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ISSUE № 7, JAN 2018
Dave Climbs KILI !
Trinbagonian and Oil and Gas Attorney at Law Dave Samaroo, currently working
in Qatar, recently climbed Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, the tallest mountain in Africa at
19,341 feet. In continuing to push his limits he professed “It was the hardest thing
he ever did.” He endured 10 days and cold nights of trekking up to and camping
on the mountain in temperatures that reached as low as minus - 18 Celsius. The
journey starts from a tropical rain forest climate at the base and ends in Arctic
Circle landscape at the summit complete with towering glaciers, snow and
ice. “You are above the clouds.” Dave got the motivation to do this when his mother died of kidney failure, following years of battling rheumatoid
arthritis. The aim was to do something in her memory. Her photo accompanied him to the top and he has since pledged $1 to charity for every foot
climbed. He was also able to take up a small “guitalele” with him and entertained the other
climbers and the Tanzanian porters at the campsites in what became known as the “Dave con-
certs”. He was the sole male climber in his group with the others being from a female group
from out of the United States. He led the group in singing songs of peace and love such as Bob
Marley’s “One Love” and Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” causing all to break into sponta-
neous dancing despite the freezing temperatures and signs of altitude sickness. He was most
proud to wave the Trinidad and Tobago flag. It required some intense training to get to this
point. With less than two months before the climb, he used his office building and Qatar parks to train for the climb. “The first time I went up the
stairs in the office I had to stop on the 12 th floor. I was out of breath and my knees were in pain.” Being now thankful for the motivation his mother
gave him he is ever so grateful to God for health and strength. Dave now weighs 10 pounds less and admiring the lines in his stomach. His advice
is “ If you don’t like the gym; try a mountain!”.
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