Late last year, Steve revealed he would love to climb Kilimanjaro for his 50^th birthday – and like an idiot, I replied “yeah I’d love to do that”.

Months and a very comprehensive training plan later; a training plan that includes hiking a peak and a distance route every month plus three five km runs a week - we are booked to climb Kilimanjaro in September. Now preparing for possibly the most physically and mentally exhausting, rewarding challenge of our lives.

Our Kilimanjaro climb is following the Machame route and will take nine days - a seven-day ascent up to 5,895 metres followed by a two-day descent, then straight into hot showers! The Machame route is the longest ascent route up Kilimanjaro, passing through cloud forests and moorland before hiking across glaciers to the summit, Uhuru Peak.

Which sounds beautiful and bucket list worthy, add in no showers, no toilets, sleeping in tents, minus 20 degrees weather and a very high likelihood of extreme altitude sickness, I then wonder why I agreed to go!

As well as climbing for Steve’s 50^th birthday, we couldn’t let the opportunity pass to try and raise some sponsorship for Mind Your Step, which each year continues to raise fantastic amounts of money for Mind, the mental health charity.

Mind Your Step was established to remember our good friend Jamie Margetts, the memories we shared and the legacy he left behind. A friend we will always miss. It was our training for the Mind Your Step walk in 2018 that sparked a keen interest in walking for us both, and we are walking the half distance this year as part of our training for Kili.

Our trip and climb are entirely self-funded, and any sponsorship you can give would be very appreciated and will go entirely to Mind, funding the wonderful work they do to support people with mental health problems.