen, an internationally-renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon, who died on Mount Kilimanjaro. The threat is real.
I will add that most of the customer reviews are very positive, and several of those emphasize the inherent dangers to be expected. A few other reviews are negative (apparently, they don't like my writing style) but they don't trivialize the task, unlike the reader from Buffalo.
Stephen W. Carmichael, Ph.D., D.Sc.Editor-in-Chief, Clinical AnatomyProfessor and Chair of AnatomyProfessor of Orthopedic SurgeryMayo Clinic
About the Author
Stephen Carmichael resides in Rochester, Minnesota, with his wife, Susan Stoddard, and son Allen, a high school student. Stephen was graduated from Kenyon College with Honors in Biology. He earned a Ph.D. in Anatomy from Tulane University, and was awarded a Doctorate of Science honoris causa from Kenyon College. He is Professor and Chair of Anatomy and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He is a downhill ski instructor for handicapped children, counsels men who have been arrested for domestic abuse, is a SCUBA diver at the Divemaster rank with a certification in Ice Diving, and is a Diver with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Search and Recovery Dive Team.
Susan Stoddard was graduated from Vassar College where she majored in Biology. She earned her Ph.D. in Zoology from Rutgers University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neurosciences at the New Jersey Medical School. She was on the faculty at Indiana University School of Medicine as a tenured Professor of Neuroscience. She and Stephen Carmichael have collaborated on many scientific investigations, resulting in co-authoring 28 abstracts, 15 articles, and two books. Dr. Stoddard is currently a Technology Licensing Manager at the Mayo Clinic. She is an avid gardener and a SCUBA diver at the Master Diver rank.
