CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin experienced the gamut of emotions — from laughter and exhilaration to tears and despair — during her climb up Africa’s fabled Mount Kilimanjaro with Abercrombie & Kent. The Kilimanjaro climb was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said of summiting the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, a “life-changing experience” that helped her realize, “What's most memorable to me won't be tromping through the snows of Kilimanjaro and reaching the peak. No, when I close my eyes and think of my seven days on Kili: It's singing. It's Dismass (my A&K guide). It's the breathtaking views of stars overhead. As tough as it is for this goal-driven CNN anchor to admit, it really is about the journey.” 

Brook wrote about the 10 key lessons she took away from that journey in a story published on CNN.com. Find out why Kilimanjaro humbles even the most dedicated climbers, and why the mountain still reigns king.