Well, I made it to Uhuru Peak on Kilimanjaro at 5895m. Quite poignant that I had my Scotland flag as Uhuru in Swahili means ‘freedom’ and this was where they came to plant the Tanzanian flag when they got independence in 1962.
But I have to tell you that my own wee march to freedom was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. (Don’t let the picture fool you)
I’ve been told that in a few days/weeks/months I’ll be looking for my next big adventure but at this precise moment, climbing a mountain will NOT be involved.
Unfortunately, I got sick with AMS on day 2 and it liked me so much it didn’t leave me for not only the 8 days following. This meant that not only was I unable to keep any food or water in, I was up all night too with sickness so no sleep on top. As if that wasn’t enough, I had a bad fall on day 3 and landed on my coccyx which you can imagine didn’t help too much on the days ahead of trekking.
But…… I did it. I have no idea how I did it, but I did.
We’re supposed to drink at least 3ltrs of water a day as well as filling up on more food than you could ever normally eat (food was aplenty) and I couldn’t even keep a sip of water in. I’m a walking miracle. A slow-paced walking miracle, but all the same, my wee legs somehow carried me there. Not a clue how I managed it.
That’s not exactly true. I do know how I got there……
The group of 11 amazing people who shared the experience with me and were rooting for me all the way, especially my tent buddy Daira who is now a friend for life, 6 outstanding mountain guides who kept us all safe, with a special mention to my wee angel Godfrey who was with me every step of the way and got me to the summit, 37 porters who looked after us, carrying bags, pitching tents, cooking food and everything else they do for so very little, the hundreds of messages of love & support from friends, family & everyone else out there who took time to wish me well and donate to the cause, the 2 stars hanging from my ears, the St Christopher around my neck and the angel in my pocket, loved ones who are no longer with us but I’m sure were looking down on me, and my sheer bloody-mindedness, a quality which I’m sure annoys the shit out of everyone who knows me sometimes. It sure came in handy.
Yes, I felt like shit. It was so hard. Sickness, fatigue, pain, lowest levels of energy ever, low mood, frustration, exhaustion…. It goes on. But these are all symptoms people living with MS suffer from, sometimes on a daily basis. So, now that I’ve done the deed and come through the other side, I’m asking anyone who hasn’t donated already if they can spare a few quid to donate to the page to help those living with MS in Scotland. Every penny donated will go to Revive MS Support and is appreciated more than you’ll ever know.
I’ve made the post public so please feel free to share far & wide & let’s raise the total for Revive!! There are so many (too many) people living with this sometimes invisible disease so get sharing – you never know who might just need some support.
Again, a huge thank you to everyone who’s already parted with their hard-earned cash.
I’m still a tad shell-shocked but what I do know is that I’m the luckiest woman alive to have been able to experience this. The good and the bad.
Thanks again everyone!
And big congratulations to Team Mountain Goats on our fantastic achievement! It was a pleasure to experience this with you all.
New Moon Yoga 