In the past, our blog content has always been written in house by our awesome staff. However, we wanted to incorporate different viewpoints as we understand that each person who climbs Kilimanjaro has a personal journey. We wanted to offer more perspectives when it comes to all aspects of climbing Kilimanjaro.
We have found an all star team of writers!
As fellow travelers, hikers, and Kilimanjaro veterans, each person will bring his or her personal insight and experience to our website. We are thrilled to have them on our team and look forward to their contributions. Best of all, they are all former Peak Planet clients!
Please join us in welcoming our new writers.
Karen Vielle
Karen Vielle regularly hikes and climbs in the Cascade Range and Canadian Rockies. But she has traveled extensively around the world including climbing Kilimanjaro, hiking the Inca Trail and backpacking in Tibet.
She lives in Spokane, Washington with her husband Paul and their dog Finn. She currently works as a yoga teacher, personal organizer, and mountain school instructor with the Spokane Mountaineers.
Karen and her sister climbed Kilimanjaro with Peak Planet in July of 2013. She enjoys hiking, mountains, and writing about her experiences. She is in the process of writing a memoir of her travels including her joyful summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Edward Patrick
Edward Patrick is an outdoor and adventure enthusiast. As an avid hiker/climber, he has climbed over 100 unique mountains including all 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Whitney, Half Dome, and Huayna Picchu in Peru. Ed also completed the snow-packed John Muir Trail from end-to-end.
He lives and works in Rochester, New York as an Epic Analyst, with his wife Jennifer and daughter Etta.
Edward and his wife climbed Kilimanjaro with Peak Planet in 2015. He proposed to her at the summit, Uhuru Point. He describes the trip as one of the most amazing experiences of their lives.
Kimberley Phillips
Kimberley Phillips is an outdoor adventurer. You can find her hiking, paddleboarding, camping, or trying to surf while she pursues her true love – traveling and exploring the natural world. Besides climbing Kilimanjaro, she has trekked internationally in Torres del Paine (Chile), the Dolomites (Italy), Milford Track (New Zealand), Mont Blanc (France) and the Atlas Mountains (Morocco).
She lives in San Antonio, Texas where she is a professor and neuroscientist.
Kimberley climbed Kilimanjaro with Peak Planet in July 2015. She recalls her Northern Circuit Route as a fantastic experience and one of her all time favorite treks.
Lenore Parr
Lenore Parr has a passion for family based adventure travel with husband and two young children. She has been to 58 countries across six continents and 49 states within the USA. Some of her most notable trips include hiking the Salkantray Trail to Machu Picchu, touring the Galapagos Islands, gorilla trekking in Rwanda, cruising the arctic seas, and wildlife viewing in Tanzania and Kenya.
She currently lives in West Palm Beach, Florida where she is a stay at home mom and attorney.
Lenore climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Peak Planet in 2013 with her husband and brother in law. She stated that the mountain crew’s professionalism and dedication were keys to their successful summit.
