I sat down to write my blog today, hoping to capture the utter chaos of our most recent Kilimanjaro training session. However, realising that perhaps the protagonist may be best placed to spin the yarn and I leave you with the story from climbing buddy Neil’s point of view….!

“With a riverbank on our doorstep that stretches for miles, you’d think that coming up with a location for walking wouldn’t be a difficult task. However, having walked both east and west a few times, a more demanding terrain was called for as the slopes of Kilimanjaro hardly compare to a leisurely waterside route.

With plenty of hill-walking opportunities close by in the Cheviots, Lakes and Dales I accepted the responsibility to find a nice picturesque (yet demanding!) uphill walk. I decided Alwinton, near Rothbury, would be perfect as there are a few options covering rivers, waterfalls, scrubland and some rapid ascent hills.

I did my homework, checking the route and parking facilities and ensured I had a detailed map of the surrounding area. Despite some early morning heavy showers the forecast assured me of sunshine for the rest of the day.

But as we all know, sometimes best laid plans don’t turn out quite as expected!
After passing through the farmers’ fields and reaching the brook described in my book of the area as ‘possibly involving getting your feet slightly wet when crossing’ actually turned out to be a fully fledged river. Still, there was no bridge so it was a matter of cross and get wet or turn round and admit defeat.

Leaving Andrea to take off her walking boots and socks, I refused to be disheartened and waded immediately into the icy river, hoping my waterproofs would do their job. Of course, waterproof socks are of no use when the water suddenly comes up above the knees.

Laughter came from the bank as I was marooned and very wet.

I squelched my way 400 metres along the bank side to find an alternative crossing – and yes, we then did indeed admit defeat!

All was not lost though as we found a pub where we decided to warm ourselves and reflect on a bizarre training session. The disdainful look the damp, cold and muddy Andrea and I received from a certain couple dressed in full business suits was enough to lighten the mood though. And the scrummy pie and chips went a little way towards apologising to Andrea for what I had put her through….

So perhaps unsurprisingly, I have now been stripped of the responsibility of organising any further training sessions. It seems a ‘fair trade’!

However, I still stand by the fact that, as we will have to combat much more demanding conditions on Kilimanjaro, there was method in my madness.”

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With just over two months to go, it was time to step up the training…so I booked the week off from Shared Interest Foundation to immerse myself in my new fitness regime!

To kick things off, Neil and I headed to the Cheviots.

Now, I have to say that I don’t have the fondest memories of these hills. During a four-day hiking trip as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Award, I was – wait for it – airlifted from their very peaks!

Some may see this as a traumatic event and others slightly embarrassing! Either way, I took away some valuable lessons from this experience including the rule championed by the Scouts. Be prepared!

And if this is the case when walking up hills in England, you probably need the preparation of a whole army of scouts for the depths of Africa!

Anyway, back to what I learnt from Duke of Edinburgh…

My strict but empowering instructor Mr Hill taught me the power of perseverance, determination, planning and teamwork. This is, of course be rewarded by the feeling of accomplishment.

But with the Kilimanjaro climb, there is more motivational material than this personal sense of pride.

In walking for seven days up the highest freestanding mountain in the world, we will be indirectly empowering not only ourselves but thousands of Swazi producers, equipping them with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty.

And it is this, alongside preparation that will keep us going until we reach the top.

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade. Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation