msafiri 116 KILIMANJARO our minds were soothed by the guides' harmonious singing; my eyes feasted on Orion's Belt gleaming in the night's velvety black. Otherwise, I remembered little. Just the biting wind- chill, breathing heavily with the effort of sipping my water that quickly froze, feeling giddy and fleetingly nauseous. Throughout the night, hikers from other groups were led down by their guides, dreams in delirious tatters. Yet because of our thorough acclimatisation programme, all of my comrades- in- arms conquered Kili's summit. The peak is marked by an undulating rim surrounding a wide volcanic cone – a surrealistic beauty that I was too exhausted to fully appreciate. Blue- tinged glaciers contrasted starkly against black cinder slopes, while in the distance Kilimanjaro's third crater, Mwenze, sailed airily above an ocean of cloud. There would be two days trekking downhill, in tired, celebratory, euphoria to take stock of what we'd achieved. Yet to me nothing was as inspiring as the collective willpower and altruism given by 16 ordinary people to overcome one of Africa's toughest physical challenges. Heather with her vertigo, Karen, who hated camping, Gavin, who had a back- operation scheduled immediately after returning home. They were heroes, who had stepped far beyond their comfort zone. Could you be? there would be two days trekking downhill in tired, celebratory euphoria A gradual ascent is the key to acclimatisation, lessening the risk of Altitude sickness. Going slowly and drinking plenty of water are also keys to success meet the challenge Ever since founding directors, Simon Albert and Jeremy Gane, scaled Kilimanjaro in 1999, their brainchild Charity Challenge has raised over £ 15 million for charitable causes. Annually, 2500 participants will benefit some of the 900 registered charities that have been helped over the years. " Most clients are not adventure travellers, but have a strong reason for coming on these trips, perhaps to celebrate an anniversary or raise money for a charity after a loved one's death," says Simon. " They enjoy an adventure-of- a- lifetime, improve their fitness, and raise money for charity." Charity Challenge's expeditions operate globally, from hiking in Vietnam to cycling in Cuba. Eight African destinations, many served by Kenya Airways, also feature. Popular African adventures include an 11- day trek with the Maasai across their ancestral lands and hiking Ethiopia's majestic Simien Mountains. So, how do you get started? First, choose a challenge from their website ( www. charitychallenge. com) and decide upon a charity to sponsor. Then select one of two options to raise the money. You may either pay a registration-fee then pledge to raise a minimum amount of sponsorship ( of which 55% goes direct to the cause; 45% paying for expedition costs), or you can pay the expedition's full cost upfront and thereafter every penny raised goes to charity. Charities must be registered UK and Irish causes but local communities also gain substantially. Expeditions provide employment and training of guides, porters and support staff. Every expedition donates on average £ 200-£ 250 to local charities like Community Projects Africa ( www. communityprojectsafrica. org). This channels Charity Challenge's donation from the Kilimanjaro expedition into worthy causes such as the Cypress Hill Community Project in Northern Tanzania. mark strattonmark strattonmark stratton