Justin Timberlake taking the piste

The pop star is rumored to be considering the 2009 dry season to attempt the climb which defeated NBC’s Anne Curry earlier in the year. His comments were that a weeks worth of foot travel with 30 pounds on his back will be intense. It must certainly be a novice climber who is intimidated by 30 pounds, but credit to Justin and his team for making the effort.

It seems like an odd crusade for an international recording artist to adopt, bearing in mind the popularity of the continent as the celebrity cause of choice in so many more prominent areas, and again credit to the man for knowing, or caring anything about it at all.

Kilimanjaro is definitely one of the areas of concern for African water conservation, which it is an issue wrapped up with global warming as well as the gradual deforestation that is causing significant habitat loss within and around this watershed.

Kilimanjaro is one of the most important source of groundwater of in all of East Africa… It feeds the major river systems of northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, maintaining farming communities hundreds of miles beyond the immediate influence of Kilimanjaro.

BootsnAll World Adventures, with its interest in conservation and Fair Trade practice in Tanzania, is eager to hear more of how Justine Timberlake hopes to highlight the issue, and what in particular he intends to do. We hope that this is not just another celebrity marketing ploy to introduce a soft touch to the hard line, and if he is serious we would suggest that he makes contact with many of the local conservation groups, most particularly Sebastian Chuwa, to chat about some of the practical ways that water conservation on the mountain can be advanced, and where the money generated from this venture can be spent.

If none of this happens, then at least the visit of yet another high profile celebrity to the mountain will give it a bit of a boost ion a recession, which in the age of eco-tourism, is still the best angle to support conservation in Africa.

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