The Call of Kilimanjaro: Finding Hope Above the Clouds

by Jeff Belanger

"My own journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro opened me to a life of adventure, and this book brought me right back to the slopes of that magical mountain. An honest and affirming tale of embracing the unknown and the transformative power of nature, Jeff's journey is an invitation to all of us to get outside our comfort zone, see the world, and let it change us."
       —Josh Gates, Explorer, Host of Discovery's Expedition Unknown



An honest and engaging account of one amateur hiker's journey to spiritual transformation as he climbs to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
After his brother-in-law Chris passed away, author Jeff Belanger made the decision to take the trip of a lifetime, both in honor of Chris and in pursuit of clarity about his own life and goals. The Call of Kilimanjaro is a day-by-day record of Belanger's ascent to the peak of Africa's highest mountain. By turns contemplative and irreverent, joyful and thoughtful, boyish and wise, this is a book for all ages - from 10 to 100 - and a memoir for armchair travelers with an interest in spirituality. By example, Belanger teaches us to take stock of our accomplishments, eye the lofty goals we've placed in front of ourselves, and push higher than we've ever dared, turning an honest eye toward past, present, and future, through the end of life and beyond.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure

224 pages, Hardcover

Published March 9, 2021

About the author

Jeff Belanger is one of the most visible and prolific researchers of folklore and legends today. A natural storyteller, he’s the award-winning, Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and Amazon Prime, and is the author of over a dozen books (published in six languages). He also hosts the New England Legends weekly podcast, which has garnered over 5 million downloads since it was launched.

Always one for chasing adventures, Jeff has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, he’s explored the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, he’s searched the catacombs of Paris, France (where he encountered his first ghost), he faced his life-long struggle with basophobia on his birthday by going skydiving, and he’s been ghost hunting all over the world from a former TB asylum in Kentucky, to medieval castles in Europe, to an abandoned prison in Australia.

Jeff got his start as a journalist in 1997, where he learned how to connect with people from all walks of life. For his work, he’s interviewed thousands of people about their encounters with the profound.

His books include the best sellers: The Call of Kilimanjaro, The World’s Most Haunted Places, Weird Massachusetts, Our Haunted Lives, and Who’s Haunting the White House?. He’s a noted speaker and media personality. He’s spoken at MENSA’s national conference, has given a prestigious TEDx talk in New York City, and provides dozens of live lectures and programs to audiences each year.

Belanger has written for newspapers like The Boston Globe and USA Today, and has served as the writer and researcher on numerous television series including every single episode of Ghost Adventures (25 seasons and counting), Paranormal Challenge, and Aftershocks on the Travel Channel, and Amish Haunting on Destination America. He’s been a guest on hundreds of radio and television networks and programs including: The History Channel, The Travel Channel, Biography Channel, Reelz, PBS, NECN, Living TV (UK), Sunrise 7 (Australia), Bell (Canada), The Maury Show, The CBS News Early Show, CBS Sunday Morning, FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates, National Public Radio, The BBC, Darkness Radio, Australian Radio Network, and Coast to Coast AM.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book! Jeff has a great way with words to make you feel the experience. And while it was about his trek of climbing this mountain, it's also filled with inspiration and life reminders! It was a very easy read!

[Kensea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished book at Simba Camp on the hike to the summit

[Mr. Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felt like we were right there with him. Great job!

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff's memoir is intensely personal and disarmingly honest, representing a major departure from his usual paranormal subject matter. He has acquired a more sophisticated writing style since his first books, but he has kept—and maybe even sharpened—his signature sense of humor. His book is filled with deep insights into the human experience and his own spirituality, but he is never pretentious about the lessons he learned from Kilimanjaro—Jeff remains humble every step of the way. It is also very much a love letter to his family, especially his brother-in-law, who passed away from cancer and became his inspiration to climb this mountain. Jeff's book is a perfect balance of stirring emotions and lighthearted wit. I loved journeying with him on his trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro and back home again because, as he says throughout his book, the summit is really only the halfway point.

[Chelsea Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work in an independent bookstore and for about two weeks now I have been reading through this book whenever things are slow in the store and I don’t have any other book selling stuff to do (inventory, purchasing etc). I couldn’t wait to open it back up on my work days. It wasn’t the most compelling or exciting or moving memoir I have ever read. But I connected deeply with it as I climbed Kilimanjaro in March of 2016. I took a different route than Jeff did, but our experiences, day to day, were almost exactly the same. It took me back and I felt what Jeff felt, saw what he saw and ended up touching that same sign in the end. I loved the brief snippets of the history and meaning of the mountain. I never did that kind of research so it filled in some gaps for me about my own experience. Jeff’s story has inspired me to perhaps write out my own experience as well. Even just for the art of remembering.

[MKO · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite writing about climbing a mountain (author's fault, not the mountain's), but it was a quick read to the top of Kilimanjaro.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided a free copy of this book from @netgalley and @charlesbridgepublishing in exchange for my honest review.
I spent four years of my childhood living in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, and have seen the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro from both the air and from safaris around Tanzania! My sister and I even briefly discussed doing this climb as my high school graduation trip (but after reading this, I'm pretty happy we didn't!)! So I was super excited when I saw this and was approved for it!
I loved hearing his experience of the hike. I felt the excitement, anxiousness, triumph, and was annoyed with "the complainer" right along with him. I even found myself trying to take deep breaths as I read about the final ascent! 😂
If you like adventure stories, if you enjoy mountain climbing, or if you are interested in possibly climbing Kili (or another mountain), you will enjoy this story! It comes out next week (9 Mar), so make sure you keep an eye out!
I won't say I'll never climb it, but I'm glad we didn't because we definitely were not prepared!
#Memoir #NetGalley

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

I think the biggest part is I'm not the demographic for this book.

I like travel memoirs that have a lot of reflection and are fairly linear. This book has a lot of jumping around from New England to the mountain to other past events. There's also a lot of saying it was transformational. I like that Belanger highlights only being on the summit for a few minutes and the whole experiences being about the full trip travel. I was also expecting a different kind of story, I think this being a fundraising trip for Leukemia & Lymphoma society gave it a different perspective for me. The pictures are beautiful!

Overall I can see why others would be drawn to this but it wasn't really for me.

[John Gately · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, Jeff does a wonderful job providing a day by day account of his climb of Kilimanjaro. Reads like a journal, filled with plenty of information. Jeff began this quest to climb Kilimanjaro following the death of his brother in law, who succumbed to cancer. Jeff provides an honest and detailed look at how an every day guy like himself can achieve an incredible feat of climbing a mountain and give him a new perspective on life. Jeff is widely known for his books on the Paranormal and for his amazing podcast on "New England Legends" but this is a different kind of book. This is a book of self reflection and achievement. If you enjoy this book, you'll enjoy his lecture on "The Call of Kilimanjaro" both the book and the lecture put you right there with Jeff on his journey, all from the comfort of your home.

[Harriet Rynkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I was already 100 pages or so into Kristen Hannah's 'The Four Winds' when 'The Call of Kimanjaro' arrived in the mail yesterday. Thought I would just give the new book a look see and was 97 pages in when I put it down last night. Finished it this afternoon. I laughed, I cried, and I felt privileged to travel virtually with Jeff Belanger as he made his ascent of Kilimanjaro. The day by day description of this challenge of a lifetime for him was incredibly moving and was right up there for me with the best of the non-fiction wilderness/hiking/climbing books I had read before,like Cheryl Strayed's 'Wild', and John Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air'. Sorry Ms. Hannah. I'm back to your book now.

[Megan McLoud · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw this title on NetGalley, I didn’t hesitate to request it. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2016 and it was so fun to relive the sights, sounds and feelings. From describing the dendrosenecio kilimanjari trees that look straight out of a Dr. Seuss book to the chatter around camps, the descriptions were spot on.
It brought back the torturous memory of climbing for 7 hours in the pitch black, then another 90 minutes in twilight across the false summits to that elusive sign only to turn around after getting THE picture and attempt to slide down the scree just to collapse into my tent. Even if you’ve never stepped foot on a mountain, if you have the slightest interest in (or reading about) hiking/mountaineering, you’ll enjoy this book.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I read this in hopes that it would mentally prepare me to one day cross this climb off my bucket list. It’s made me want to climb Kili even more and appreciate the mountain for its history and the people around it, not just as a personal challenge. I definitely felt like I was up there with Jeff and glad he could recount so much of the journey in such detail. Can’t wait to someday climb it myself! 🤞

[Arindam · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspiring and candid. It is a must read for those of us who are aspiring to scale Kili in the near future, because when she calls, you must go - there is no turning back. Thank you so much for sharing this vivid memoir and all the mental and physical toughness it would take a middle aged New England Dad to dream of one of the seven summits

[Julian Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous read for anyone looking for adventure, or considering the challenge of climbing Africa's highest mountain themselves.

The author vividly brings to life the climb's highs and lows, and gives a great insight into what the trek entails, interspersed with personal observations on his own life, that of others and those around him.

Cracking stuff

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with personal accounts of mountaineering, especially when an amateur climber is able to conquer a mountain, so I was super excited to get approved for The Call of Kilimanjaro on Netgalley! I enjoyed hearing about the author’s journey and accomplishments, but this book felt way too short and I felt that it needed more substance. Although the ending wrapped up nicely, it still felt a little abrupt to me, but I think that was because I wanted to hear more details about his training.

[Ana Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. Thank you for taking us on your journey, Jeff. Your writing flowed just as beautifully as your lectures and zoom presentations. I appreciated every step of your journey of mind, body and spirit. Asante Sana

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. I loved the descriptions the author used to paint vivid pictures of what he was seeing. I appreciated the humor and the blunt honesty that were both a big part of the narrative. I'm kind of sad that I finished this so quickly, but I couldn't put it down.

[Mary Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Belanger is an amazing storyteller. This account of his climb of Kilimanjaro takes the reader there with him, with his technical knowledge of the mountain, the training involved, and the many emotions he felt on this adventure.

[Claire Wieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A humbling enjoyable account of Jeff’s trek up Kilimanjaro. This gives me excitement and reminds me to continue to think of my own “why” for Kili - thanks Jeff for providing a great walk-a-long for your trip!

[Noel Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely great book. I felt like I was with the author on the mountain. I laughed with him, stressed with him, and was emotional at the summit. What an amazing experience and I’m grateful that it was shared without extra fluff.

[Katie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed taking this journey on Kilimanjaro with Jeff. His narrative is interesting, funny and enlightening. The pictures pull everything together

[Amy Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not enjoy non fiction. At all. But this book is wonderful. Poignant and thoughtful. Made me laugh abs cry. Felt like I was climbing the mountain. Excellent read.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book, I felt like I was on this journey too, it was hard to put down but also hard to finish. The reason it was hard to finish is because I didn’t want the adventure to finish

[Lauren Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely inspirational and a very thought-provoking read!

[Hugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid memoir of an ascent of Mt Kilimanjaro. Breezy but thoughtful and enjoyable. Jealous about this trip!

[Lewis Alderton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick but interesting read. Recommend for any who is considering climbing Kili

[TL Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4. Relatable person, easy read. Lots of interesting stories and insight into what he was thinking as he lived his dream adventure.

[Nomar Slevik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply personal and honest to a fault, Belanger takes us through each painstaking step up to the summit. While not always relatable, this book is mostly about setting goals, being honest with yourself, knowing that failing is part of the process, and to enjoy the little things.

Belanger's writing truly places you right beside him on Kilimanjaro. Beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyed.