Colorado women’s fitness group trains to climb highest peak in Africa

MORRISON, Colo. (KDVR) — For the average Coloradan, going on a day hike in Morrison is one thing, but preparing to summit Mount Kilimanjaro is quite another.

One fitness group for women in Colorado is training pretty hard lately, and they are going on a hike this weekend. Well, if you want to call summiting Mount Kilimanjaro “a hike,” that is.

One step at a time. One hike at a time. And one mountain at a time.

“Yeah, it’s really kind of a big deal,” said Christy Peoples, Life’s2Short Fitness head coach. “The whole idea behind Life’s2Short Fitness is to get women outside learning how to trail run, learning how to ride bikes, learning how to be safe. How to have skill.”

On Tuesday, their ongoing training found them in Morrison. But in a few short days, they are going to climb another hill.

Destination: Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

“We have been training hard since the spring on doing treks that take us from 10- to 11- on up to 14,000 feet,” said Peoples.

At 19,341 feet from sea level sits Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. If a person is properly prepared and trained, it should not be too dangerous of a climb — no more dangerous than almost stepping on a rattlesnake in Colorado.

That’s exactly what happened to the women Tuesday on their training hike near Morrison. Nobody was hurt.

It is this kind of adventure that draws women to the group. Peoples says a sense of self-esteem, community and adventure is a byproduct of Life’s2Short Fitness.

It takes stamina, willpower and determination to Summit Kilimanjaro. So, from here on out, these gals will forever be known, at least FOX31, as “Killy’s Heroes.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.