Last week I told you about a group of young celebrities that had traveled to Africa to attempt to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro for a cause. At the time, the team was just preparing to set out on their expedition which was being undertaken in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of clean drinking water in developing parts of the world. Today we received word that the expedition was a success, with all the members of the squad reaching the summit.

The expedition, which is called Summit on the Summit II, was led by Grammy Award nominated musician Kenna, who organized a similar climb back in 2010. This time out, Kenna was joined by actors Justin Chatwin (Shameless) and Beau Garrett, (Tron: Legacy) as well as singer Mark Foster (Foster The People),  amongst others. The group was led by experienced mountain guides Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton, each of whom has years of experience on mountaineering expeditions.

At 5895 meters (19,341 ft), Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing peak in the world. Each year, it draws thousands of climbers who attempt to make their way to the summit along mostly non-technical routes. A Kili climb is, in a sense, a tough hike that is made all the more challenging due to the altitude. The celebrities spent seven days on their ascent, which was along the very scenic Marangu Route.

Kenna formed the Summit on the Summit organization as a direct response to witnessing the water crisis first hand in his homeland of Ethiopia. But rather than just contribute to a cause that was already spreading the word about the water crisis, the musician wanted to do more. So he formed SOTS and rallied some of his friends to the cause, creating a global buzz about the importance of clean drinking water. The first Kilimanjaro climb was big success, garnering all kinds of media attention. That has directly led to this second climb, which has been a good reminder that this issue continues to be an important one.

Congratulations to the climbers on a job well done.

Yesterday was a busy one on the highest peak in Antarctica as teams claimed the first summits of the season on Mt. Vinson. The remote peak stands 4892 meters (16,050 ft) in height but challenges climbers with its high winds and often brutally cold temperatures. That wasn't the case yesterday however, where improved conditions made for an almost perfect day for climbing.

The Berg Adventures squad was amongst the first to reach the top, putting several team members on the summit. They arrived on top at about 3:25 PM local time, after taking about six hours to complete the ascent from High Camp. Their route took them up the steeper west side of the mountain, which is more demanding, but made for a quicker climb in the near-perfect conditions. The BA team estimates that there were approximately 24 total climbers from all teams that topped out in this first push. The climbers are now safely back in High Camp and should complete their descent today.

The Adventure Consultants team put two climbers on the summit as well, taking 9.5 hours to make the round trip from HC to the top and back. Their post-climb dispatch says that temperatures were a balmy -20ºC/-4ºF on the summit, which is relatively warm for Vinson. The climbers will descend back to Base Camp today where they expect to hop an ALE flight to Union Glacier where they'll await word on the return trip to Punta Arenas, weather permitting.

Finally, the IMG team also completed their climb of Vinson yesterday, taking roughly 10 hours to go from High Camp to the summit and back. By all accounts it was a text book climb, with guides making good decisions about when to go up and the entire team executing the plan to perfection. They're safely back in HC as well and will complete the descent back to BC today.

This pretty much wraps up the first round of climbs on Vinson but there will be more to come over the next few weeks. Considering the mountain is one of the Seven Summits, it is a milestone climb for anyone considering an attempt on all of those mountains. The window for making that climb is fairly narrow each year, so I would expect similar reports from other climbing teams through the end of December.

Congratulations to all of the climbers who topped out yesterday. Well done!

Earlier this week I posted a story on the Last Desert ultramarathon, a tough six-stage, seven-day race that just wrapped up in Antarctica. The event capped the 2012 edition of the 4 Deserts series of races and was a grueling event that tested athletes both physically and mentally.

One of the competitors in the event is a 60-year old adventurer by the name of Len Stanmore and by completing the race he has managed to add yet another accomplishment to his already impressive resume. Len is now officially the first person to ski to both the North and South Pole, climb all of the Seven Summits and run each of the 4 Deserts ultras. That's quite a bit of adventure for one lifetime.

Len's adventurous life actually began back in 1998, when he sold off his successful telecommunications company and suddenly found himself financially secure and with plenty of time on his hands. A bit out of shape and looking for ways to motivate himself, he decided to set a goal for climbing Kilimanjaro and in 2001 he did just that. After that he was hooked, and soon found himself pursuing a host of other active endeavors including running in the Transrockies Run and numerous marathons, in addition to the expeditions mentioned above.

Perhap's Len's greatest achievement falls in the realm of fund raising for his favorite charity. At the end of the Last Desert, he'll have raised more than $100,000 for Trekking for Kids, an organization dedicated to improving orphanages around the globe through the use of purpose-driven, socially-conscious treks. The non-profit actually organizes some of the world's most iconic treks and sends hikers off on adventures as a way to raise funds for the cause. Some of those treks include hikes to Everest Base Camp, up Kilimanjaro and through the Andes of Peru.

According to the official results of the Last Desert, Stanmore has finished 31st of 49 competitors, putting him right in the thick of the pack. But considering he adventurous outlook on life and approach to raising funds for a good cause, I'd say he more than finished out front. You definitely have to respect a person who has found a way to enjoy their life and pursue all of these great adventures, while still finding a way to give back in the process. We should all be so fortunate.