Brandon Twp.- Climbing to 12,000 feet above sea level on a Santa Fe, New Mexico mountain, Jonathan Schechter was inspired.
The 58-year-old township resident, avid hiker and camper had made the trek to the southwestern region of the United States to attend a wilderness medical conference on high altitude illness.
‘I made a decision while on top of that mountain’that if I can climb this high, I could go just a little higher. Also, I’d been to Tanzania a few years before on a safari and I’d seen Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. So, I knew it was time I made the climb.?
The United Republic of Tanzania is home to the 19,340 foot high Mt. Kilimanjaro. The 18-hour flight for Schechter originates from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Amsterdam, Netherlands to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and concludes at Kilimanjaro National Airport. Following a two-day stay in Arusha National Park at 4,500 feet above sea level, Schechter and a party of three climbers with a support team of about a dozen will head up the mountain.
The trek to the top is unique since it begins in the humid tropical rainforest of the Arusha National Park, then continues past the tree line to snow-covered Uhurap Peak. The night before reaching the summit, Schechter will camp at 18,802 feet, just 538 feet from the top, near the rim of a semi-active volcano.
‘The change in climate on the way up is unique, and I selected the longer trek. There’s no hanging from ropes during the climb. It’s a steep ascent, but my feet stay on the ground all the way. The view from the top of Kilimanjaro is similar to looking out the window of an airplane over the clouds,? he said. ‘That’s why it’s called ‘The Roof of Africa.??
After spending about an hour-and-a-half on top, Schechter and the group will slowly descend the mountain.
‘It’s a long, tough hike with about half the atmosphere’I’m prepared to have my lungs screaming for air just for hours at a time. For a naturalist it’s the perfect hike’a major transition through climatic zones’like walking from the equator to the north pole in just a few days. The biggest dangers are winds and climbing too fast; there’s also the danger of falling and getting hurt. I had a shot for malaria, so that’s not a problem. The wildlife, including lions and water buffalo, are not a great danger’most are down in the warmer, lower areas.?
It’s not Shechter’s first adventure: Over the years he has hiked through the Golan Heights in the volatile Middle East, explored Cape Chaignecto, Nova Scotia, and endured a safari on Serengeti Plains, Tanzania. In preparation for the Kilmanjaro climb Schechter has spent several months hiking and distance running’recently mastering the Crim 10-mile road race in Flint last month.
Schechter has a master of science degree in forest resources from the University of Washington and has worked in Michigan as both a paramedic and naturalist for almost 25 years. Currently he works as both an on-call fire department paramedic/firefighter with Brandon Fire and as an emergency room paramedic for St. John Macomb Oakland Hospital. He is also a member of the Wilderness Medical Society, certified in advanced wilderness life support.