I DID IT!

Wow, what a trip! I met some amazing people and made it to Kilimanjaro’s summit despite the worst weather conditions for years - so a huge bucket list tick and raising a few £k for Alzheimer's Society in the process makes it extra worthwhile.

Thanks to everyone that’s supported me, it's greatly appreciated.

Our trek started in sunshine and warmth on 19 February and got gradually colder and cloudier as we got higher – thankfully no rain!

The night before our planned ascent, less than 5% of climbers summitted and our conditions were very similar: constant fierce winds, snow and temperatures below -10oC.

My group’s senior guide was close to pulling our attempt but let us decide. One person chose not to risk it and two turned back within the first hour, leaving five of us and four guides.

Progress was slow but steady as we followed the path up, up and more up, often having to scramble up stretches of slippery boulders, always having to lean into the wind or prepare to be hit by it when emerging from a sheltered bit.

Our surroundings soon became totally white and the thick cloud meant we rarely saw the full moon. When the clouds did break the views were stunning (ribbons of headtorches behind us and town lights beneath) and scary (long, steep drops not far away).

The higher we got the worse the visibility became and we all focused solely on the feet of the person in front of us.

We all reached Stellar Point at 07:05 on Sunday – the thick cloud meant no sunrise was visible. After a cup of sweet tea and brushing off patches of crusted ice from our clothing, we continued up and reached the summit at 08:20. Again, no views just surrounded by a white/grey fog and the famous sign covered in thick ice that we couldn’t remove.

Not much time for photos etc as our guide wanted to start the descent asp and we were back at camp by 12 noon. A quick turnaround then we continued our descent to the next campsite and, on Monday, completed the trek with a 6-hour descent down a slippery, muddy path to the National Park gate.

A truly unforgettable experience, packed with many fond memories that still haven’t really sunk in.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Why I did it...

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is an ambition I’ve had for many years and I'm thrilled to have achieved it, albeit in much tougher conditions than I envisaged.

I did it in memory of my dad, Brian, who climbed a few peaks in his time, Michele’s mum, Anne, and my mum’s cousin, Leslie. They all lived with Alzheimer’s in their later years, and Alzheimer’s Society provided valuable support to mum when looking after dad.

All funds raised go to the charity as I've paid all costs.

* At 5,895 meters (19,340 feet or 3.7 miles) it's Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s largest free-standing mountain.

* The success rate for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro varies for each route. The average across all routes is approx 65%. Five of my group of eight people summitted (62.5%).

* The Lemosho Route takes six days to get to the top and two days down.

* It goes through five distinct ecological zones to the top: Bushland Zone, Rainforest Zone, Moorland Zone, Alpine Zone and Arctic Zone.

* Weather conditions range from tropical/semi-temperate near the base to ice and rock at the Arctic Zone summit - categorized as “extreme”.