Wandering Soles

Name: Cherry Blossoms in Japan! The Golden Triangle incl. Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka!
Start: 2026-03-29T22:00:00.000Z
End: 2026-04-10T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Dulles International Airport (IAD)

4.9•719 ratings

About us

CLICK HERE to see our main meetup events calendar http://www.socialfundation.com

A sometime squirrely group of folks in the Greater Washington DC area bound by the belief that life is best taken one step at a time. Events are primarily day hikes (from easy to difficult), but include other outdoor activities, including multi-day adventure trips, and occasional social ones.

We use the "It's quite a feet" hike rating system:
- Easy, less than 2 blisters
- Moderate, 2 to 3.5 blisters
- Difficult, greater than 3.5 blisters
where 1 blister = about 5 mi., or about 2500' up or down.
CPRO).

For members used to Meetup groups: There are no stupid Meetup reminders (unless I forget to check the box); instead, you'll get one or two notices per month from me about upcoming events. I've been told this is much more annoying. There aren't that many events anyway because this is a Meetup for people who have better things to do.

Finally, RSVP'ing on Wandering Soles for events is nice, but does not imply a commitment. That is, it doesn't matter if you RSVP or not, only if you show up or not. Come to think of it, that doesn't matter much either. If an event is limited in participation or requires a registration, you'll be asked to email directly a (hopefully) live human being.
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Featured event

Mt Kilimanjaro Trek! One of the 7 Summits. Join us on this bucket list adventure

Thu, Jun 18 · 7:00 PM EDT

Dulles International Airport (IAD), 1 Saarinen Cir, Sterling, VA, US

Our Meetup is off to another hiking adventure! Mt Kilimanjaro, as the tallest mountain in Africa, is included in the 7 Summits of the world.
It is a bucket-list item for all hard-core hikers and mountain lovers.
We did this trek with Meetup in the summer of 2024 and it was a true experience of a lifetime (see photos below)

Let's get to some numbers. It is 5,895m/19,340ft

BUT . . . our starting elevation for the trek is 3795m/12541ft

As such elevation gain is 2100m/6799ft

To compare Everest Base Camp trek, is about 2754m/9035ft elevation change. And Mt Whitney is about 1828m/6000ft elevation change.

The key to being able to succeed in this endeavor lays in the route and the support system.

We are taking the Lemosho Route via the Northern Circuit. The Northern Circuit route is the longest and newest of the seven established Kilimanjaro routes. It's one of the best routes because it has the best acclimatization profile. This results in one of the highest summit success rates. Add to that stunning views, and comparatively relaxed pace. It is also much less crowded than the other Kilimanjaro routes.

As far as our support system: We will be accompanied by experienced guides, porters and cooks. They are certified, ensuring our safety and comfort. Porters will carry our gear.

We will have a high ratio of guides to hikers. Our guides will go our pace and support each and everyone of us, regardless of fitness level and pace. In other words...you go your own speed and we all get there safe.

More about our trek/trip.
As with all our international trips, we picked the best season/time of year to go for weather and wildlife. Lemosho and Northern Circuit is a scenically spectacular and varied route. At the lower elevations it has an abundance of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, eland and lion which come over to forage during dry season.

Each of our trips is personally crafted to offer the best places and best use of time.

But I don't have the needed gear?!
You don't need much more than the standard trekker's equipment. We will provide you with a list of what is already included and what can be rented there.

Does this include food?
All meals on the trek potion are included and a cook travels with us!

What is lodging like?
We are sleeping in new and comfortable tents (carried during the day by porters)

I am new at this.
That's OK. We do plenty of prep Zooms before we depart. And in California we have a number of local outdoor day or weekend outings you can test out with us.

How dangerous is this? What if I get sick or hurt?
We will be walking on an established, well used trail the entire time. Our trip INCLUDES emergency insurance. We are also Certified Wilderness First Responders and our guides are members of (AMREF) Flying Doctor.
Plain and simple, safety is our primary goal.

How much does this cost?
Kilimanjaro Mountain Trek $3950 per person, double occupancy. Land only (airfare not included). Solo supplement $600

Trip Cost includes:
- 9 nights accommodation
- 3 meals everyday on the trek
- All Fees & Entrances and Taxes
- Camping equipment such as tents, tables, chairs.
- Lead Guide, Assistant Guides, Porters and Cook

RSVP to this event shows your interest, but does not hold your space.
The only way to secure your spot for this trip is a $300 deposit:
CLICK HERE FOR SECURE DEPOSIT LINK
Deposit is refundable up to 90 days before the departure (less PayPal fees).

IF you need an airfare quote, Click here to message Anna
For more information about this or any of our other international events, fill out this form: INTERNATIONAL MEETUPS INFO REQUEST

To see pictures from our Kilimanjaro adventure in 2024 CLICK HERE

We do a monthly Q & A Zoom: Meet others attending, be social, or come and get any questions answered.
Click Here to RSVP to our Zoom

The MAIN location where this event is posted:
https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/302872805/
(RSVP there for any conversation and comments)

This events is cross posted to several other groups and the number of RSVPs on each is not reflective. We have a set of sister groups where we post our local free, local/regional camping, and our overseas events too.

Click Here for our other events:

Live the adventure instead of only dreaming it!

SOT 200318-10