Chasing the Northern Route: Why I’m Going for the Kilimanjaro Fastest Known Time

I keep oscillating between two states:  Saying “I got this” with a cheeky smile and a wink – and screaming internally, “Oh shit, I am in way, way over my head.”

But that’s the space I live for. The edge. The unknown. The big, wild, maybe-you-shouldn’t-dare-but-you-do-anyway kind of goal.

So here it is: I’m going for the Fastest Known Time on the Northern Route of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Where I Started

I don’t remember how old I was. I just remember my mom reading me a book about a group climbing Kilimanjaro and getting caught in a storm. The story was terrifying – and thrilling. Something about that mountain lodged itself in my brain. Maybe it was the risk. Maybe it was the altitude. Maybe it was the idea that life could be big, epic, and amazing.

A New Kind of Fire

Fast forward a few decades. I’m sitting in my house in Minnesota, staring down a season of hard life questions. I needed direction. Something that felt raw and real. Something that could set my soul on fire.

I decided it was time to plan a trip to climb Kilimanjaro. And in typical fashion, while planning that first trip, I went deep – researching everything I could about the mountain. The routes. The risks.

And somewhere along the way, I fell down the rabbit hole of FKTs.

An FKT is simple on paper: Move through a trail, a route, a wild place — as fast as you can.
No medals. No crowds. Just grit, guts, and honoring the outdoor space on its terms.

You vs. the clock. You vs. the voice that says you can’t. And something about that clicked.

I needed something that would demand everything I had — and a little more.
And an idea took hold in my brain.

I sat with the fear.
And then I sent my run coach a message that said:

“I want to set the FKT on Mount Kilimanjaro.”

It felt absurd. I was living at sea level. I’d never attempted an FKT. I hadn’t even climbed Kilimanjaro at that point. I wasn’t even sure I had the right to want something that big.
But I knew one thing for sure: if I was going to chase this, it couldn’t just be about me.

Five Years Later

Five years after I sent that message: I had one Kilimanjaro summit behind me. The courage to step toward what was meant for me. A move to Colorado. Deciding to love fiercely. A few more ultras under my belt.

The mountain still calls. And this time, I’m answering differently.

More Than a Mountain

I stumbled upon The Cairn Project after a late-night, anxiety-fueled Google spiral – the kind you don’t admit to unless something good comes out of it. Something did.

The Cairn Project’s mission hit me in the best way: to open doors and reduce barriers to outdoor access for women and girls. I knew I’d found something that mirrored everything I’d been feeling – that need to connect the “why” behind this goal to something bigger than me.

A few emails. A couple of Zoom calls. Some “wait, is this really happening?” moments.  

And now? This FKT is a fundraiser.

Here’s what I know:  

Getting outside – truly outside – changes you. It strips away the noise and reveals something raw and unshakable underneath. For me, it allowed me to find my voice. My confidence. My capacity.  

And every woman and girl deserves that.

The Gender Gap Outside

The barriers start early. And they build.

• Girls are 16% less likely to go outside for free play in preschool.
• 20% fewer young women (ages 6–24) participate in outdoor activities.
• By age 60, women are 35% less likely than men to spend time outside.

Outdoor recreation builds confidence, leadership, and resilience — qualities that ripple into every other part of life. And yet:

• Women make up only 46% of outdoor participants, even though they represent 51% of the U.S. population. (Outdoor Industry Association, 2021)
• They receive just 4% of sports media coverage, limiting visibility, sponsorship, and representation. (Glamour, 2021)
• Confidence gaps start young due to a lack of early outdoor skill-building opportunities. (Portland State University)
• Outdoor experiences improve self-worth and body image, especially among adolescent girls. A study of GirlVentures participants found that time in nature, peer support, and female mentorship significantly boosted body confidence — with many girls reporting lasting effects up to three years later. (Adolescent Girls and Body Image Study)
• 69% of women leaders played sports growing up, proving that access to adventure builds future leadership. (Parents Magazine)

This isn’t about interest. It’s about access, representation, cost, and the quiet and loud messages that say: You don’t belong here.

That message shows up in everything from a lack of gear made for women (and no, a backpack being pink does not count), to the scarcity of female role models in outdoor media, to programs that overlook girls entirely.

Despite all the proven benefits of being outdoors – confidence, leadership, resilience – girls and women still have to fight for their place on the trail and in the mountains.

Why The Cairn Project Matters

The Cairn Project nurtures the next generation of self-confident girls through outdoor adventure. They fund scholarships that help girls step into wild spaces that shape who they become.

And for women like me? The Cairn Project builds community, a network of athletes, adventurers, and advocates who believe that outdoor passion can be a force for good.

This is why I’m running and climbing. This is what turns fear into fire. I’m not chasing this FKT just to prove I can do hard things – I already know I can. I’m doing it to raise the volume. To open the door wider. To make damn sure that women and girls coming up behind me don’t just hear ‘you belong out here’ – they believe it.

What You Can Do

Donate: Help make the outdoors more accessible.   
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Ask yourself:  What mountains am I meant to climb? What risks am I meant to take? And then get going.