I first set eyes on Kilimanjaro across the Kenyan plains in 1999 – it quite simply took my breath away and I knew I’d be back one day to ‘tackle’ the summit.  I had never done anything like this before.  We set off on the night of the summit, a step at a time. The sunrise was like no other sunrise I’d experienced before, the contrast of volcanic sand, ice caps, brilliant blue skies, warm orange glow from the sun and low cloud beneath us was truly stunning. Reaching the summit was such an achievement that it really took over a month to sink in. An incredible experience with wonderful people, and memories that will stay with me forever.  It is truly a celebration of good health and satisfaction of being able to give back and contribute towards the research for a cure for leukaemia.

A journey in freezing conditions pulled along by a pack of dogs whilst enjoying the most beautiful untouched scenery that I have encountered; it makes you feel a sense of fragility and vulnerability and yet it has been the most exhilarating experience. The trust between man and beast and ultimately the relations built within the group will always be fondly remembered. Redventure has given me the confidence to seek out my next adventure and I would recommend this trip to anybody !

I have been a supporter of CL since it began and I wanted to do my bit to raise money for the charity. I have always enjoyed hearing about Kay treks all over the world & I think she is an inspirational person. She is so dedicated to raising money for charity and also to giving people the experience of a lifetime through her treks. When I had the opportunity to join a trek myself I jumped at the chance, joining seven others on the Mardi Himal trek in Nepal. We reached a height of 4160m & had views of Annapurna and also the sacred Fishtail Mountain.

The memories I have from my trip to Everest Base Camp will stay with me forever. From the struggle for acclimatisation through to the elation of standing at the foot of the most majestic peak in the world, every one of them will always stir a smile. But better than all of these, the comradeship that bound all seven of us together has produced unique friendships that will never be lost.

Walking up sand dunes seems like its going up a 1000 dunes and going down a 100 in a day. We were always starving with hunger after a long, hard day trekking the desert, and had to drink 8 litres of water every day! Some of the team abandoned their tents to sleep all night under the stars….it is the most beautiful aspect of life in the desert. There is no air or light pollution and the stars just seem a 100 feet above your head so clear and easy to identify