We had been sleeping since just after lunch and awoke at 2300hrs to get dressed and head to our meeting point for 2330hrs. At 0001hrs we departed on what I can only describe as one of the hardest challenges I have ever completed. The route to the summit started with a steep uphill climb that zigzagged across rocky terrain. The gradient of the climb was at times unbelievable and frequent stops to rest and catch a breath were required, couple that with the effects of altitude and I was really not in a good place!

The climb up what we called the zigzags took 6 hours and was hell on earth for the reasons I previously mentioned . Looking back on it I can't imagine how I actually did it. Just one step at a time was a mantra I had taken from a book I had read previous to my trip and I said this over and over in my head as I climbed feeling sick, with a savage headache and dizzy spells I pushed on with my group. After a while we took our first casualty my brother Tim called it a day and descended back to Kibo Hut Camp deciding he couldn't continue; I was gutted for him but remember thinking I wouldn't be far behind him the way I felt. Also from a selfish point of view I realised that my dream of a 'brothers photo' at the summit was now in tatters, I hoped he was okay and regretted the fact that I hadn't really managed to speak with him before he disappeared into the night down the mountain. He had gamely achieved an altitude of about 5400 meters before deciding he couldn't go any further, as I said I was gutted for him but tried to put it to the back of my mind and focus on what I had to do.

I only made the mistake of looking up to the far distance once to see a bead of head torches like an army of ants ascending into a seemingly endless darkness, instantly I found my morale being sapped away and told myself off sternly . From then on I focuses only on the feet in front of me and thought about 'one step at a time'

As we climbed we witnessed sunrise and also climbed above the clouds which was an amazing sight. We reached the first point of Kilimanjaro Gillmans which is the edge of the crater rim at about 0630hrs but didn't stop for photos as the next point Stella point was now our target. I did take some photos of the glaciers though and the views and scenery was indescribable. Upon reaching Stella point we again didn't pause for long as Uruhu peak the summit of Kilimanjaro was our goal.

It's an hours walk from Gilmans to Stella point and then another hour from there to Uruhu peak. By the time we left Stella point I was absolutely exhausted, had a feeling of extreme nausea and was just about dead on my feet. Again using the mantra of 'one step at a time' I closed in with my group on the summit, it's a beautiful walk around the crater and despite my feelings of illness I did manage to take photos .

At last after a lot of rest stops and quite a bit of moaning I reached the summit and took the photo I had come for, showing me with the banner for the charity Secret World Wildlife rescue under the summit sign.

I had also brought my wife's wedding ring with me so that a part of her had completed the challenge alongside me; as I moved away from the queue of people waiting for their chance to take their photos I held the ring and said a few quiet words in private as if I could telepathically transmit them to Kate back in Scotland. Our time on the summit was largely beautifully clear, I was going to attempt to call Kate from the summit as I had had mobile signal for the majority of the time since I had arrived at Gillmans after the zigzags.

However as I reached for my phone dark clouds enveloped us and heavy snow started to fall, it was time to leave back past Stella Point, on to Gillmans and finally back down the zigzags to Kibo Huts camp . As I left the summit I witnessed a Japanese woman being carried by porters one under each arm, her head was lolling from side to side and I was unsure if she was even still totally conscious. I was surprised that the porters were still carrying her towards the summit and thought really they should be getting her down the mountain as soon as possible; I was too exhausted to think anything else of it but I was glad that our exped leader Ritchie had already said that his decision would be final about turning us round. I was sure he would never allow us to get into such a predicament and would put our long term health first.

On route down once we got onto the zigzags instead of zigzagging over the terrain like we had done to ascend we scree surfed at a rapid pace most of the way down which was great fun. By the time we reached camp again I was physically and mentally exhausted, the only good thing was that my altitude sickness had finally abated now that I was progressing to less altitude for the first time on the trip .

Looking back at Zigzags now and reflecting on it I honestly have no idea how I succeeded in climbing that first part. It was easily the hardest thing I have ever done, a stream of people passed us on the way down in the dark who had given up or were too sick to continue. I can only put it down to my trait of extreme stubbornness.

When I said I was climbing Kilimanjaro to people back home before the trip a few people said it was easy, yes it is technically easy. But I challenge anyone to to climb in complete darkness by head torch light alone for 6 hours straight whilst feeling violently nauseous, with a headache and dizzy spells and at times scrambling over rocks and call it easy. My own brother who I was doing the trip with had to turn back after about 5 hours due to the affects of altitude sickness. He has been a member of various mountain rescue teams in the UK and is a very experienced hill walker, I was gutted to see him turn and head down on the zigzags . Gutted for him and also gutted from a selfish point of view that my chance to share this experience with him and have a 'brothers' summit photo had disappeared. As he walked away from us heading back to camp I remember thinking that I would probably be next, at that point I felt absolutely terrible and couldn't possibly imagine that I would make it even off the Zigzags to Gillmans.

Once we returned to camp it was about lunchtime so there was no time to sleep and recover, we ate lunch and then had a 4 hour hike to Horombu at 3700meters where we were to camp overnight. I was already exhausted, totally physically drained Kilimanjaro (despite my fitness and strength training leading up to the expedition) had taken everything I had to offer. Now a four hour hike lay ahead and I couldn't imagine how I was going to do it, I had fallen asleep in the mess tent leading up to lunch and was dead on my feet as we left Kibo Huts.

The saving grace was that we were going from above 4000meters of altitude down to 3700meters of altitude and actually as we started off on our hike I don't know where I got the reserves from but me and two other members of our group 'smashed it' and ended up speed marching all the way there leaving the other members of our group in the distance .

I was both surprised and impressed at my physical capabilities, bear in mind we had been up since 2300hrs the previous day, had climbed Kilimanjaro which had taken us until about 1230hrs the next day then had no sleep and did this 4 hour hike on top of all that. In fact sleep wouldn't be achieved until 1745hrs so I had been awake for almost 19 hours straight and out of that 19 hours had spent 16hours hiking 13 of those up and down Kilimanjaro the highest free standing mountain in the world and the rooftop of Africa. I don't care if some people think it's easy, I was impressed my own efforts.

As I write this now It is 2211hrs and I have to be up at 0530hrs to pack my tent up, then after breakfast it's an 8 hour hike to Kilimanjaro Park gate where a mini bus will meet us for onward travel to our hotel. My legs are shot and I'm still exhausted, I don't know how I will manage tomorrow as I lie here in my tent; what I do know though is that I have learned so much about what I'm actually capable of on this trip and I have no doubts that tomorrow's 8 hour hike will be defeated through again my sheer stubbornness and refusal to accept defeat.

It's been an awesome trip and I feel so privileged that I have managed to do it with a great group of people who really added to the great experience; I am also so grateful that I was able to have some quality time with one of my older brothers.

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed the photos and the story.......until next time!!

Good night to you.