ROCK SPRINGS — Black Butte High School teacher Chris Clifton spent his Christmas realizing his dream of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano, the highest mountain in Africa standing at an elevation of 19,341 feet, the fourth most topographically prominent peak in the world, and the world’s highest freestanding mountain. Out of all of Clifton’s backpacking experiences, he said “this was by far the most intense.”

Clifton, who is in his fourth year teaching Spanish I, Spanish II and World Cultures at Black Butte High School, first discovered backpacking in 2014 while studying abroad in Perú.

“I took my very first trip in the shadow of a 20,000 foot mountain in the Peruvian Andes,” Clifton said. “I was hooked! This is a large part of what drew me to Wyoming. Since moving to Rock Springs, I have climbed a few 14ers in Colorado and backpacked throughout the Wind Rivers.”

Clifton moved to Wyoming in 2020 from the East Coast in search of adventure.

“I love the Cowboy State,” Clifton said.

Reaching the Summit

Before Clifton could begin his trip to the summit, he had to get to Tanzania. It required four flights and 24 hours of flying each way. He traveled by himself and met up with 10 other climbers once he arrived in Tanzania.

“The climbing process began with a short acclimatization day hike to a beautiful waterfall and tour of a coffee farm,” Clifton said.

Even when spending time in the beauty of East Africa, Clifton found reminders of home.

“The climb began in lush rainforest before transitioning to shrubland and finally to the alpine moorland, which looked much like the high desert of Wyoming,” he said.

Over the next four days, Clifton and his fellow climbers hiked steadily until they reached their basecamp at 15,400 feet. It took around eight hours for them reach the summit from their camp, and they were rewarded with a stunning sunrise.

“On Christmas Day, we began hiking at 11:30 p.m. and reached the summit at 19,341 feet at around 7:30 on the morning of December 26,” he said. “Later that afternoon, we began part of the 18 mile hike back to the trailhead.”

The hike was no easy feat, as it is a difficult climb even without the bout of altitude sickness Clifton was battling.

“My climbing partners, who included a marathon runner and Army officer, concluded that climbing Kilimanjaro was the most difficult thing any of us had ever done. Thanks to altitude sickness, I arrived at the summit feeling quite nauseous and completely exhausted,” Clifton said.

However, pushing himself to his limits and beyond left him feeling proud and gratified.

“Pushing myself physically and mentally was deeply satisfying, and I was overcome with gratitude. The beauty of the summit caldera, combined with the sunrise and the realization that I had actually done it, was one of the most emotional moments of my life, and I was moved to tears by the gravity of what we had just achieved,” Clifton said.

After the climb, Clifton and his climbing partners took a safari to three national parks and they visited three indigenous tribes. Just on the first day of the safari, they saw 20 elephants and several troops of baboons and giraffes. Clifton described the safari, stating that, “on the enormous plains of the Serengeti, hyena were butchering a zebra, lions rested under trees and hippos wallowed in a huge mud pit.”

Expanding Horizons

An adventurer at heart, Clifton believes in the importance on expanding his horizons whenever he can. That’s what drove him to take on Mount Kilimanjaro.

“Having lived in Central and South America, I wanted to expand my horizons by visiting a country where I did not speak the language and would be tested physically and mentally. I had dreamed of climbing Kilimanjaro since I was a teenager, and the opportunity to take a wildlife and cultural safari made this the perfect adventure,” he said. “Once I researched the variety of ecosystems and the summit experience, I decided to actually go for it.”

Prior to this trip, he had been to the top of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet, which is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America, the highest point in Colorado, and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States. As a teacher, Clifton hopes that through challenging himself through adventure, he will inspire his students to also seek out new places and cultures. It was through his personal adventures that he decided to become a teacher in the first place.

“In 2016, I taught English in Argentina and was inspired to become a full-time high school teacher,” he said. “More than anything, I hope that my students come away inspired to take chances and expand their horizons by seeing new places and perspectives.”

He incorporates his sense of adventure in his teaching, to show his students that the world is big and exciting, and there is a lot to experience.

“When teaching Spanish, I try to share diverse cultures as frequently as possible, as I hope to help students see the world as an exciting place,” he said. “Finally, I hope to be a real-life example of someone who takes smart risks to realize their dreams.”

In 2025, Clifton will be taking a group of students on a nine day adventure to Peru, the country that captured his heart years ago. Local middle school and high school students are still able to enroll in this opportunity, and parents may email Clifton at [email protected] with interest.

“I believe that travel inspires emotional and personal growth,” Clifton said. “I’m excited to share my single favorite place in the world.”