23 extremely brave woman climbed Kilimanjaro last month and below they have written about their experience climbing 4,600 metres from base to summit.
It is hard to believe that I have
been back a week. Adjusting back to 'normal' life is taking longer than I
imagined. It is hard to put into words all that I felt and experienced
on my journey, but here is a little insight into my adventure.
Climbing Kilimanjaro, as it turned
out was only part of my Challenge. Sleeping in a small tent, with no
running water and limited toilet facilities was a challenge in itself. Just
getting myself up every morning, getting dressed, packing up my bags, and
putting away my sleeping bag, ready to start my day, often left me close to
tears. Each day began between 5.45-6.30am (not my best time of
day)! Rucksacks needed to be packed with lots of things including snacks,
waterproof clothing, sun cream, hat and 3L of water. Each day was a
new terrain, we trekked through rainforests, moorland, rocky slopes and
the alpine desert, until we were so high we could look down and see the pillow of
clouds below us. Amazing!
On Friday, we did a 'small', 4 hour
acclimatization walk. Other than another awful headache, I was
fine. By 1pm we were back at our campsite and told to rest for
the day until dinner. On Friday night, we all gathered to light our
Shabbat Candles and sing a few songs. Generally, I am not someone who
cries too easily, however, this was all too much to bear and thinking of my
family at home without me started me and many others off. Crying and
laughing we got through dinner. Our guide also gave us a
briefing about the following night, Summit Night! After that, there
was not much talking, everyone began to realise the enormity of what
lay ahead. In the meantime, Saturday morning we had to be up at 5.45
am and ready to leave at 6.45 am for a 6-7 hour walk across the desert to take
us to the base camp for our Summit Climb.
11.30pm on Saturday night we were
all gathered ready to begin our huge task of reaching the summit. I had
on four layers of clothing, a thick jacket, loads of heatpads down my top
and in my pockets, ski hat and gloves on, rucksack filled with water (that
later froze due the temperature falling to -15). Somehow or other,
just after 6 am I made it to Gilmans (5685m) which is the Summit. There
was no feeling of euphoria, just relief and exhaustion. There were 2
slightly higher points one could go to, if you were able. Somehow, I
pushed myself to the next point called Stella at 5756m which took another hour
to get to. After that, with only 100m left, I too was told to start
to go back, I was so ill I didn't even realise it at the time.
The sun was out and very strong by
now, I was boiling hot, had no water and literally could not speak. After
about 20 minutes, a friend turned to me and asked if I was ok and I just
cried. Every step of the 4 hours it took to get back to camp was
painful, I was exhausted and had no energy. It was a nightmare.
Eventually, I returned to my tent,
where I slept for about 2 hours. We then had lunch and had
to prepare ourselves for a 7 hour walk down the mountain to our last
campsite.
Our last night in the tent was one
of sheer joy and utter relief. It was almost over and we would
soon be on our way home.
Lisa Barnett
“It is very difficult to believe that we returned from a life changing experience only a short while ago – excited, exhausted and frankly shattered. I want to thank you all for making those 10 days the most memorable I have ever encountered. Despite it being the hardest, most difficult and challenging time, it has been astonishing and wonderful to share it with you.
You are all
an inspiration, and I have been honoured and humbled to walk by your side, eat
and drink with you in the mess tent, wait with you in the cold to use those
very special facilities, climb rocks behind and in front of you, look at
amazing views with you, share special and spiritual moments with you, and
generally participate in a great adventure.
This was a
challenge that bared us to our souls, stripped us of our defences and raised us
up to great heights (literally!)
Thank you,
thank you, thank you
I will
never forget it and never forget you all”
Debbie Hatchwell
“An utterly surreal adventure,
with a strong, feisty bunch of 23 energetic Jewish women! So happy to have
experienced it and it was such a privilege to have been there sharing with such
a supportive, caring team.
Laughter, fun, tears,
penetrating dirt & dust! Treasured memories! Wouldn't have missed it for
the world....X”
Louise Nathanson
“I don’t think I was properly prepared for what laid
ahead of us. Never did I expect it to be so hard physically and as much as I
trained to go up – forgot about coming down! HATED that bit the most! My main
memory, apart from it being absolutely horrendous, was the absolutely wonderful
people I met and shared this with, not only all the lovely ladies (and Gwyn),
but the amazing guides and porters who were with us all every step of the way.
I am most proud of the amount of money we have all raised to aid Chai Cancer
Care.”
Natalie Belson
“When
I was put forward to do this trek, I did not imagine or have an idea what this
would entail. My first thought was to
increase my level of fitness. Having
also never done any form of camping, this was also a bit of a culture
shock. However, my main determination
was driven by the fact that this was being done to raise as much money as
possible for cancer sufferers and their families and this was my only
priority. Although I did not make it to
the summit, the bonds made within the group, together with the feelings and
emotions felt between us all will remain with me forever. “
Bernice Davis
“Climbing Kilimanjaro to the summit was the hardest journey of my life so
far. I did it! From mountain extremes one day to dining at Nobu in my Prada’s
the next! It has taught me that life is about mental and physical challenges
which we all cope with day to day.
A while ago I felt traumatised after having a
biopsy-but I was equally grateful and aware that when I heard the words
"benign" that small chapter in my life closed.
Another person with different results
begins another path of their journey- Far more scary and gruelling than
climbing a mountain.
It was a privilege to have the ability and
choice to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for Chai. A
truly unforgettable experience.”
Rachel Frank
“The first 5 days were magical.
Spectacular scenery, wonderful company, endless laughter, even camping was more
comfortable than I anticipated. Simply never experienced anything like it!
There was no one to worry about except for each other. For the first time in
many years we were not daughters, wives or mothers - just care free and
enjoying nature.
Unfortunately my harrowing
experience three quarters of the way during the summit climb changed my
attitude towards Kilimanjaro. Unbeknown to me I had a chest infection and
combined with reduced oxygen meant I was gasping for every breath, experiencing
severe chest pain and genuinely thinking I would never see my children again.
We were terribly vulnerable on
that mountain. Thank G-d we all made it home and raised an incredible amount of
money for Chai in the process.”
Rachel
Vecht
"We
were 23 women who came together for Chai Cancer Care, to raise money and
awareness for the incredible work Chai carries out. I don't think any
of us could have imagined what climbing Kilimanjaro entailed. Every day held
different challenges, yet it was such a memorable and special time. We
were led by an amazing group of guides. Early on our lead guide, Gwyn, advised
us to work together as a team and that is exactly what we did.
The
days were filled with tears and laughter. On our summit night we had a full
moon and within 20 minutes
of walking the most incredible shooting star shot through the sky.
Knowing
we were walking for such an inspiring charity helped us go further than we ever
thought we could. It was a privilege to be part of this amazing group of
women."
Alexis Colman
The American
mountaineer Ed Viesturs said “the summit is optional, coming home safely
isn’t.” When summit night arrived, I wasn't really thinking about
the summit at all. I just tried to distract myself away from the -17
temperature, the steepness of the climb and the dense blackness of the night by
listening to uplifting house music my husband had kindly put
together for me the week before. Without the music, I probably would
have keeled over, but instead I had an undulating rhythm I could bang
my poles and feet to.
I luckily had some prayers tucked away in
my headache-filled brain too, which I decided were alarmingly
appropriate, so as the timing felt right, I thanked G-d for every step I took
and for giving strength to the weak and the weary and I just kept on walking
and praying, walking & praying, catching sight of the countless head torches of my fellow climbers snaking
up the mountain and hearing the the comforting words of
Swahili wisdom, "pole,pole" -"slow, slow."
After
walking (slowly) for six and a half hours through the night, we reached the
first summit, 5,681 metres above sea level, named Gilman's point. There
was a brief moment of euphoria before being told to quickly move on.
As
the sun came up, the views became more and more breath taking -in more ways
than one -one's breath was literally being taken away with the ever
increasing lack of oxygen…with the lunar
landscape of the crater itself to one side and the dramatic glaciers on the
other, it was a true sight to behold. Thoughts of stopping kept trying to keep
me from ascending but as soon as any doubt crept in, I was helped
by friends from my group I never knew I had. One amazing woman gave
me the last of her nutritious power juices and encouraged me to
keep going -thank you Jackie. The women on this group were all truly
exceptional people and the bonds we made will always remain the highlight
for me -even more so than reaching the summit. Once I hit the second summit, Stella Point, my snail-like crawl
felt like I was going nowhere fast, but Florence suddenly appeared telling me
I'd be at the very top in no time at all. This is a man who has never kept time
by any sort of real clock, but in the end it was his time-fibbing abilities
that sent me up there and forty five minutes later, now close to 8am, I had
done it - I had finally reached Uhuru -the Swahili word for 'Freedom'.
I
greeted my friends who had arrived as a group just before me, and unable to
resist a moment of humour, burst into dramatic song- "All by myself,
don't wanna be. All by myself, anymore…" We laughed, we cried, we took photos;
we cried some more and then we got the hell down. The jelly leg inducing, knee
jarring descent was made more difficult by the fact that we
were wearing ski wear in the boiling sunshine. Suddenly we all went
into survival mode - trying to get off that mountain as quickly as possible was
now the most important thing. When I finally arrived back at base, I
found Julie, my tent partner and wonderful friend, who
had also been crying; worried she had left me for dead on the mountain. I
reassured her all was well in the world. We hugged; we cried; we took
re-hydration tablets -all in a day's work on Kilimanjaro!
Debra Tammer
Almost one month has passed since we returned from
climbing. now back to my normal daily routine I can finally sit down and think
about the incredible journey I took, physically and emotionally.
I find it hard to put in words my experience. Everyday
was a challenge in some way or other, more emotionally than physically.
Sleeping in a sleeping bag was my first challenge to overcome! This may sound strange
but I never sleep with my feet covered and being confined to that narrow bag
was hard work! After not sleeping for
the first couple of nights Alicia was kind enough to give her fleece liner to
me which was wider than the sleeping bag and I then unzipped the bag and used
it as a duvet. My lovely tempur pillow froze at night so was like a rock so I
ended up putting my down feather coat in a pillow case and used that instead.
These things may sound trivial but when you are living in
the conditions we were they compound and magnify in the high altitude and lack
of sleep obviously made the daytimes harder.
As you have seen from the blog whilst we were away, the
day times were wonderful, lots and lots
of walking but very special times spent with very special friends, with plenty of laughter.
Everyone had different experiences of summit night. Mine
did not turn out as I expected! I never considered that I wouldn't make it to
the summit, unfortunately I was hit with very bad altitude sickness when I reached
5000 m. I continued for another 550 meters, 100 meters below Gillmans Point,
the first summit point. The wonderful Porter George who was looking after me
told me that last 100 m would take me another 45 minutes. I probably could have
managed it but mentally I was broken, I had been sick several times and was
very weak and all I could think about was how I would get down safely. I could
hear Julian in my head repeating ' do not risk your health'. This made me chose
to turn around.
As much as it upsets me now that I didn't reach the
summit, at the time I really feel I made the right decision. I continued to be
sick on the way down and was very dehydrated as my water had frozen. Because I
didn't make it to the summit I had to make that journey back to camp in pitch
black! This was more terrifying then the climb up. I couldn't stand without the
support of George who held onto me the whole way down.
I remember ringing home later that day to Julian and my
mother crying about how awful it was, how ill I felt and how disappointed
that I didn't summit. Now sitting here
its a bit like labour! The pain is forgotten. The disappointment maybe not! But
as everyone says the Mountain will always be there and one day I will go back
and beat it!!
Has the trip changed me? I don't really think so,
although I did learn more about myself! I went away with very close friends
that have become even closer to me now and to the girls I didn't know well I
gained new friendships. I feel very blessed to have gone away with these
special women and to have had the experience I did, at the same time raising an
incredible amount of money for such a wonderful charity.
Thank g- d together we have raised over £330,000 to help
Chai set up a children and young adults section, that will give wonderful
support to those who struggle daily with their challenges.
Even now money is still coming in and I really hope this
trip has further raised awareness of what Chai does.
Sian Levy
It
has been a surreal month since we came back for our challenging trip to
Kilimanjaro. It feels like it happened long time ago. Many friends and family have
asked me how my trip was and it was tricky to give a brief answer.
During
the trip we laughed, we giggled, we cried, we struggled, we prayed, we sang and
we bonded. There was something very beautiful about the formation of close
relationship between women and supporting each other when we needed it.
Everyone
had their particular reasons why to take this challenge and my particular
reason gave me strength and confidence to achieve my goal.
The
mountain pushed us to the limits but it gave us an amazing sense of
achievement, not only for making it to the top, but for the unbelievable amount
of money we have raised for a very worthy cause!!!
Soon
I’ll be ready for the next challenge!
Thank
you for all the support you gave us!
Alicia
Ani
When
I first decided that I was actually going to join the group in climbing the
great Mount Kilimanjaro, I knew that I would have to train as hard as I
possibly could both physically and mentally. Luckily, I did both and am glad to
report that the intense preparation seriously paid off.
The
first day on the mountain was very exciting, but I was also feeling anxious and
eager to start walking since it had taken several hours to get going. Finally,
the trek began: at first it was a pleasant, easy and slow-paced walking to a
beautiful scenery. As the days wore on, though, I found myself facing difficult
and varying challenges--but (thank G-D!) managed to surpass them all.
Eventually, even the formerly tiring tasks of packing my bag, rolling my
sleeping bag, getting my clothes organised and getting my wash done became
easier. In fact, by day 3 all of those technical things were smoother.
What
truly showed itself to be the (increasingly) tougher challenge was the
intensely high altitude but, somehow everyday we managed to get to the
next camp site through laughter, tears and a lot of chit chat. Through
overcoming our challenges together we got to know one and other and built a
strong connection-- that was a beautiful part of the experience.
By
summit night we had all bonded and were "one" as Florence the main
guide said, reminding us that that was the only way we would make it to the
top.
As
for Shabbat, it was at first a bit of a hard moment for me since it was the
first I had ever spent away from my children. Yet, after receiving a text
saying they were all okay, I felt relieved enough to decide to make the most
and best out of being on a 4330 meter mountain with 22 gorgeous and
incredible women. I was ultimately able to truly enjoy this very special and
"HIGH" Shabbat.
All
the signs indicated that we were being looked after and blessed by
Hashem. On Shabbat we prayed a lot and read Tehilim--in other words, we
geared up for summit night in a spiritual way (and then of course in a physical
manner by putting on all our layers).
However,
for me, summit night was extremely challenging because I was totally exhausted
and was struggling to keep awake. Nevertheless, I pushed myself hard and
convinced myself I would get to the top because I was here and had to do it. I
was constantly out of breath and had to stop after every 3 steps and rest for a
few seconds. It felt like I was walking on the moon--well, a very steep moon.
At times I even had to hold on to the rocks to climb up. It was
hard,very,very hard.
All
of the physical pain passes, but what will stay with me forever are the
many good memories shared, the amazing time spent on this beautiful mountain,
and the magnificent views and landscapes. I am honoured to say that I have
accomplished this once in a lifetime experience and achievement.
The
money I raised for Chai made every step I took, every tear I shed, well
worth it. It was thinking of the people at Chai that kept me strong
and going. I was able to come back home relieved and so proud of what we had
achieved.
I
am now clear about one thing climbing Kili (I have earned the right to now call
it that) was not about Uhuru, Stella point or Gillman's--it was about the
entire journey there and back.
So
I can say one thing: we all DID IT!!!
Jennifer Levy Goldstein
Climbing Kilimanjaro was a great leveller. We were
stripped of all our defences, disorientated, vulnerable and alone, even amongst
a group of 23. Lack of sleep, control, nausea, dirt, were all par for the
course. Some of us reached the top, some didn’t but it was not about that for
this group- for us it was about the journey we shared together every day and
for what/who we were doing this for.
It was a privilege to share this experience with a group
of such inspiring, amazing women, each and every one of which brought their own
special ingredient which made this an unbelievable, memorable experience I will
have in my heart forever.
Lisa Steele
I
never in a million years thought we could do what we did, but strangely enough,
I also never doubted our ability and strength to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Its
over 5 weeks since we have been home and its hard to believe that’s its all
over – a year in the making, blood/sweat and tears, but worth it all.
The
best thing – the money we raised. So many people pledged the money before we
left, so basically they all believed in us, all that was left was to conquer
the mountain.
Looking
back I loved the journey and the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro, despite
feeling awful on summit night and having the enormous disappointment of not
quite reaching the top, not to mention being stretchered off the mountain,
something I will never forget, but I do see the funny side of it!
I
have incredible memories of our 10 days, we forged and cemented special
friendships, our bond is strong and safe
and we take comfort in being in each others company.
I do
feel it was a life changing experience, I have seen beauty beyond words and
found myself not caring about things that often feel so important and really
aren’t.
To
know you have made such a difference to a charity is for me incredibly special.
I am honoured to have been part of
Chai, their strength and
determination was what we took up the mountain with us. I hope I never have to use the services of
Chai, but I take comfort in the work they do and the friends they have and
continue to look after so wonderfully, and that is why I will always be here to
help Chai in any way I can.
Ruth
Bray
The online sponsorship
page is still open, so to sponsor the 23 girls for completing their amazing
challenge and support Chai Cancer Care please click here.
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