Ann Curry Stops Short of Kilimanjaro Summit

NEW YORK — The "Today" show's Ann Curry didn't make it to the top of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro.

Altitude sickness and forbidding weather forced the NBC morning show's crew to stop about 3,000 feet short of the 19,000-foot summit. They were climbing to draw attention to environmental problems, and hoped to hit the top for Friday's show.

Curry reported to her "Today" show colleagues Thursday that she was heading back down.

Said Curry: "Here's the bottom line: I just did not want to live with any one of us having any kind of serious injury just to get us live from the top of this mountain. It just wasn't worth it."

She described it as an unanimous decision by the five-person crew.

Said anchor Matt Lauer: "We're all proud of you and the team."

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NBC is owned by General Electric Co.

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On the Net:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

Comments

[NotMcCain]

Kilamanjaro is considered a fairly easy climb if you've actually prepared a bit.

She could make an important point---even for mountains like Kilamanajaro (let alone the new "rich hobbyist trek" to Everest or K2)--that mountain climbing requires extensive preparation, supervision, and judgment to be successful.

[Jessegirl]

I bet she wanted to rush back down when she found out that Hillary was back in the news.

[UnstuckInTime]

You'd think an air head like Ann could handle the altitude. And the funniest part is that climatologists basically agree that the Kilimanjaro glacial melt has absolutely nothing to do with global warming.

http://www.livescience.com/environment/070611_gw_kilimanjaro.html

http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=34106

[Grulg]

Stupid stunt. I have hiked the White Mtns here in NH reg. for years, trust me-that's not the kinda hike one does lightly and esp if you are a 52 year old news anchor who hasn't really hiked in decades. That's just putting people's well-being in danger.

Try the Adirondacks next time-

[wm1066]

In Peru they use cocoa leaf tea for altitude problems. Works for them, they have been using it for a thousand years and nobody has gotten addicted yet! ( Snark! )
Seriously, being non refined cuts the addiction rate. Roman soldiers used opium going into battle and it was unusual to get addicted then, although it did happen. The more refined a drug is the more it becomes addictive. Smoking opium is more addictive than eating opium. And refined cocoa is more addictive than eating the leaves or making it into a tea. The tea is also good for singers who have strained their vocal cords. Oh but I do go on....sorry, must be something I ate.

[teacheng]

It works. Used it when hiking the Inca Trail when I had really bad altitude sickness.

[christianmama4change]

There's a reason we Africans revere Mount Kilimanjaro - it is not for the faint of heart. I'm glad they are safe.

[ohiomark]

She goes up there to show the lack of snow and she gets pushed back by SNOW!!! Too funny.

"Green Week" backfires again.

[CBS]

The point is that the snow now melts rather than builds up on the mountain. Too funny? Don't thinks so.

[Yovovi]

You have to acclimate and plan for 6 days -- 5 climbing days and one rest day. I wonder if they took the rest day.

I think the environment would be better off without idiots like this! Reminds me (tho nowhere near as bad) of Into Thin Air and the immoral socialite the Today Show hired to climb and send dispatches -- she brought her espresso maker, fax machine, etc. all weighing down the poor Sherpas who carried it all and ended up dying for other reasons too. At least no one died here.

Bottom line - The Today Show needs to stop climbing mountains. Unless Al Roker does it because he needs the exercise!

[dana94591]

Thank you!!! I think this is trivializing the environment as well as the preparation involved in making a serious hike like this. If they were interesting in the mountain they could have aired the wonderful IMAX documentary on the Kilimanjaro mountain. I just think that these shows are so stupid when they pick these types of ventures. Next thing you know they will be climbing K2! Stay on the group, mates!!!

[dana94591]

Ooops! I meant "ground" not "group"!!! Typing too fast!!

[bujeeboo]

My god, the moralizing on this site is really irksome this evening.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I can ski comfortably at 10,000 feet, but got sick just walking at 12,000.

It's not linear, and fitness isn't the only ticket -- acclimation is vital too.

16,000 should get everyone's respect. Double-kudos to the camera crew!

(P.S. I'll take publicity for a cause over the "jet fuel" canard any day.)

[sklfcats]

Why not waste more jet fuel ??

[WickedAmers]

Thank God! I was actually worried about her at the beginning of this week when she was reporting. She got overly emotional and you could tell she was suffering from something...probably the altitude sickness she was talking about. Merideth, Al and Matt all went on these cheezy assignments and she got stuck with scaling a mountain. I'd be pissed if I was her.

[walleymr]

Come home Ann!

[NancyCinNY]

Good decision, Ann, for you and your crew. Bad weather is not the right place for novice climbers. I'm in awe that you got as far as you did and am sorry that the people you work for only gave you three weeks notice! That's nuts! You rock, Ann!

A weekend hiker, I trained for 7 months with weights, cardio, and a lot of uphill and mileage to prep for Kili for a 10th wedding anniversary adventure. I got to 16,000 feet, but my husband came down with altitude sickeness and it was time to go down. I didn't want to go up to the top without him. It was the hardest, most awesome thing I'll ever do. Treasure every moment and every memory, and welcome home soon!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

HuzzahInNY.

[jlgcox]

My husband made it to the summit in 2001!!