"What Kili meant to me" by Sallie

As one of the few people on the trip not belonging to the Communications team  (being an old fashioned analyst at heart) I’ll do my best to describe what Kili meant to me but bear with me it probably won’t be literary...

The trip started with the project visit in Qash and I’m glad we did – just seeing the villages, how people lived but how happy everyone seems really helped keep me going when the going got tough on that pesky mountain!! The villagers were so welcoming and so proud to show us their water point -  it really highlighted the simple things we take for granted but how quite a small amount of money can really change peoples lives for the better. Visiting the school with their new latrines later in the day was awesome, with the children being so well behaved and blatantly happy to see us and it was lovely to hear they were really ambitious and all wanting to be doctors, teachers etc.

Then on to that mountain – the further away from the experience I get the more I enjoyed it (similar to ‘I imagine’ to giving birth) – “never again” for the first 24 hours after completion, to already 3 weeks later having fond memories of the mess tent.

Not one component of the trip individually was that demanding but all of it together made it the hardest thing I have ever done - these components included:  the latrines (particularly the ones that required eagle eye aiming ability); the 3 girls in a 2 man tent; the ice on the inside of the tent; the insomnia; the incessant walking; the vegetable sauce; the porridge; the non English speaking guide who actually wasn’t that sure of the way on summit night (this one was exclusive to me – all the other guides were amazing); the altitude sickness; Berocca!!; the mud; the Bonnie Tyler hairstyle that developed; the cold; the constant packing and unpacking of the bags; the lack of washing facilities (although it was usually so cold you rarely could be bothered to expose your skin that even when water was available you didn’t bother); not being able to shave your legs (although the fur did help with the cold!!); and my incessant toilet requirement!!

However as all of the above start to fade (some scarred me more deeply than others!) the amazing components also come to the forefront: the view from the top; the continuous laughter; chips on I think day 4!!; the guides/ porters enthusiasm and kindness; the scrambling up bits of rock; the animal names; the “logs” of bodily functions; the teamwork; the friendships that deepened; the euphoria of knowing you have done something that not people have; the amazing and contrasting landscapes; the singing with my Director of “80’s classics”; that first shower when we got to the bottom and more importantly the first time I got to sit down to go to the toilet again!!; Harriet turning into Diana Ross as the trip progressed; Milo – the drink of champions you know!; the whirring of the wind up torches; changing my opinion of people; the sunrise on summit day; and most importantly the £32k we raised for WaterAid!!

Sallie