Atlas Mountaineering

by Alex Wang ‘29

This coming August, Atlas Qiu is thrilled to host a mountaineering trip to Mount Kilimanjaro with students at St. Mark’s. 

Atlas started his hiking journey just two years ago, starting with his local 400-meter mountain before moving on to greater hikes, including Mount Elbrus, standing at over 5600 meters. He said he was nervous at first, stepping out of his comfort zone and trying something new was challenging. However, being with a team of professionals gave him confidence and helped him embrace this new world away from daily life.

Atlas wants to bring his experiences to St. Mark's because he believes that mountain climbing is a truly unforgettable experience. High up in the clouds, people and cities below seem so incredibly small, giving climbers a new perspective of a whole different world up in the vast mountains. 

Students on the trip will be hiking as a team, learning to be responsible for one another. Atlas believes this leads to lots of bonding and a boost in self-confidence. Reflecting on a previous trip, he recalled how another student from his previous school went from being a shy kid to someone who ventured out after climbing Mount Elbrus with him. He says, “As long as you dare, you can achieve; the mountain is always there.” He advocates that summiting is never the most important thing. The team effort, the views, and the experiences you will learn and share will be a memory forever. 

More about the trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, it will be from August 2nd to August 8th, following the Marangu route. This route is a total of around 80km and is known for being the only trail that has physical huts for climbers. 

The schedule is as follows:

Day 1: Arrive at Kilimanjaro National Airport and rest at the hotel.

Day 2: 1-hour drive to Kilimanjaro National Park and sign in. After that, an easy 9km trek over a course of 3-4 hours across a rainforest to Mandara Hut camp.

Day 3: An 11km trek from Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut camp over the course of 6-7 hours, with great views as we ascend into the moorlands.

Day 4: Training day (or Acclimatization day). We will adapt to the high altitude by taking a trek to Zebra rocks (4037 meters above sea level) before going back, for a total of 2 hours. We will see interesting indigenous plant species.

Day 5: A 9.6km trek, about 6-7 hours, we will pass through an alpine desert, called "the saddle", scattered with rocks and ash that are remnants of Mt Kilimanjaro's volcanic history.

Day 6: Summit day. Climbers will start their ascent at midnight using headlamps to climb all the way up to Uhuru Peak at 5895m above sea level. Along the way, we will pass by two landmarks, Bismarck Towers and Rebmann Glaciers. After the summit, we will descend all the way back down to the Horombo Hut.

Day 7: Descend and celebrate at the hotel.

Days 8-10: Safari (Additional details to be announced).

Lastly, Atlas also shares a quote that inspires his view on travel and adventure:

“Yes, you need money to survive in retirement, but the main thing you'll be retiring on will be your memories—so make sure you invest enough in those." - Bill Perkins.

Atlas believes that experiences pay "memory dividends," meaning meaningful adventures continue to provide value every time you reminisce on them.

SMAF

by Chelsea Cao ‘28

SMAF is an arts and music festival where different bands gather together to perform. This festival gives students a chance to show their talent in singing, instruments, and dance. From student-led rock bands to dance groups performing K-pop, SMAF showcases the many ways students can express themselves at St. Mark’s School. 

The music lineup has a great variety of performances. SpooodBeast performed songs such as “Disorder” by Joy Division, “Where Is My Mind” by Pixies, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show, and “Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors. The Idealists brought us the performance “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are” by Nirvana, “Black” by Pearl Jam, and “Nutshell” by Alice in Chains. Hawaiian Steak performed “Who Knows” and “Japanese Denim” by Daniel Caesar, “Kiss of Life” by Sade, “A Couple Minutes” by Olivia Dean, and “Amazing” by Rex Orange County. Other performers include Jamie Eslick, who played “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan, and Jamie Eslick, Malachi Robinson, and Harry Shin, who performed “Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Angus Eslick, Mr. Parks, and Mr. Eslick also performed “My Name is Mud” by Primus, while Radiotoes played “Creep” by Radiohead. Charlotte, Addie, and Kayda performed “The One that Got Away” by Katy Perry.  Besides live bands, we also have the dance group Dancing Lions, who brought us a performance of “Illusion” by Aespa. 

What makes SMAF special is that students get together to support each other, teachers can also get in on the action or cheer from the audience, and performers have an opportunity to share what they have practiced and care about. For many students, performing in front of peers can be nerve-racking, but SMAF provides a supportive environment that turns nervousness into excitement.