We love to adventure with people, and we love to hear (and share) their stories, as well. So we have a series of posts called “Sharing Our Embark Stories.”

This time, the adventurer is Sarah Gelbman Eisenberg; here is her Embark Story.

When Sarah heard that her friend Lila had decided, after her second successful fight with leukemia, to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, she felt compelled to go along.

Never mind that she hadn’t done anything remotely like this in 20 years. Never mind she was late getting started on training. Never mind she was decidedly not a camper.

“I was just so proud of her,” Sarah says of Lila. “It seemed like such an ordeal to me – the training, commitment, money, time off work. But I thought, if she is going, and some other friends are going, then this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take part in this experience together.”

She had trekked in Nepal back in the 90s, but says that “20 years later, as a professional woman, I would never think about doing that again. But in this case, I just made the decision to go out of a sense of duty.”

She started taking spinning classes for cardio endurance and did some lower-body weight training, then went for a couple of hikes with the local Leukemia-Lymphoma Society. And then one day she showed up in Africa, saying to herself, “Well, I guess I’m gonna do this!”

Within 24 hours, she says, “It was like a rebirth, and I was so happy I was there. I didn’t realize how much I missed that sisterhood feeling. It was all about community and the connection of old friends and this incredible group of women. And then every day it was about a nice physical challenge.”

Ten of their group of 14 women made the summit, and she says she returned home “bursting with life. I didn’t want to lose that mountain glow. That positivity just emanates from you. We have the ability to conjure that at any time, but I did it on Kilimanjaro. It was a great spiritual recharge.”

As we always do, we asked Sarah five questions about her Embark adventure.

 

What was the most inspiring moment of your trip?

I had a couple of epiphanies on the mountain – just the essence of who I am. It was a good chance to see all that.

I was also really inspired by my personal porter; I have neck issues that mean I can’t carry weight on my back, so Embark had someone walk with me the whole time. His name was Abel, which was very fitting. He was amazing. At first I was uncomfortable with it, but as (Trip Leader Jim Ronning) said, this is easy money for him.

I got to hear more about his life, and confirmed what we already had vetted, that Embark makes an effort to treat their team humanely. I was appalled to hear about other outfitters that treat their porters like it’s still the 1800s. Lila chose Embark because of their ethical treatment of porters.

What’s the biggest challenge you overcame, and how did that feel?

In terms of really pushing myself and the challenge, it was summit night. About 2-3 hours up, it was 35 mph winds and subzero temperature. I was worried I would get frostbite, but I wasn’t going to turn around. I said to myself, “I am committed, and I’m doing this.” I think at one point I started talking to God and making deals. When I got to the top Freddy, the lead guide, said to me, “Now you know how tough you are.”

It’s incredible that 10 of us made the summit, but all 14 of us on that trip reached new heights and felt this incredible sense of accomplishment.

What did you learn about the place you visited and the people there?

We just fell in love with them. They’re unplugged, without our sensory overload, and in touch with people on a spiritual level, and you feel them really trying to connect deeply with you. They are able to do that, I think, because in their culture, friendship and hospitality are really prized and important. There’s a humanity there. They’re not in a “consume consume” culture.

And their singing is incredible. I have a recording and play it when I want to feel happy. The first time they broke into song and dance as we were approaching camp, it was almost a holy moment.

How did Embark help make your trip a success?

You sometimes come into contact with other groups, and we seemed to have the most professional, skilled team on the mountain. We felt we were in very safe, steady hands with true experts, with medical checks every day and night and regular check-ins.

Plus, this isn’t camping; it’s glamping. You’re greeted every morning with coffee or tea, and you eat three-course meals on ceramic ware. Even the “picnic lunches” were three-course meals with a mess tent set up, and the food was incredible.

I’m adventurous and gutsy, but really more of a Four Seasons type of person. I don’t know how to camp anymore, and when I saw the gear list, it was totally overwhelming. I couldn’t absorb it. Then, the first night in the tent, I was yelling through the tent to a friend that I thought it was a self-inflating sleeping pad. That, plus my private porter, got me the nickname “Princess,” and that joke never got old. We laughed nonstop for two weeks.

Where do you want to go next, and why?

I want to go back and do Kili again with the same group! It would be fun to go with Embark again, and we’re trying to organize something in Nepal. I want another athletic challenge. There’s something about having that goal in front of you that is a great way to live.

Would you like to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with Embark?