“Dad, promise me you will come back with me and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.” A simple sentence uttered nearly two years ago by Blair Abelson was all the incentive that her dad, Lee Abelson, needed.

On Friday, Mr. Abelson and his 27-year old son, Scott, and 21-year old Blair were set to fly to Nairobi, Kenya, before taking a bus to Arusha, Tanzania, to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Blair spent four months studying in Nairobi during the fall of 2005. While there, she made the phone call and asked her dad to come back with her and climb the mountain.

Mr. Abelson says, “She didn’t overtly challenge me, but it was not something I could ignore either. She knew I would be intrigued by the request.”

When asked if this might just be Blair’s way of getting dad to pay for another trip to Africa, Mr. Abelson said, “You know, she’s very good at things like that.”

“Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is not as much a physical challenge as it is an acclimatization challenge,” said Mr. Abelson. “You start from a rain forest and end up in sub-zero temperatures. The mountain rises to 19,340 feet above sea level. Most people who attempt the climb do not make it because of the lack of oxygen.”

“We are taking the longer route up, just to give us an extra day to acclimate to the lack of oxygen,” he said.

While the climb is not physically demanding and requires no mountaineering skills, it is recommended that climbers be physically fit, said Mr. Abelson. Mr. Abelson and his son are avid cyclists. Scott lives in Atlanta and rides often, as does Mr. Abelson. Several times each year they are able to ride together. Blair also stays fit by jogging, riding and working out.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano in northeastern Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world, rising 15,000 feet from its base. At 19,340 feet, it is the highest peak in Africa.

The Abelsons will begin their climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro next Wednesday. They have chosen the 7-day route to help acclimate themselves to the lack of oxygen. They will be climbing four to six hours per day and sleeping in tents at night. They have hired a private guide and a support crew to lead them to the summit.

Mr. Abelson said his wife decided that spending seven nights on a mountain in Africa was not her idea of a good time, so she is staying home.