"On Kilimanjaro I felt like sitting on the wing of an airplane"
—AndresPerez

Andres Perez, a lawyer at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, set out on what he calls a "Mountaineering Duathlon". Supported by East African Voyage Company Ltd., he biked from the town of Arusha to Mount Meru, the second highest peak in Tanzania, which he climbed in four days. He then biked to Mount Kilimanjaro, climbed the summit in seven-days and biked back to Arusha. Kilimanjaro, 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) is the Highest point in Africa, one of the famed seven summits, and it has the highest *"free-standing rise" in the world. Mount Meru 4,566 metres (14,980 ft) is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. Meru should not be confused with Mount Kenya, which is the second highest peak in Africa at 5895 meters (17,052 feet) and the the highest mountain in Kenya.

Would you mind telling our readers about yourself?
My name is Andres Perez. I am a citizen of Venezuela and the United States. I live in Arusha, Tanzania where I work as a lawyer for the United Nations Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Ever since I was a child I always enjoyed going into the outdoors and pushing myself with outdoor adventures.

Q. How long have you been in Arusha?
I have been living in Arusha since this February. I was also here for three months last year, from September to November.

Q. What other high mountains did you climb and how are they different from and similar to Mount Kilimanjaro, if you ever climbed any other mountain?
I climbed a couple of other mountains in my life, each has its own character. Just a year ago I did a trek through Northern India in the Ladakh Province. I trekked from Lamayuru to Alchi via the Stakspi La. After a day and half of resting, I summited a mountain called Stok Kangri together with two of my brothers. The mountain is over 6000 meters above sea level. I also summited Tronador in Argentina as well as Muhavura in Uganda on the border with Rwanda and several other smaller mountains.

One thing that set Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru aside from all of them is the fact that they are both free standing. I have never ever been on a mountain that is as majestic as Mount Kilimanjaro. I felt like I was sitting on the wing of an airplane when I was on the summit. It was absolutely amazing.