We’re very excited to share with you that our MD, Richard, will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his wife Sarah, in support of Overgate Hospice. Both are currently gearing up for the challenge, which takes place on 20th-30th June.

Overgate Hospice is an Elland, West Yorkshire-based independent local charity, providing expert care and support for adults living with life-limiting illnesses. The hospice relies on charitable support to ensure that its expert team are always available to care for people who are facing the end of their lives, helping them maintain their independence and dignity until the very end.

The idea to climb the mountain came from Sarah, who had her heart set on trekking to Machu Picchu for Overgate a few years back, but didn’t get to do it. When Overgate announced the Kilimanjaro trip, she convinced Richard that it would be a fantastic, if not challenging experience!

At 5,895mabove sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world. Richard and Sarah’s trek will take place over a gruelling seven days and will be both mentally and physically challenging. Daily trekking is around 6-7 hours, covering a variety of terrain and beautiful scenery. Altitude sickness can and does play a big part; no amount of training can combat this, so both will be checked daily to make sure that they are fit enough to continue. The summit night will be the biggest challenge, leaving camp at midnight in the hope of summiting to watch the sunrise, finishing then with a 6-8 hour trek back to their final camp for the night.

To prepare, they have been hitting the trails every weekend, walking 8 to 12 miles to get their stamina up. They also have some serious hikes planned, such as tackling the highest mountain in Wales, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the Yorkshire Three Peaks. They aim to make sure that they are in tip-top shape for the mountain.