A Trek for the Planet

It was the evening of 22nd September. Most of us had arrived at Kilimanjaro airport and were being briefed on what was to come over the next 8 days as we attempted to take on the largest mountain in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro.

If anxiety wasn’t high enough already, the safety talks, last minute kit check and discussion from the guides and doctor on what symptoms people often experience at high altitude definitely started to get people on edge. With one last night in a cosy bed, everyone FaceTimed their loved ones and capitalised on a good nights sleep before leaving behind our home comforts and any form of communication over the next week.

In the morning, it was a two hour drive to the base of the mountain and after a quick detour to pick up our final participant who had just landed, we had some food before embarking on the Lemosho route - A Trek for the Planet had officially started!

Everyone was pumped on adrenaline and the trek wasn’t too difficult to begin with. At a relatively good pace, the team of 25 started to bond with each other as well as building rapport with the porters and guides that were supporting the group, learning some of the Swahili lingo, primarily “Pole Pole” to make sure the group took it ‘slowly slowly’ as we started to ascend the mountain.

Trekking through the rainforest was amazing with some great landscapes and we were surrounded by wildlife. Throughout the day the climate was warm and comfortable and the mountain was definitely luring us into a false sense of security because as soon as the sun set, we started to feel the night chill, which we were repeatedly reminded would only get worse the higher we climbed.

Swapping bed and duvet for yoga mat and sleeping bag, we got accustomed to the sleeping set up for the nights ahead and were paired together in tents which were extremely tight on space for two people already, let alone needing to squeeze in our gear and boots. Whilst most managed to adapt to the new sleeping setup, a few found it harder than others, especially some of the group who were experiencing camping for the first time in their lives; which wasn’t helped by some of the insanely loud snorers... who will remain anonymous.

Day two started early at 6am but we were treated to a hot breakfast, with the team fuelling up on eggs, toast and some questionable porridge. It was only a ~5 mile hike but there were a lot of ups and downs as the acclimatisation process had started and we were constantly told “sippy sippy” to remind us to keep drinking water to help with the altitude and hydration as we reached ~3,500m.

Heading into camp was breathtaking as it was the first time we actually saw Kilimanjaro in its full glory - what we were all here to try and conquer. Morale was high and camaraderie across the group was growing with some of us taking advantage of the short day trekking by introducing the team to a few games of double tap before the sun set and then winding down by playing cards in the mess tent.

After a relatively good sleep, it was another early 6am start as we had a longer journey to reach the next camp. Everyone was still in good spirits which was reinforced by our energising warm up routine before we started the trek - yoga and dancing, led by the guides and their rendition of Jambo Bwana to get us all reared up for the day. After walking about 6 miles, the group arrived at the next camp in high spirits and settled down for the night.

It was another early start on day four which I think was more for getting us accustomed to earlier wake ups in preparation for the summit night rather than needing to capitalise on the available sunlight hours for trekking. I think most would say they found this day the hardest as we trekked to our next camp via lava tower, our highest point yet at 4,500m.

Headaches started to kick in for most of us at we felt the effects of altitude and some of those that weren’t already, now started to take Diamox in order to try and combat the symptoms from worsening. Once at camp, after a few pictures of the stunning views and another amazing feast cooked up for the group by the chefs, most of us tried to get an early night due to the long day and to see if a good nights sleep would help ease the sore heads.

Day five was an even earlier wake up call around 5am. This time the rationale was to beat the foot traffic as the first part of the day involved scaling a cliff face where you literally had to hug the wall, moving in single file, which was extremely slow due to the narrow path and caution that needed to be taken. One wrong step here could lead to serious injury or worse, with this section being the most dangerous part of the Lemosho route. After the climb and emerging through the clouds, the views got even better and you could start to realise just how high you were. The end was in sight and despite fatigue starting to kick in, we were getting closer to our target.

The penultimate day before the summit was a short trek. Morale was still relatively high but nerves were starting to increase as people realised the hardest part of the climb was upon us and we were all dreading the midnight wake up call. Arriving early at the campsite, we took it easy, played some cards and refuelled with another decent meal. We were advised to get an early night so we could start the climb at midnight but I don’t think anyone was able force much sleep, especially with all the adrenaline and nerves.

Day seven, or was it night? The final leg of the trek. Pitch black, freezing cold and tiredness didn’t make for a positive start to the climb as people put on 5+ layers of clothing and struggled out their tents just before midnight. Slowly but surely, we all started to gradually scale the mountain in the dark. Typically we were a loud group, with constant chatting and singing but this morning was a lot quieter. Whether people were mentally psyching themselves up or visualising their first cold beer or hot shower in 8 days, the group were focussed and in the zone. Our pace was good but altitude really started to take its toll on the team, with some losing balance, struggling for breath and one person being advised to turn back with one of the guides.

Although I like to believe I’m an optimist, before the trek I anticipated one or two people (myself included) not being able to reach the summit due to uncontrollable circumstances such as altitude sickness, physical injuries or just simple statistics (typically there is a ~90% success rate on this route). This feeling was reaffirmed on the morning of the summit where I thought it was close to impossible that we would all make it due to seeing some of the effects of altitude take its toll on the group: dizziness, headaches, confusion, fatigue etc.

However, a combination of the sheer dedication across the group combined with the phenomenal support and positivity from the local guides carried us all through. Once we reached Stellar Point, the end was in sight and there was no way anyone was backing out now with just a few hundred metres and about 150ft in altitude to go. With less than half an hour left to reach the top of the mountain, we all gradually made our way to the iconic sign, starting out as a team of 25 and reaching the end as a team of 25. The feeling of elevation (no pun intended), pride and joy was overwhelming. We had all made it to the top!

Despite the huge achievement, it wasn’t quite over yet; we had to get down the mountain. We descended for a couple of hours before getting to camp. This was our final night in a tent! Although everyone was exhausted after the long day, energy was high as people were still buzzing from the summit and after a well deserved meal and one last rendition of Jambo Bwana, people hit the hay in preparation for our final day trekking.

The final day descending the mountain was tough. Whether it was the early wake up call (again), the reduced adrenaline from no peak to look forward to, or the build up of fatigue from the 8 days of hiking and poor sleep, people were just ready to get back to civilisation. Descending Mount Kilimanjaro may sound easier and although our bodies felt fitter the further down the mountain we got, the impact on our knees and feet was intense, and some of us (me included) were really starting to wish that we had brought walking poles. After a scenic but tough walk down, there was no better feeling than reaching the bottom and realising we were only a short drive away to our hotel. I don’t know what felt better, the cold well deserved beer at the base of the mountain, or taking off my walking boots for the last time!

Everyone had their own reasons for signing up and each person was determined to conquer this challenge we had all set ourselves. I am proud to be a part of this fantastic group of people, achieving 100% success in summiting the famous roof of Africa.

Aside from the personal challenge, it brought 25 colleagues closer together, improving connectivity across the firm, and collectively we raised over $32,000 for three worthy climate related charities: WWF, The Ocean Cleanup and Rainforest Alliance.

It's impossible to put into words or pictures just how incredible of an experience it was, and whilst you have to be there to really see it and feel it for yourselves, hopefully this video is a close second best.

#ATrekForThePlanet #mountkilimanjaro #climatechange #charity #WWF #theoceancleanup #rainforestalliance