This week’s Sunday Spotlight features the amazing Vicky, who shares the story of an adventure of a lifetime – and one that helped raise crucial funds for our life-saving work.
By Vicky Weston (Fundraiser)
Earlier this year I set myself a challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5895m above sea level. There was no other reason than I’d already be in Tanzania on safari, so what else could I do while I was there? Well, climb a mountain obviously! I had a long debate with myself about my fitness, the altitude, camping, and could I really do it? I took the plunge and booked in January, then spent the rest of the year training – hill hikes, gym and lots of walking. Spare time was spent planning, as well as researching gear that I’d need – it took over my life!
On 5th September I headed off on the biggest adventure of my life! I met my seven fellow climbers in Tanzania and then we were off with four guides and 26 porters to carry our tents, gear, food, toilet (yes, we had a toilet tent) and everything else (including the kitchen sink!). The team was amazing and there is no way could we have done it without them. They put our tents up, took them down, fed and watered us and looked after us completely.
The days were warm, but the nights were absolutely freezing, even with the thickest sleeping bag and every item of clothing on! It was a six-day hike to our base camp at 4720m. I’d chosen a daytime summit and set off in the dark at 5am under a starry sky – with the twinkly lights of the nighttime climbers ahead near the top. We were rewarded with a stunning sunrise above the clouds. So far so good, and I felt quite confident. But before I knew it, it became the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life – the altitude hit, and it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other and breathe. There were moments where I thought ‘I can’t do this’ but I’m stubborn and couldn’t bear the thought of not making the summit. I could see the final peak ahead of me, and the thought of the funds raised for Harmless & the Tomorrow Project helped push me through the pain to the summit.
After nine hours of hiking I was standing on the Roof of Africa, sobbing with the effort and emotion of it. But Lady Kilimanjaro had welcomed me and she was absolutely stunning – a once in a lifetime challenge, never to be repeated.
The whole Harmless and Tomorrow Project team sends heartfelt thanks to Vicky for her amazing support and huge congratulations on her incredible achievement! If you would like to donate to Vicky’s fundraiser, you can still do so via the button below.
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