Jeff Belanger’s latest book, The Call of Kilimanjaro: Finding Hope Above the Clouds, was published March 9 by Imagine, a division of Charlesbridge Publishing.

After losing his brother-in-law Chris to cancer, Belanger made the decision to summit Mount Kilimanjaro as a testament to his memory. But this experience was just as much to test himself and find clarity about his own life and goals. The Call of Kilimanjaro is a day-by-day record including dozens of stunning full-color photographs of Belanger’s ascent to the peak of Africa’s highest mountain.

“For me this journey was as much spiritual as it was physical,” said Belanger, who grew up in Newtown. “After losing Chris, and facing my own mid-life, I wanted to challenge myself and take on something big. This African experience changed my life. I came home a better man. I’m thrilled to share my story with others.”

By turns contemplative and irreverent, joyful and thoughtful, this is a 224-page memoir for the armchair traveler and those seeking spiritual refreshment. By example, Belanger teaches readers to take stock of their accomplishments, eye the lofty goals they have placed in front of themselves, and push higher than they have ever dared, turning an honest eye toward past, present, and future, through the end of life and beyond.

Josh Gates, explorer, author, and host of Expedition Unknown on Discovery, said it was his journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro that opened him to a life of adventure. Reading Belanger’s latest release, he said, “brought me right back to the slopes of that magical mountain.

“This is an honest and affirming tale of embracing the unknown and of the transformative power of nature,” Gates continued. “Jeff’s journey is an invitation to all of us to get outside our comfort zone, see the world, and let it change us.”

Belanger climbed Mt Kilimanjaro as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team in Training program. A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to benefit LLS.

“When I started to raise money for LLS in conjunction with my Kilimanjaro climb, I set my personal fundraising goal at $19,341 — or one dollar for every foot of altitude to Kilimanjaro’s peak,” said Belanger. “I fell short, raising just over $17,000. With some of the proceeds from this book, I intend to complete that challenge.”

Belanger will be providing a series of multimedia programs based on his new book for libraries, theaters, corporations, and other venues in the coming months. Visit jeffbelanger.com for a complete listing.

Belanger is an author, adventurer, journalist, and one of the most visible explorers of the unexplained. He is also the Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and the weekly New England Legends podcast.

He has been a guest on hundreds of television and radio networks and programs, including History, Travel Channel, the former Biography channel, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, BBC, and Coast to Coast AM.

He and his family live near Boston, Mass.