NEWNAN, Ga. (ABP) — Daniel Nance knows what altitude sickness feels like. In 2005, while climbing Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro, he succumbed to the condition caused by exposure to high altitudes, experiencing the headache and fatigue commonly associated with the sickness.
That crippling bout didn't deter Nance from his mountain-climbing exploits. While he failed to summit the 19,340-meter peak that summer, Nance plans to try it again — but this time for a cause more important than his own personal goal to reach Kilimanjaro's summit.
Nance and a team of men from his congregation, Central Baptist Church of Newnan, Ga., will travel to Tanzania and Kenya in June to do volunteer work, raise funds for a group trying to bring economic improvement to Third-World areas and climb Kilimanjaro.
The men, who range in age from 16 to 49, will first work in a Kenyan orphanage before starting the 6- to 7-day ascent to Africa's highest peak.
Nance, who is the church's youth and congregational care minister, can't wait.
“I am excited,” he said. “For me, there's a lot of personal goal to make it to the top, but part of it is, I'm going to have to be okay if I don't make it to the top. It's about the experience with the guys — the experience with the group and being a part of a greater cause and a part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Something bigger is right. The glacier-topped mountain has the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world, up 15,000 feet from its base. The three easiest routes up, called Marangu, Rongai and Machame, require little mountaineering experience, although it takes several days simply to acclimate one's self to the elevation change along the way.
Professional guides will accompany the Central Baptist group, as is typical for the route. Porters will help the climbers carry food, water and equipment.
Nance's team — Jeremy Craddock, Royce Eldridge, Matt Craddock and father-son team Mike and Brady Sumner — also plans to work for three days in the orphanage in Nakuru, near Nairobi. They'll do whatever orphanage leaders need done, perhaps running a vacation Bible school or soccer camp.
The orphanage was founded by Rivers of the World, a non-profit organization that targets river-basin areas around the globe to provide development, education and medical assistance to the people living there.
Each man will pay for his own trip and climb, which typically costs $750-$2000 per person. The team will also raise funds to donate to Rivers of the World.
They plan to hold a charity road race and sell T-shirts to raise additional funds. Sumner has already received more than $1,000 through donations from friends and family. Nance said he hopes to raise as much as $10,000 for the charity.
And the men have already bought plane tickets to Nairobi, where they'll arrive several days before the ascent.
But while getting acclimated to almost 20,000 feet will be essential if the group hopes to scale the mountain, a high level of physical fitness will make the trip much more enjoyable.
Led by Nance, 27, who recently completed a conditioning 45-mile bike ride, the group has planned several backpacking trips and group runs to train for the adventure.
Mike Sumner, a 49-year-old lawyer, said he's physically prepared for the climb — even though he had a valve installed in his heart two years ago. It's an opportunity to put the device to the test, he said.
“If I do make it to the top, that's great,” he said. “If I don't, it's still going to be a great trip for me. I'm not going to take any risks or try to be the hero. Part of the fun is just in doing it. If you don't reach the goal, that doesn't mean the trip wasn't a success.”
The opportunities for bonding and mission work are the real reasons he's going, Sumner added. “The hike is an added bonus to me.”
Sumner, who has hiked extensively on the Appalachian Trail, said traveling with his son will be especially memorable, especially in light of the fact that 17-year-old Brady will be heading to college next year.
“It's unusual for a dad to spend seven or eight days uninterrupted with your son,” the elder Sumner said. “Selfishly, for me, it's a great opportunity to get [time] with him.”
Plus, Sumner said, he hopes living with few luxuries and helping those in need will leave an impression on Brady before he begins college.
Through its partnerships with other local churches and in places like Honduras, Congo, Belize and Vietnam, Rivers of the World has made an impression among Georgia Baptists. Nance called it a “worthy organization.”
“The coolest thing I like about Rivers of the World is they don't go in and say, 'Here's what you need.' They look to partner with the local people to meet specific needs they have,” Nance said. “It's a really cool organization. It's ecumenical, and very established.”
Ben Mathes, the organization's founder and president, had a lot to do with inspiring the group in the first place. He is familiar to the Central Baptist congregation, having spoken there several times.
Brady Sumner had always wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, and Nance added to that goal by proposing they “do it with a purpose and get the community behind us.”
But it was Mathes who helped move others to action.
“[Ben] made the challenge, so we're stepping up,” Mike Sumner said. “There's always some apprehension. But then again, it's the right thing to do. It's the right way to go.”
At the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzanian authorities have posted a sign. It says: “Congratulations! You are now at Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5,895 m. AMSL. Africa's Highest Point. World's Highest Free-Standing Mountain. One of World's Largest Volcanoes. Welcome.”
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