I’m Tom, and I recently returned from the Kilimanjaro trek with Choose a Challenge. Spoiler alert: I didn’t make it to the summit, but despite that, every second of the challenge was part of a life-changing experience!

Choosing the challenge

I knew a few people who had already climbed Kilimanjaro, and each said that it was the hardest, but most rewarding experience, of their life. I couldn’t hear those stories and not feel inspired to want that kind of experience for myself, rather than filtered through someone else’s photos and memories.

It was the best decision I’ve ever made; it was an insane, outstanding experience in every way imaginable.

And that experience began even before I’d stepped foot in Tanzania.

I’m not a mountaineer. I have no background in climbing. And, naturally, I was nervous. Any time you go into the unknown, your mind runs through all the things that might go wrong. I was particularly scared that I wasn’t going to be able to summit.

Then, as I learned more about Kili, I began to worry about the Barranco Wall, which you have to tackle at the start of the day you make a summit attempt. Considered the most difficult part of the climb, it’s the steepest 257 metres of the route to the summit. You have to scramble up it, and at one point has a ledge so narrow it’s known as the kissing rock or hugging rock — you have no choice but to get close!

But, another spoiler, the Barranco Wall was at the heart of my favourite memories of the challenge.

First-class support, all the way

We all owe a lot to the support and training we all got. Throughout the year, from fundraising advice to physical preparations, Choose a Challenge was with us for every step. And that was the same for everyone, from our first enquiries to the moment we arrived back in the UK, we were incredibly well looked after at every stage.

The experience in Tanzania was top-notch, too. Even the little moments, like having someone waiting outside arrivals to collect us at the airport and check us in at the hotel, made sure we all knew that although it was a personal challenge, we were not doing it alone.

That exceptional support was vital on the mountain itself, and part of what made it such an incredible, unforgettable experience. And this is where my spoilers are explained: I was unlucky, and began suffering from acute mountain sickness (AMS).

Although relatively mild, it slowed me down on my climb, and meant that I wasn’t sleeping well. We had guides and doctors with us all the time, and for me, that made all the difference. The support I had meant that I didn’t have to give up. The guides were there to help by carrying the load — physically and mentally — and with advice and encouragement. I have to give special mention to Denis, who definitely got me through some tough moments. 

Even more important, though, was the medical support, checking on my AMS symptoms and condition, and giving me the assurance that I could continue because I knew they would not take a risk with my — or anyone’s — health or safety.

Nearing the summit

The day of our summit attempt is the memory that will stick with me vividly for the rest of my life. That was the day when I saw why everyone who’d told me about climbing Kili was so passionate about the experience. And it was the day when I realised that my previous fears were not what would define my challenge.

On the morning we were due to attempt the Barranco Wall, I was struggling. The AMS meant I’d slept badly, so although I got the go-ahead, I decided to set off twenty minutes ahead of the others. I thought I’d be slower, so everyone else would catch up with me about half-way up the wall.

I was dead wrong. Despite all my fears before we got there, and all my worries about AMS, it felt like an unknown force flew me up the wall!

It gave me the greatest experience of my whole trip. Once at the top, the next stop was Crater Camp, where we were due to have lunch. But I turned down the offer to go ahead so I could wait for the rest of the group. I wanted to cheer them on and congratulate them all.

It meant I had about half-an-hour to myself. And it was the most incredibly special time. We so rarely take even a moment to ourselves to savour where we are, what we are doing, and what we have accomplished; now, I had that time.

It was half-an-hour to let it all sink in, to consider my journey and the experiences I’d had getting there, to think and soul-search. And I could do all that two-and-a-half kilometres above sea-level soaking in the utterly majestic views and surroundings Kilimanjaro gives you.

An unforgettable experience

I realised that, despite conquering the Barranco Wall, the AMS would mean I wouldn’t be able to summit. But, oddly, that didn’t matter anymore. When I saw the first member of my group crest over the false summit of the wall, I was ecstatic, leaping to my feet to cheer them on and share the experience together. It was one of those special moments, when you can physically feel the emotion.

I got that same feeling again when the group returned from the summit after their attempt. For me, sharing those moments with the whole group was worth more than summiting. I know that my words cannot do it justice; just as I now realise what my friends had told me before was only a partial insight into their experiences.

I might not have made it to the roof of Africa, but I made it to the top shelf, and that in itself is special. But, looking back, the experiences I had and shared, and the memories I will always carry, are the real pinnacle of my Kilimanjaro experience.