Electrical Contracting News (ECN) June 2017 | Page 37

CHALLENGE FOR A CAUSE
On reaching Lava
Tower Camp there
was only 17km to go
– but it was all uphill
from there!
summit. Our 70km trip to the Uhuru
Peak began in the lush rainforest of the
Londorossi National Park where the whole
team embarked on the challenging route
towards the summit.
At the beginning of the trek, we were
all slightly nervous and had a lot of time
to think about our personal challenges
ahead of the climb. But we all knew that we
signed up for a great cause which will help
to transform the Hendrie family’s future,
and that was what kept us going as we
climbed the mountain - which stands at a
height of 5,895m.
We had a fantastic team around us
during the challenge, including our guide
Musa, who was always there to reassure us
that we were all capable of succeeding and
told us that there was no reason why we
would not make it to the top.
All eight days of our trek proved to
be very challenging and required a lot
of physical and mental strength as we
climbed both up and down the demanding
terrain. But while we climbed high, we slept
low to ensure that we were all acclimatised
to the surroundings and avoid facing the
difficulties of altitude sickness.
Tinged with trepidation
The views from
the camp sites
were amazing.
The excitement as we neared the summit
was hard to contain but it was tinged
with trepidation as we felt the effects
of altitude sickness and the higher we
climbed, the harder it got, which caused
a lot of apprehension along the way.
Nevertheless, we supported each other
throughout this journey and our medical
team ensured that we were all capable of
getting to the top.
Each day we stayed at very welcoming
camps where we were provided with a
welcoming bowl of hot water for ‘washy
washy’ and a delicious hot meal that
kept our energy levels high for each day’s
challenging climb. The camps were all
fantastic, but our favourite was without a
doubt Barranco Camp due to its sense of
wilderness and spectacular views.
As you might expect, the last day of the
trek was one of the toughest and required
an incredible amount of determination
and strength because as the path to the
summit got tougher, the altitude really
started taking its toll.
Onwards and
upwards…
The final push
The last morning started early with our
usual ’double check, double check’ routine
to ensure we were all prepared for the
final push to the summit via Stella Point.
For many people Stella Point is the
pinnacle of the climb and once the photos
have been taken they are happy to make
their way back down – after all you do get
a certificate for reaching this point. But
All smiles as
the team reach
the summit.
FEATURE
we had made it this far and although the
actual summit (Uhura Peak) was another
arduous 45-minute climb we had gone too
far to turn around now and miss out on the
ultimate goal.
We all knew that we were doing this
for a very important reason and that
we had pictures to t ake and banners to
raise. Therefore, we continued on to our
destination and overcame the demands of
challenging conditions toward the summit
and, with a steep zig-zagging climb over
loose, volcanic scree, we made it to the top!
The overall experience of climbing one
of the tallest mountains in the world was
not an easy task, but it is called Challenge
for a Cause for a reason, and we pushed
beyond our personal boundaries and
successfully reached our goal. It was a
great feeling of achievement knowing
that the personal challenges that we all
overcame on this journey will help the
Hendrie family to overcome theirs.
The euphoria of reaching the summit
of Mount Kilimanjaro was something
that none of us will ever forget. If you are
thinking of taking on a major challenge,
this will be life changing for you and
your life will never be the same in many
positive different ways, just as it has been
for us.
For further information visit:
www.electricalcharity.org
June 2017 | 37