I did once climb Ben Lomond with the kids, but I guess scaling all 5895m of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania will be a bit more challenging. I'll be setting off with my sister, Morag, on 27th December and we expect to reach the summit in early January. Every penny we raise will be donated to the David Williamson Rwanda Foundation - so please dig deep.

Age-old sibling rivalry is surfacing as we both get into our rigorous training programmes. Morag has engaged the services of a personal trainer and recently spent a weekend camping on the island of Eigg. Meanwhile I kicked off with a stroll up Mount Snowdon and I've now decided to switch off my electric blanket at night - that should toughen me up !

Anyway I'm sure the hard work, aches and pains will all be worthwhile when we take in the sunrise from the highest peak in Africa.