Meet three Black climbers who are pushing boundaries and elevating representation on peaks across Africa and the globe

Andrew Alexander King will always remember his first attempt on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and the world’s largest freestanding peak, back in 2018.

However, it wasn’t the summit that caught him off guard, but the warm reception he received upon descending, as local guides celebrated with a traditional dance.

“They were thrilled because they’d never seen an African American climber,” King shares with Dinogo. “I was really taken aback by that.”

The American Alpine Club’s 2019 State of Climbing report revealed that only 1% of surveyed climbers identified as Black. As James Edward Mills writes in the report’s foreword, “Climbing has long been a sport dominated by White men,” with 85% of club members being White and 72% male.

Although this poll is based in the US and is the first of its kind, the absence of non-White climbers is a global issue, felt from Mt. Kilimanjaro to Mt. Everest.

Dinogo recently interviewed King and two other Black climbers to discuss the steps needed to make mountaineering more diverse and inclusive across Africa and beyond.

The pioneering mountaineer

Saray N’kusi Khumalo - CEO, Summits with a Purpose

Despite facing near-fatal accidents and setbacks in her climbing career, mountaineer Saray N’kusi Khumalo remains undeterred. A Zambian-born mother of two, she balances a corporate career, podcast hosting, climbing some of the world’s tallest peaks, and running a non-profit that focuses on education in Africa.

“My grandfather always told me, ‘If you don’t live a life of service, you’re wasting your life,’” she shares with Dinogo.

In 2013, Khumalo founded Summits with a Purpose in South Africa, where she raises funds for building schools and libraries with every climb she undertakes.

Khumalo’s climbs are also paving the way for diversity in mountaineering. After reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2012, she realized that mountaineering was her calling. Though she noticed the sport’s lack of diversity, predominantly dominated by White males, she refused to let that deter her.

“When I’m on the mountain, I proudly represent as an African. I’m often told by others that I don’t belong, but I make sure that when they see someone who looks like me, they remember that we are capable,” Khumalo shares.

Shortly after her first summit, Khumalo set her sights on the world’s highest peak: Mount Everest in the Himalayas.

Khumalo’s first three attempts at Everest were brutal and disheartening. She faced everything from natural disasters to losing consciousness in the notorious ‘death zone,’ the perilous stretch above 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) where oxygen levels are critically low.

On May 16, 2019, during her fourth attempt, she succeeded, making history as the first Black African woman to reach Everest’s summit. Out of the 4,000 climbers who have summited Everest, only eight have been Black.

“I have a complicated relationship with Everest,” Khumalo reflects. “I’m not sure if summiting it was my greatest achievement, or simply the fact that I kept getting up every time I fell.”

She is currently on her journey to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, which involves summiting the seven tallest mountains on Earth and reaching both the North and South Poles. So far, she has conquered five of the summits.

Khumalo is grateful for her accomplishments but believes there is still work to be done. “I don’t think I’ve fully broken those stereotypes yet. There’s much more to achieve,” she says, emphasizing that representation should go beyond the mountaintops.

“It’s not just about Everest; representation is a legacy we must leave for future generations wherever we are,” she adds, urging her peers to step out of their comfort zones to prove that Black people belong in every field.

The inspiring adventurer

Andrew Alexander King - CEO, The Between Worlds Project

For Andrew Alexander King, the first mountain he ever climbed wasn’t a peak, but escaping the challenges of growing up in the projects of Detroit, Michigan.

Today, the passionate explorer has scaled over 66 mountains, with a long-term goal to summit the 14 highest peaks and volcanoes across the continents. If he achieves this, he will be the first Black man to do so. However, his true motivation lies beyond records.

“If people don’t see someone like themselves at the top of Everest or Kilimanjaro, they won’t believe they belong there, and they won’t pursue it,” he explains.

When King started climbing more seriously in his twenties, he quickly noticed the stark lack of diversity and felt acutely aware of being the only Black climber. During his expedition on Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, he was the sole Black member of the diverse team.

“There were a lot of racial jokes and tension, and I had to defend myself,” he recalls, noting that others doubted his ability to handle the demanding climb.

“It made me feel insecure at times, but I used that insecurity as fuel to push forward and shatter the glass ceiling,” King reflects.

Seven years ago, he founded The Between Worlds Project to support the communities he encounters on his climbs. Through each expedition, he collaborates with local non-profits to address issues like racism, sexism, climate change, and inequality.

When Dinogo caught up with King, he was returning from a two-month trip to Tanzania and Kenya, where he had been volunteering at an orphanage, working with Moving Mountains Trust, and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya alongside local climbers.

“The changes we’re working toward will take time to fully realize – I may not witness it in my lifetime, but it’s essential to start now and nurture the growth,” King says, stressing the need for collective action to increase diversity in outdoor sports.

The barefoot climber

Peter Naituli - Rock climber

Peter Naituli, a rock climber from Kenya, is known for scaling mountains barefoot.

Growing up without experienced climbers to mentor him, Naituli took on the more dangerous aspects of climbing, including free soloing – climbing without safety equipment. His extraordinary feats, like ascending Mount Kenya without rope or shoes, are helping to establish Kenya’s presence in the climbing world.

“As a child, the only thing missing in my climbing was a fellow climber to share my passion with,” Naituli tells Dinogo. “It was just me, keeping the flame alive.”

In 2021, Naituli was featured in the documentary “Cold Feet,” aiming to position Kenya as a climbing hub and inspire growth in the local climbing industry, while challenging the stereotype that climbing is a sport for White people.

“Climbing isn’t just a Western pursuit; it’s something we can do here in Kenya. By watching others climb, Kenyans will have someone to look up to,” Naituli says.

Organizations like Climbing Life Kenya and Mountain Club of Kenya are working to make climbing more accessible, breaking down the barriers to participation. In 2012, Climb BlueSky, East Africa’s first public climbing gym, opened in Nairobi.

However, Naituli believes more climbing gyms and greater access to the sport are needed in Kenya. He emphasizes that while there is plenty of talent, opportunities remain scarce.

“Telling the story of climbers from Kenya, with them as the central figures, is a story that needs to be shared,” Naituli says, highlighting “a fresh perspective on Kenya and a new angle on the world of climbing.”