$1,000 for boots? My Ecuador company offers free rentals, but I'm terrified of frostbite and training with strange gear. Here’s a candid analysis of where the side-hustle budget should really go. Help me decide!

When I first followed Everest No Filter in 2017, I never imagined I’d one day meet the man who sparked my dream of climbing Everest. This year, as I finally take my first real steps toward that goal, Cory Richards came to Ohio, and our paths crossed in a way that felt like fate. His words, his story, and three simple words have been echoing in my head ever since.

Forget summit photos—the real untold story of Kilimanjaro is what happens when nature calls at 15,000 feet. Here’s the raw truth about toilets, pee funnels, and why I’ll never look at cilantro soup the same way again.

Kilimanjaro was more than a mountain. It was a journey of grit, heartbreak, and transformation. Here’s what I learned about slowing down, celebrating the small wins, and finding joy in the climb, not just the peak.

Midnight starts, frozen bladders, bloody noses, tears, and finally the highest point in Africa—summit day on Kilimanjaro was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

The Barranco Wall loomed above us, and today was all about trust: in our guides, in each other, and in ourselves. Between tears, rumors of descent, and even a helicopter evacuation, we clawed our way to Karanga—still standing.

Day one on Kilimanjaro was anything but glamorous: bus breakdowns, bracelet scams, rain showers, and a whole lot of peeing. But between the chaos and the laughter, we finally stepped onto the trail and took our first real steps toward the summit.