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Origin Story
Eddie Frank
As a young boy growing up in Africa, Eddie Frank spent his childhood immersed in the African bush. He dreamed of wild animals and the sounds of nature, and yearned for the thrill of adventure.
Eddie’s father spun tales of audacious explorers conquering wild frontiers. At the age of six his grandfather gave him a world atlas which set his heart ablaze with the passion of discovery and adventure.
First Kilimanjaro Expedtion
On his first expedition across Africa in 1977 he found his true calling on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. Back then, the idea of climbing Kilimanjaro was a novel one, and very few people climbed the mountain, unlike today. But Eddie saw something special in climbing the mountain – a once in a lifetime challenge for adventurous travelers, and he discovered and incredible feeling of euphoria that was insatiable. He has since led 54 climbs up Kilimanjaro.
An Atlas
And a Dream
Eddie Frank’s adventures across Africa were legendary, a wild and untamed odyssey that took him to the most remote and untrammeled corners of the continent. He dined with the cannibal Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Empire, floated trucks down the Congo, guided animal safaris in the wilds of Zambia, and uncovered ancient astronomical sites in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Once, he spent three weeks in the Sahara sitting out a coup by the Nigerian army
In 2004, on his 23rd climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, Eddie Frank met Amy, a seasoned outdoor guide and mountaineer who had dedicated much of her life to leading adventurers through the Canada’s wilderness. It was a meeting of like-minded souls, and soon their shared passion for the wild and the unknown brought them together.
Eddie and Amy were a formidable team, and set their sights on new continents and new adventures. They scouted new treks that pushed the boundaries of personal discovery. They understood that true adventure is about new discoveries and the camaraderie emerges from challenging yourself in foreign lands.
Amy Frank
A Guide Supreme
For 38 years, Amy has roamed the wilderness, scaling mountains with the rugged grace of a true wildcat. Long before she crossed paths with Eddie, she had already made a name for herself as a seasoned climber. And beyond the Kilimanjaro, she’s guided treks through the Himalayas, in Bhutan, Nepal and across the vast steppes of Mongolia. She was also a vital co-creator of Tusker Trail’s High Altitude First Responder course for Tusker’s Kilimanjaro guides.
But Amy’s talents don’t stop at the summit. As an authority on nutrition, she collaborated with the Culinary Institute of America, crafting our famed Kilimanjaro recipes in Tusker’s Adventure Kitchen.
The Legacy of Adventure
Step back in time and scroll through Tusker’s Legacy Timeline. Learn about a young Eddie Frank in 1977 as he embarked on his first audacious expedition across Africa. Over the years he and Amy have forged new adventures around the world, raising millions for charity on Kilimanjaro climbs and chasing solar eclipses across the globe. Adventure runs deep in Tusker’s DNA. Eddie and Amy have infused this spirit of exploration into every one of Tusker’s journeys.
Welcome to Adventure TV, where Tusker Trail’s passion for adventure is captured in every frame. Here you’ll discover the gritty, raw footage of our hard-driving expeditions across the African wilderness, dating back to the mid-1970s.
These films document the evolution of Tusker’s adventure craft over the decades, culminating in the present-day thrill of our international trekking expeditions. Follow us as we reveal the rugged, sandy, and muddy world of overland adventure, and witness how we’ve crafted our adventure reputation.Tusker Trail’s origins are deeply ingrained in Eddie’s wild and adventurous childhood spent in the African wilderness. It was during his first breathtaking expedition to Africa in 1977 that Tusker Trail truly came to life. Since then, we have been leading intrepid travelers on journeys that ignite the soul and awaken the spirit. Our worldwide treks are the culmination of Eddie and Amy’s lifetime pursuits.
They have meticulously crafted every detail of our expeditions to ensure that you too can experience the life-changing thrill that has driven them for so long. Eddie began Tusker Trail on a whim, and it consumed him. So we dare you to step out of your comfort zone and join us on a Tusker Trail trek, where the exhilaration and passion will take your breath away.