See “African Cats” and Help Save the Savanna

Have you seen Disneynature’s African Cats yet? Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill, director of the remarkable documentary Earth, transport you to East Africa to follow the struggles of both a lion and cheetah family. Take a look at the stunning cinematography in the trailer below.

During the film’s opening week, Disneynature will donate $.20/ticket to African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to save the savanna. Get tickets and see show times for your area here.

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April 20, 2011

Training for Kilimanjaro: Part 2

This week, we continue our Q&A session with Marcus Shapiro, the founder and CEO of Fit For Trips, our Kilimanjaro training partner:

Q: Do you think anyone can make it to the summit?
A: In general, any healthy person can make it to the summit. The formula is rather simple: train properly + ample acclimatization time + a determined attitude = summit success.

It is difficult to quantify the parts of the equation; you might not be in good shape but have the mental toughness needed for a successful summit, or you might be in incredible shape but need support to deal with the mental rigors of the final summit push. Train in both areas now, and your Thomson Kilimanjaro guide will be with you, encouraging you from first step to summit.

Q: What are the top 3 exercises you recommend to train for Kili?
A:

Climbing stairs provides the trekker with the strength to ascend the mountain carrying their body weight. Repeatedly going down stairs trains the muscles and joints to handle the rigorous demands of descending Kilimanjaro.
Walking on the treadmill at the highest grade is important as it conditions the foot, Achilles tendon and calf muscles to handle the constant stretch and forces associated with steep grades.
Lunges. The exercise: forward/reverse lunge hop combines balance, strength, power and mobility. See the video below for a step-by-step explanation.

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Fit For Trips provides Kilimanjaro training instruction by video,
audio and personal support, exclusively to Thomson Safaris.