Sitting On Top of the World

The 2012 Moondance Leadership group finds success atop a snowy Mount Rainier
One of the major benefits of participating in a Moondance outdoor adventure is the ability to get to know some of the world's most pristine outdoor arenas on an up close and personal level. On any one of our summer adventures, you may find yourself surrounded by jagged peaks, crystalline lakes or even ancient ruins thinking to yourself, "How can I possibly describe what I'm seeing - and feeling! - to my friends and family back home?"

Several of our Leadership adventures allow participants a shot at bagging world-renowned peaks such as The Grand Teton in Wyoming, Mount Rainier in Washington, Mount Shasta in California and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. This summer, Moondance is proud to report that we had a 100% success rate for our students climbing Mount Shasta (on our Yosemite Classic trip), Mount Rainier (on our Moondance Leadership trip) and Mount Kilimanjaro (on our Kilimanjaro trip). 2012 marks the first time in Moondance history that all students attempting summits did so successfully, and we couldn't be more proud of this feat.

What any Moondance student will tell you, however, is that it wasn't their physical abilities that got them to the top. Instead, it was the positive encouragement of their teammates and leaders that allowed them to find the strength within...to take that next step...to breathe in and to breathe out...to ultimately succeed.

It's atop these peaks that we realize the only thing greater than just reaching the top is reaching the top together.

Check out our Adventure Programs for more information about teen summer camps.

Moondance Adventures Gave Back to Kilimanjaro Guides and Porters during Summer Trip!

Moondance Adventures presented 48 guides and porters on the mountain of Kilimanjaro with zero degree sleeping bags during our 2012 summer trip to Africa. The Marmot sleeping bags were given as a token of appreciation on behalf of Hayes Hitchens, president and founder of Moondance Adventures, who has been working with the outfitters, known as Active Kilitop and Safaris Limited, for several years in conjunction with Moondance Adventures’ Kilimanjaro expedition. The Arusha, Tanzania-based company is directed by Gabriel Nkini who has become a close friend and confidant of Hitchens and Moondance Adventures as a whole.

Kilimanjaro trip leaders Clark and Genna Harris were able to distribute the bags with Nkini’s help just before the team departed the Machame Gate at the base of Kilimanjaro. Because temperatures on the mountain dip at or below freezing on a regular basis, zero degree sleeping bags are critical to the success and health of all participants climbing Kilimanjaro, including the guides and porters who Genna Harris said worked so hard to maintain the positive energy among her group of 13 teenagers.

“The guides and porters of Active Kilitop and Safari really went above and beyond in making sure our group was comfortable and safe on the mountain,” says Genna Harris. “Giving them zero degree sleeping bags was the least we could do to thank them for their service and for ultimately getting our entire group to the summit.”

The Moondance group spent 22 days in all on the adventure as they departed for Tanzania on June 26 and arrived back in the States on July 17. While on the Kilimanjaro adventure, the teens had a chance to participate in a community service project with a local primary school, trek and summit Mount Kilimanjaro and experience a safari expedition in Serengeti National Park and the Ngorogoro Crater Conservation Area.

As part of the Moondance Adventures teen summer program, the Kilimanjaro journey encourages students to live in the moment and experience life beyond their comfort zone, providing an arena for self-awareness and leadership skills. The trip also allows the opportunity for teens to earn community service hours while working in educational facilities for underprivileged children as well as fully immerse themselves in a new cultural setting, like that of the Maasai tribe.

Moondance Adventures is a travel organization offering summer programs that challenge teens to step outside their comfort zones and achieve more than they ever dreamed possible in the great outdoors. Our leadership adventure program is built on the philosophy that challenge builds character and is designed to teach leadership skills amongst an exciting combination of nature, fellowship and fun.

To learn more about Kilimanjaro and other Moondance adventure programs, check out our adventure program chart here.