The group behind Full Circle Everest, the first all-Black climbing team to summit Mount Everest, has announced a new expedition for 2024 — a group of all-Black women who will pursue the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The expedition, called Above the Clouds, is focused on "fostering connection, community & joy on a journey to the Roof of Africa," the team wrote on an Instagram post in early November. Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania with a peak more than 19,000 feet above sea level. It is the tallest mountain on the continent of Africa.
The Above the Clouds Kilimanjaro 2024 Expedition Team is comprised of Black women pursuing various endeavors in the outdoor space. They have started posting updates on the journey via an Instagram account called AboveTheClouds.kili.
"There is so much that the Above The Clouds Team is looking to accomplish through this expedition but one of the most important is to help inspire, motivate and globalize connecting to nature and, along the way, redefine the single story of what it means to be a mountaineer and a lover of the outdoors," the account posted.
"This all-Black women group is dedicated to creating lasting and recurring space for women of color to come together, build community and create connection in high mountain environments," a post continued. "This climb may not be the 'first' or 'only' but it serves as an important space to continue the work to rewrite the narrative of who climbs mountains, who belongs in the outdoors and ultimately hold space for each of us to redefine boundaries and show up as our full selves."
At least one of the members is a Coloradan: Lena Murray. She was born and raised in Denver. She was featured on the Above the Clouds social media on Tuesday morning.
She trained at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy and attended Denver School of the Arts for high school before she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and Political Science at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Murray is now a hiking instructor with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).
"She finds fulfillment in inspiring and teaching students the art of living and thriving in the backcountry," the post reads. "While still calling Denver home, Lena continues to support herself and her dreams by working at the Patagonia store. Additionally, Lena will work the occasional NOLS course and imparts her love for dance through teaching children’s dance classes."
Another member, Zivia Berkowitz, calls New Jersey home but spent time out west studying at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Like Murray, she also works at NOLS as a field instructor. She also was the summer program director of Blackpackers, a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit focused on free gear, outdoor excursions and education, through the summer of 2022.
The Above the Clouds expedition will be led by Rosemary Saal, of California. She was a member of the Full Circle Everest expedition, and has also embarked on previous expeditions to Denali and Kilimanjaro. She is an outdoor educator and enjoys sharing the "empowering nature of wild spaces with other adventurers of all backgrounds," according to her bio.
As of now, the Kilimanjaro climb is set for early January.
Full Circle Everest was rebranded as Full Circle Expeditions Inc. to include other ventures, including this one. To donate and support the team, click here.
Denver7 has reached out to members of the team for more information.
MOUNT EVEREST SUMMIT IN 2022
In May 2022, seven members of Full Circle Everest — including multiple members from Colorado — made history and stood on the summit. Philip Henderson, who calls Colorado home, made the announcement on May 13, 2022 on Instagram.
“I am deeply honored to report that seven members of the Full Circle Everest team reached the summit on May 12," he wrote. "While a few members, including myself, did not summit, all members of the climb and Sherpa teams have safely returned to Base Camp where we will celebrate this historic moment!”
Full Circle Everest said the following members summited: Manoah Ainuu, James Kagambi, Thomas Moore, Dom Mullins, Rosemary Saal, Eddie Taylor and Evan Green.
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First all-Black climbing team, including Colorado members, summits Mount Everest
Both Moore and Taylor are from Colorado.
