If you’re ready to tackle the adventure of a lifetime, now is your chance. Perry Sugarman, owner and founder of PJS Challenges, is ready to take you to some of the most spectacular places on earth and, best of all, he’s already taken care of all your kashrut and shomer Shabbat needs.
For the last 15 years Sugarman has led hundreds of Orthodox Jews to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Ben Nevis and beyond. It’s the only company of its kind that boasts mobile kosher kitchens, facilities and lodges in 14 countries from Tanzania to the Arctic Circle. With rabbinical support and mashgiachs who are always on hand to make sure that all cooking and preparations are done in accordance with the most stringent kashrut standards, PJS Challenges is available year round to travel to some of earth’s most spectacular places. “We offer a full package for religious Jews,” said Sugarman, “from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.
“Our mission statement is that we believe everybody should have the opportunity to go to the most amazing places in the world and to offer this to a demographic that has never really had the opportunity to experience once-in-a-lifetime adventures. There is no other company that can offer that to religious Jews. The reason that religious Jews don’t do it is purely because of the kashrut and the Shabbos element of these trips. And we have got that covered.”
With over 20 different adventures around the world in 14 different countries PJS Challenges offers something for everyone.
Known all over the world for its Mount Kilimanjaro adventures, PJS Challenges offers climbers a few different options for summiting the mountain. Climbers arrive at camp early on Friday afternoons where an eruv and special lighting have been set up.
“We know what we’re doing and we get a lot of pleasure and a lot of pride in that,” said Sugarman. Our crew have been working with Jewish groups for years now and are well aware of all the intricacies in dealing with a religious group.
“We’re a very well-known crew on the mountain and one of the only crews on the mountain that has special permission from the local authorities to light candles for Shabbat. All food is prepared beforehand and we have an amazing, fantastic day of rest.”
Sugarman explained that having this day of rest is a huge benefit to climbing the mountain because it actually serves as an acclimatization day. “Our clients have a much better chance of a successful summit being on a shomer Shabbos trip.”
If you do go to Tanzania and you don’t do safari then, according to Sugarman, “you have wasted the most valuable opportunity … because safari in Tanzania is, by far, the best in the world. It’s the only place in the world where you have the natural migration of animals. It’s so completely spectacular.”
Enjoying outstanding accommodations at luxury camps, explorers are bound to be surrounded by tens of thousands of animals including wildebeests, zebras and giraffes.
While the Himalaya region is a well-traveled place, it has not been popular with observant Jews, Sugraman explained, because of the difficulties keeping kosher and observing Shabbat. However, PJS Challenges has emerged as the only crew to solve those logistics, affording that demographic the opportunity of a lifetime in that locale, with adventures to Everest Base Camp and Island Peak in Nepal.
PJS Challenges are graded according to technical difficulty on a scale of 1 to 6. “All of our trips have a wide range of physical activity and involvement.” With over 100 summits under his belt, Sugarman said, “we bring an extra element of safety and personal service to the trip and we really help take care of the whole group.”
If you’re looking for the perfect place to start, try the Maasai Trail, which takes you on a magnificent trek through the African bush, from the Great Rift Valley to the foothills of the Crater Highlands. A climb up Mount Kenya or a trek through the Sahara Desert is a great option, too.
PJS Challenges also offers a climb up Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. As the second-highest of the seven summits, this challenge has participants climbing up 7,000 meters for 16 days with a leader/guide ratio of 1:3.
At 4,167 meters high, Mount Toubkal is a T4 level climb and perfect for those looking for “a challenging yet rewarding trek … with a reasonable level of fitness.”
For those looking for something a little less strenuous, PJS Challenges’ bespoke “Northern Exposure” adventure in Norway is an excellent trip for people of all ages. Travelers arrive in Tromsø, located about 350 kilometers from the inside of the Arctic Circle, where seeing the Northern Lights, husky sledding, and a stay at the Ice Dome Hotel are just some of the attractions on the typical itinerary.
Sugarman wants to encourage people who think they may not be capable of doing some of these adventures to get out there and do it. “Most people are far more capable than what they think they are. Once they put their mind to an adventure like this, they realize just how capable they are of doing many other things.”
For more information or to book your adventure visit https://www.pjschallenges.com/ or call 347-457-3876
By Ronit Mershon
