• info@greatmigrationcamps.com

7 Summits Africa 2018 Expedition dates released

7 Summits Africa 2018 Expedition dates released in preparation of the Brand Africa endorsed Pan-Africa Everest 2020 expedition, lead by African mountaineer Sibusiso Vilane.

7 Summits Africa released the dates of their 2018 #7SummitsAfrica Expedition in Nairobi, Kenya.  This follows the hugely successful inaugural 2017 expedition that conquered 7 African Mountain peaks in 7 weeks during November / December 2017 – www.7summitsafrica.com. The 7 Summits Africa 2018 Expedition will take place between 25 October and 7 December 2018 and be led by Sibusiso Vilane.

The 2018 and 2019 #7SummitsAfrica Expeditions will be utilized for selecting and training an African team for the 2020 Mt Everest attempt, sponsored by Brand Africa.  The next two Expeditions will not only prepare our African mountaineering team for the highest point on the planet, but it will again showcase the beauty and the bogs, the granite and the glaciers of the seven African peaks that make up the 7 Summits Africa Expeditions.

The expedition will lead the mountaineers to some of the best wildlife encounters in East Africa.  For the first time, there is an opportunity for mountaineers from the global community to join the 2018 expedition. Limited spaces are available for individuals to join the entire expedition or part thereof as per the below dates:

25 October – 2 November 2018 – Mt Nyiragongo and Mt Karisimbi

2 – 15 November 2018 – The Rwenzoris, Mt Stanley and Baker

15 – 23 November 2018 – Mt Kenya

23 November – 7 December 2018 – Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro

7 Summits Africa is a marketing brand that promotes conservation through tourism on the African continent, destination marketing and new tourism product development to stimulate economic growth near marginalized National Parks and Reserves throughout Africa.

Carel Verhoef, founder of 7 Summits Africa, opened entries to the 2018 expedition on Monday 25 February,  “It is a wonderful chance to be actively part of conservation, whilst having an incredible African adventure.  The 2018 itinerary is fantastic, with mountaineers able to join the entire 44-day expedition or to achieve their goal over a longer period of time by climbing one mountain (or more). The mountaineering will again be combined with Africa’s best wildlife experiences; Mountain Gorilla trekking in Virunga and Volcanoes National Parks as well as Bwindi Impenetrable Forest;  the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and encounters with rhino and big cats in Ol Pejeta Conservancy at the foot of Mt Kenya,”  Verhoef said.

7 Summits Africa 2018 will support the NGO PAMS Foundation www.pamsfoundation.org in memory of founder Wayne Lotter who gave his life for conservation of Africa’s National Parks and Reserves.

Applications are open:  Email  sally@7summitsafrica.com

7 Amazing Facts About Gorillas

Gorillas are the biggest primates in the world and although they share over 95% of their DNA with Homo Sapiens they’re pretty different from us in terms of disposition. If humans are the small, brash bullies of the primate world then gorillas are the big, chilled, sensitive souls; content to live and let live…as long as they are not disturbed.

 

An orphaned gorilla with his caretaker, Andre, in Virunga National Park. Photo © Virunga National Park

 

If you’re as fascinated by these gentle giants as we are, then here are some facts about gorillas you may have missed.

Read more

7 Mountains, 7 Causes

Mountain 1: MT. Nyiragongo (DRC)

The Cause: Rangers – the unsung heroes

At least 8 rangers have been killed in the Virunga National Park this year alone, bringing the total number of rangers dying to save the park’s animals to more than 158 in the past decade (the exact number is unknown, as some rangers are reported missing and never found). The park is home to some of the last remaining 900 wild mountain gorillas in the world. These brave men and women fight off poachers and anti-government militia attacks in the under-resourced park on an almost daily basis. It’s a mammoth and often-deadly task, and they need more support.

How you can help:

  1. Share our stories as we climb for the unsung heroes. Follow the #7SummitsAfrica Challenge, presented by Great Migration Camps: www.7summitsafrica.com
  2. Support The Fallen Rangers Fund

The Fallen Rangers Fund was launched to provide a financial safety net for widows and children of Virunga rangers killed in the line of duty. A ranger’s greatest fear is not losing his/her life, but the impact their death will have on family members left behind. Until the creation of the Fallen Rangers Fund, widows received little to no financial support and their families invariably became severely impoverished and destitute. These unsung heroes deserve more after giving their lives to protect the Virunga National Park.

For more info, visit: https://virunga.org/

Donate now: https://virunga.org/donate/

Read more