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Many thanks for your interest.......

As a personal challenge to myself, and to raise money for charity,I have for some time,fancied an amble up Mount Kilimanjaro!!

As many of you will know, I have had to keep postponing  plans due to personal and family commitments....but at last, have taken the plunge and now no going back!

In choosing my charity, I suppose I wanted to raise money for an organisation which reaches out to people living in circumstances which we just can't imagine....and having wanted to do some voluntary work overseas for a number of years, felt that this was perhaps the next best option at present.

So...Oxfam it is!

All money raised will go directly to Oxfam's East Africa Food Crisis Appeal, where over 23 million people in the region are facing critical shortages of food and water - just basic commodities which we take for granted!

I will be flying out to Tanzania on February 5th, and starting the trek on the 7th. I'm doing it with an organisation called Discover Adventure, who organise the challenge for 30 people, some who may be doing it just as a personal challenge for themselves, and others who will be raising money for a whole range of charities.

I know no one, but that's part of the fun of it too....! A group Facebook account and E-mail account has been set up by Discover Adventure so there has been a little communication between a few of us...but that's it!

As for the trek itself, I just can't wait. I'm really looking forward to treking through the different climate zones (30 degrees C at the bottom, and  about minus 20 at the top!).....but have to say, am a tad worried about the altitude sickness. Would hate not to be able to get right to the top!! (Diamox medication prescribed by GP to guard against it.... wuss, I know!)

And the gear.......shorts at the bottom, and thermals at the top!! I knew those battery heated socks I had for watching the boys play football would come in handy again!

Most of our stuff is carried up by Tanzanian porters, which seems a bit of a cop out, but I guess gives many local peole some meaningful employment. How fit they must all be!

Well, I could go on for ever, but will leave it at that for now. Perhaps I will update as it gets a bit nearer.

If you are interested in knowing more (and haven't already heard it direct from the horse's mouth), do feel free to drop me a line at Maureen.lindsay@live.co.uk

 

In the meantime, many, many thanks for your support....I really do appreciate it!

 

Maureen

 

26th January

Just a quick update ! I am having a fund raising event this Saturday 30th January.....an Oxfam Lunch at Linton-on-Ouse Village Hall, 11.30am to 2.30pm. Have been up to my eyes in home-made soups and cakes....and don't really want to be left with too much at the end of the day! So please come along if you can....plenty of choice of soups and cakes! Will be having the usual cake stall, tombola and bric-a-brac...so if you have anything you want to clear out, please let me know.

And as for Kili, it seems a bit unreal at the moment....hard to believe I am going next Friday!

A few things still to sort out still....mainly clothing, but otherwise, almost there!

 

Maureen