Julianne Hough turned 31 on July 20, and the dancer-actress-judge celebrated in her own unique way on Instagram.
She did so by letting her 4.5 million followers join her as she looked back at what she and Brooks Laich did earlier this month to honor their second anniversary on July 8. Along with her husband, her older sister, her brother-in-law, and her mother-in-law, she went on a recreational retreat that was far from ordinary. The familial group of five made their way up to mighty Kilimanjaro summit.
Talk about adventuresome.
On the first night of the dramatic East African climb, Julianne made sure she was warm enough when she went to bed in her tent, as seen on her Instagram video.
She told her audience what she had on, leaving nothing off the list. For starters, she was wearing leggings, sweat pants, two pairs of socks, a t-shirt, two sweaters, and a vest. She also rocked a winter coat, gloves, and a beanie.
In addition, she noted that she was “sleeping with her headlight on in case she had to go out and pee.”
Laich prompted his wife to admit to other measures she made to avoid getting cold. Julianne remembered, adding that she was snuggled in a sleeping bag complete with special fleece lining.
Although this may seem like a bit much as far as fighting off potentially freezing temperatures, as Julianne put it, “I ain’t going to get cold here on Kilamanjaro. Summit. I’ve got to make it.”
So why did this talented lady opt to take on this particularly treacherous trip that she remembered on her birthday today?
Hough explained on Instagram on July 17.
“It has been a dream of mine to climb Kilimanjaro (Tallest Free standing Mountain in the World & highest peak in Africa) for quite some time and of course Brooks and I love traveling and adventuring and creating life long memories. We couldn’t think of a more epic adventure to take than this grueling but rewarding one, for our 2 year anniversary, with my older sister and brother-in-law along with creating new moments with my mother-in-law.”
As her group ascended this giant mountain with four more days to go until they reach the summit, Julianne was relieved that she had avoided being struck by acute mountain sickness, a nasty reaction that reportedly happens to about half of all Kilimanjaro climbers.
“Kilimanjaro is classified as an extreme altitude mountain trek. Because you scale the 19,341 feet, or 5,895 meters, so quickly and the angle is so great, you will need to prepare and train before attempting the climb,” warns Kandoo, a prominent adventure travel company.
Apparently, as noted by Hough in her Instagram post, this talented woman and her extended family did make it to the summit, as they had hoped and prepared to do. She stated that the group began at Shira Camp I — which resides on the Southern edge of the Shira Plateau offering astounding views and they ended at Shira Camp II, the latter waiting for the trekking warriors at the top of the iconic mountain.
No doubt, Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich, her husband of two years, are up for great adventures. Besides spending a week hiking up Tanzania’s killer Mount Kilimanjaro, the couple went on a dangerous gorilla trek in Uganda earlier this year, as reported by The Inquisitr .
Stay tuned to Julianne Hough’s Instagram to watch for what obscure travel plans she makes next.