Ann Curry Struggling Up Mount Kilimanjaro

NEW YORK — Climbing Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro is no weekend hike, and the "Today" show's Ann Curry was feeling it on Saturday.

The NBC reporter was sent on assignment for the popular morning show's "Ends of the Earth" feature, which begins Monday. The program's four chief personalities will embark on lengthy road trips to illustrate environmental stories.

"This is like climbing a Stairmaster for six hours a day with 20 pounds on your back," Curry said in a telephone interview from her tent following Saturday's climb.

She's hardly an experienced climber. The last mountain she scaled was half the size, and she did it while in college, said Curry, who turns 52 on Wednesday. She learned of the assignment only three weeks ago, giving her little time to train.

Her climb is plotted out so that if she does make it to the summit of the 19,000-plus-foot Tanzanian mountain, it will be shown during Friday's edition of "Today."

"To be honest with you, I'm not sure I'm going to make it to the top," she said. "But all the pain and suffering is worth it because of the incredible vistas all around me."

The mountain made famous in Ernest Hemingway's short story "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" was selected by "Today" because that snow is shrinking, said Jim Bell, the show's executive producer. There's concern that, because of environmental conditions, the mountain's glaciers could disappear.

"I miss my family," said Curry, whose clothes were clammy and wet from a rainstorm Saturday. "And also warm showers. And I could really use a stiff drink."

"Today" is sending Meredith Vieira to Australia to report on drought and Al Roker to geologically active Iceland. Matt Lauer, who already globe-trotted this spring for the "Where in the World is Matt Lauer" segment, will be exploring the natural beauty of Belize.

Comments

[LollieDotCom]

Happy Birthday Ann and would you please hurry up and get off of that mountain! You've got the story, fvck the cherry on top and start moving down that mountain NOW. Please. Thank you.

[nellpost]

Someone must have drawn the short straw -- Al in cold, cold Iceland, poor Ann climbing, and the "stars" in warm safe places!

[hilaritee]

If we want to undo the Sarah Palin geography phenomena we should stop making statements like: "Climbing Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro". Mt. Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania, which is on the African continent. The above statement is akin to saying "climbing Asia's Mt. Fuji".

[ZimboChick]

why?

[rpasley]

Climbing Kilimanjaro is no small feat...a very healthy guy in his 40's from my town died while climbing it not long ago, and another guy I know suffered life-threatening altitude sickness a few hundred yards from the summit. I would guess that Ann Curry will not (nor would NBC) risk her life on this mini-series, but the broadcast will probably encourage others who probably shouldn't climb Kilimanjaro to do so anyway...

[LollieDotCom]

Talk about adding insult to sacrifice and injury! Some of these comments! As I watched this morning my heart went out to Ann. That's an incredible challenge, just mind boggling. It seems entirely too dangerous and I'll be glad when she's back home, safe, warm and dry with the people she loves.

I hate to admit the going to the ends of the earth thing to get our attention and ratings...­.. it's working for me. But this is like those movies about the future where everything is so screwed up... only it's not just a movie and it's happening now.

But the way they're shooting it, the other three are on relaxing vacations and Ann is playing an ultimate game of survivor. You take care of yourself Ann. Stay well.

[NightAdder]

Ann Curry is 52 years-old??? What's she been eaten? She'll make it. I climbed Kilimanjaro back in '98. Of course, I was still in my twenties.

[MrTrailSafety]

oh hell, she could've been following Rushbo around his 300-room prison in FL.

[jackie215]

I just saw a report on one of the nature channels by one of the guides who takes people up this mountain and about the challenges they face. It is huge, and as you climb you go from mud to tundra to cold to glaciers. It's a daunting trip and many don't make it. I'm sure she'd rather be in Belize.

[LeeCalif]

Hope she stays there.

[OddManOut]

She is the fakest and most shallow person on morning news outside Fox and Fretards.

[nellpost]

Ann seems to be very caring and sweet. There ARE such people in the world.

[mediamarv]

Lauer and the natural beauty of Belize??

That means he will be ogling the monokinis.

Tough assignment. Hope he's man enough for it.

[SouthernBlueBelle]

Guess who drew the short straw. Surely not Matt in Belize.