Scott Williams loves a good adventure. Whether it’s exploring new cultures (he’s traveled to all seven continents and more than 80 countries) or pushing to better his time every year in the Tour de Kirkwood triathlon, he’s up for a challenge. Shortly after celebrating his 37th birthday, he successfully accomplished his latest goal: conquering Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, one of the seven summits and the world’s highest freestanding mountain.
If you know Williams, it’s no surprise that hiking Kilimanjaro always has been a dream of his. He enjoys any physical activity that gets him outside and working hard. “I’ve always been really active,” he says. He played sports through college, and says trail running and hiking are easily two of his favorite activities. “I had a job after I graduated that allowed me to hike throughout Europe and South America, and I used to hike in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, where I climbed a 14,000-foot peak. But until Kili, it had been about four years since I’d done anything major.”
Williams attributes his deep sense of adventure partly to Gig Gwin, founder of Gwin’s Travel in Kirkwood and the father of a close childhood friend, who has served as a mentor of sorts. “I remember him telling me stories 15 years ago about when he climbed Kilimanjaro, and ever since then, I’ve wanted to do it,” Williams says. Since St. Louis is at sea level, he couldn’t do any specific training to prepare for the 19,341-foot elevation, but he bumped up his cardio workout each week. “Aside from my 20-year-old hiking boots falling apart on the first day, I felt great physically! My goal was to take it slow and steady from the beginning, which really helped me on summit day,” he says.
The five-day hike took the group through all four climatic zones: rainforest, low alpine (moorlands), high alpine (desert) and glacial. “My favorite part of the hike was summit day,” Williams recalls. He was the first in his group to reach the highest point, Uhuru Peak, which is another two-hour climb from the top. “You start out hiking around midnight so you get to the summit before sunrise,” he says. “When you look down, you can see the lights of cities in both Kenya and Tanzania. Reaching the peak was amazing; it was a spiritual experience really. Everywhere you look are unbelievable views, and you feel good knowing you just accomplished this incredible feat.”
The trek down was a little more challenging, when Williams felt the effects of AMS (acute mountain sickness). “You realize you’ve been hiking nine hours and are completely dehydrated,” he says. “I was ready to get down!” When asked if there are any other summits in his future, Williams says while Everest is another dream of his, it probably will remain just that. “I’m looking forward to my next adventure, which will be getting married. My fiancee and I love hiking Castlewood, and I can’t wait to take the kids with us soon. That will probably be my most enjoyable hike yet!”
the routine
I average 15 miles of running and 50 miles of cycling a week, usually ending with a long ride on Fridays. I end my runs with a gravity workout, which includes sit-ups, pull-ups and dips. I fit in at least one brick (running and cycling back-to-back) a week and lift weights three times a week. When it’s warm, I love swimming for about 30 minutes twice a week. I also get in a little extra workout by walking my two dogs a couple of miles twice a day.
Pictured: Williams with his guides
