Maricopa pastor, son climb Kilimanjaro for charity

With age 50 in sight, Maricopa resident Rusty Akers – a self-described “wannabe endurance athlete” – added an extra item to his bucket list.

The goal: Climb the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. 

That was three years ago. Akers, who turned 50 in December, will make that attempt starting Sunday with his 13-year-old son, Grady. 

“We’ve been doing a lot of hiking and working out since the first of the year,” Akers said.

As a way to raise money for a pastoral tribe in northwest Kenya – and knock off a bucket list item – Akers and Grady will begin their journey Wednesday to East Africa. 

The expedition isn’t some get-up-and-go adventure. As pastor of Community of Hope Church in Maricopa, Akers previously has traveled to East Africa for community work. The Maricopa church has developed a relationship with a pastor in Nairobi, Kenya, whose church has been helping to provide education, clean water, food, health care and other necessities to the Pokot people, a community in northwest Kenya. 

Following the climb, Akers and Grady and other church members – including Akers’ wife, Lisa, and their 17-year-old daughter, Sydnee – will connect with the Nairobi church. 

“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime trip for any family,” he said. 

After flying over the Atlantic to Amsterdam and then to Nairobi, both father and son will head to Moshi, Tanzania – a city settled on the southern slope of the 19,340-foot dormant volcano. 

The Akers’ will be joined by porters and five friends during the climb – a seven day and six night trek that begins in mid-80 temperatures at the bottom and drops well-below freezing at the top. Akers said the climb up and back is about 40 miles.

According to an online blog that Akers will attempt to update during the journey, the father and son have packed all the essentials for the climb: sleeping bags, sunglasses, long-sleeve shirts, waterproof pants, gloves and more. The porters will help carry food, water, tents and sleeping bags.

“We have to have all the right stuff, and no more,” Akers wrote. “There is not Target (sic) or Walmart to run to if we forget something.” 

Akers said he isn’t sure how the elevation change will affect them until they’re on the mountain. Practice hikes for the two climbers have included the Grand Canyon, Picacho Peak and South Mountain – climbs well below the high elevation they’ll endure. 

As an Arizona native, Akers said he loves to hike.

“I’m kind of a wannabe endurance athlete although I’m not very good at it,” he said. 

Akers said the trip will also be a coming-of-age journey for his son, Grady. 

“We’re going to suffer and he knows that,” he said. 

Grady turns 14 next month and will attend Maricopa High School as a freshman in the fall. 

Akers said he isn’t worried about his son being able to conquer the mountain. 

“He’s got fresh legs. He’s in decent shape,” he said.