Heading off to college can be a pinnacle moment in itself, but climbing one of the Seven Summits of the world at 18 magnifies this transitionary phase to unseen heights. This summer, senior Carson Marquardt will embark on a month-long adventure in Tanzania where she will climb the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

“I love to be in the outdoors and hiking, and my dad, and I have started doing more technical hikes in the past few years,” Marquardt said. “I found an opportunity to go [through an] agency that takes seniors like myself to climb different mountains, and Kilimanjaro is one I’ve always wanted to do because I think going to Africa would be really cool.”

Many facets of this group were alluring to Marquardt, but their community involvement stuck out to her in particular.

“What I really liked about this company and what drew me in is it’s all mission-based, so a lot of the time we’re over there is spent doing service work with the local schools and villages in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara region through the nonprofit organization The Red Sweater Project,” she said. “This organization does so much good work for kids in Tanzania while also honoring the tribal heritage of the Maasai tribe in the area.”

Although Marquardt will be traveling with 11 other seniors from across the country, she will remain unaware of who her companions are until the day she leaves. 

“I don’t meet them until I get to the airport on July 1 in Atlanta, and then we fly over together,” she said. “The travel agency’s whole thing is living in the moment. They don’t want any pre-thoughts on people.”

In agreement with the agency’s beliefs, none of the travelers will have access to a phone for the duration of the trip as well.

“They take my phone when we land in Kilimanjaro, and then I get it back when we get back to the airport 23 days later,” Marquardt said. “I’m only allowed to take a little digital camera, so it’s like I’m totally MIA for three weeks — no contact with anyone. I’m a little nervous about not having contact with my family and friends, but it’ll add to the full experience while I’m over there.”

To prepare herself physically, Marquardt has taken up a variety of training measures.

“Before my lacrosse season started, I was going on five-mile walks at least four to five times a week,” she said. “I do a lot of runs, like treadmill walks with high inclines. I’ve recently started going to the track at the high school and doing stairsteps with my climbing boots on because I have to get those broken in or I’m going to have blisters the size of quarters on the backs of my heels.”

The trek up Kilimanjaro itself will take a week — four days up and three days down.

“The first few days, we’re hiking around a crater and the area, spending time in the villages there and [getting] acclimated to the altitude because where we’ll be is already at such a high altitude because it sits right at the base of Kilimanjaro,” Marquardt said. “We’re camping and staying in hostels most of the time. Once the climb is over, we get to go on a safari, which I’m really excited about.”

On the Machame route to the top of Kilimanjaro, the group will have 30 porters helping carry larger belongings such as sleeping bags and sleeping mats, but for personal belongings, Marquardt’s space will be limited. 

“It all has to fit in a 100-liter duffel bag for three weeks — I’m only allowed to bring a small amount of clothes,” she said. “They give me stuff to prevent diseases, stuff if I get a disease and then stuff if the disease gets worse, so I’m really going to have a huge bag of medicine pills, which is a little strange. The main thing they’re worried about in the area is malaria, so I have to soak some of my stuff in this anti-insect repellent — it’s kind of gross.”

Marquardt’s mental and physical toughness will be tested through the rigorous demands of the hike.

“The hardest part is going to be attempting to climb because Kilimanjaro is over 19,000 feet, so it’s going to be a real adjustment,” she said. “I’m nervous about that part physically, but I think mentally I’m really nervous about being away from my family and friends and not being able to talk to them for that long.”

Nevertheless, Marquadt believes the trip will be gratifying and memorable overall. 

“I’m mostly excited to say that I stood on one of the highest points in the whole entire world — one of the seven summits,” Marquardt said. “This is the time to explore new experiences and start to push myself out of my comfort zone before I leave for college next year, and this trip is going to give me the opportunity to do so.”