On the 28th February 2013 at 8.40am I did it, I summited Mt Kilimanjaro! I must admit it was the hardest, most emotional experience of my life but also one of the most amazing.
I have raised an incredible £4,847.79 for Build Africa with your generosity - there is still time to sponsor me if you haven't done so already by clicking here. If it wasn't for the wonderful Ben Ogden whom this climb was dedicated to there were a couple of points where I simply wanted to sit on a rock and give up, but I wanted the photo with him at the summit even more!
Our trek was organised through Discover Adventure whom I highly recommend if anyone wants to go on an epic adventure. All 30 of us 'novices' were met at Heathrow by our incredible leaders Dave Matthews and Dom Rudd and our wonderful Doctor Freyja Brown. Without whom I don't think any of us would have made it to summit!
Our trek was 6 days long, day 2 was my killer day! The altitude sickness kicked in, headaches so violent I could hardly see but as soon as it passes... it's gone - with a little help from some magic pills I was given by doc! The terrain was so beautiful, from rainforest, to plains to alien world! The fact you were above cloud level pretty quickly was quite surreal too. The views were to die for, the Barranco wall of day 3 an incredible challenge, and the laughs and giggles priceless.
We were also supported by an incredible ground crew - all 90 of them! Our lead guide Whitey and my personal guide for summit night Aristide were just fabulous, we had endless Christmas songs to keep us going, I owe Aristide a pair of shoes after being sick all over his on summit night and how the porters, cooks, toilet boys, tent guys, guides and of course our ambulance man Michael (he carried the huge medical kit everywhere) made our trek seemless was faultless. You can only imagine how they managed to feed and water all of us on a mountain with 2 burners! Yup - I still can't imagine it.
My fellow team mates will all be friends for life, Brian brought his Olympic Torch all the way to the summit, the first one on Kili! Jaqui was my partner in toilet crime, altitude does wonders for clearing your bladder at the most inappropriate of places. John adopted my camera on the days when I didn't have the energy to get it out of its case! Katie, my fab tent buddy and earplug lifesaver - we did have a couple of epic snorers - no names!!! There are too many inspirational people to mention in person here, just know there is no way I could have done this without them all. Last but not least - our wonderful Benon Banya. Benon so tragically died on our last summit walk. It was a traumatic experience for all, it did make our summit bittersweet but we were all so proud to have met Benon, to have spent time with him, got to know him and to have climbed Kilimanjaro with him.
Summit, yes the summit! I knew it was going to be hard but nothing can quite prepare you for it. We were woken at midnight (after a day of walking) and in the pitch black with our high vis jackets started the long plod to the summit. The only way I can start to describe it to you was that it felt like walking with concrete boots on, with the flu, after drinking a bottle of whiskey and a plastic bag tied over your head. The last 40 minutes from Stella Point are truly horrific, I was just trying to stop myself from passing out - so thankfully Aristide had the kindness to grab my camera otherwise I may well have forgotten to get those all important photos at the top!!! Talking of photos, those that know me well, know I like my photos! I do have an album so if you click here you can take a look at them (i've edited them down don't worry!)
In all it's very hard to try and sum up my experience, it's definitely life changing. Africa is the most wonderful country, it has tested me to my limits, i've found hidden strength I never knew I had and confidence to go for things you never thought possible. As a person you realise that even when you take yourself out of your comfort zone, forgo materialistic items, don't eat, push your body, see tragedy unfold in front of you and a meteor shower the sky with light - anything is possible when you have your friends and family beside you, behind you, in front of you, supporting you all the way. Thank you to everyone who made this journey one I will never forget. And to Kilimanjaro - maximum respect x
Wow......how can anyone follow that?
ReplyDeleteTruly remarkable and so brave.
Catherine.......maximum respect.
Truly inspiring Catherine, well done to you and the rest of your amazing team.
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