Editor’s Note: In February 2025, Austin Lynch did few others have an inclination to do. He flew to Africa and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He was the only Chicagoan in a group of hardy adventurers that shared the goal of making it to the top of Kilimanjaro, 19,341 feet above sea level. If you think it was an easy climb, watch Austin’s report from a waypoint on the assent. You can see it took more than a little grit and determination.