Group of doctors climbs Kilimanjaro

Dr. Dharmesh Patel has always wanted to experience a challenging adventure, and on June 28, he began a six-day journey that would change outlook on life and wellness.

Patel and his wife, Dr. Purvisha Patel, joined forces with friends Deepak Karawadra and Dr. Sonal Mehr to trek to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

Patel’s journey to Kilimanjaro began more than a year ago when Karawadra, a native of Tanzania (where Kilimanjaro is located), returned from his first trip up the mountain.

“So many people expressed interest in going that we decided to make another trip,” Karawadra said. “We started with 16 people, but by the time we left, there were only four of us, including Dharmesh and Purvisha.”

Excited about a new challenge, Patel began a training regimen to ready himself for the journey that included attending fitness boot camps and running in the St. Jude Marathon. However, no amount of training could prepare him for the adventure ahead.

“Every day, we experienced different terrains,” he said. “You start out with a nice forest and then the trees would get shorter and you would go through rough and rocky patches, desert, before ultimately reaching the summit, which was very cold and the only place on the equator where you will find ice and snow.”

Their final ascent began