In March 2013, I joined a team of 8 climbing the Simien Mountains of Ethopia in aid of Afrikids.

Our 10-day, 95-mile, trek in the thin air above 2000m took us far from the regular tourist trails, and deep into some of the most spectacular landscapes anywhere on Earth.   Our route was anything but flat: we estimate we climbed over 6000m uphill (the height of Kilimanjaro), and climbed down over 7000m (almost Everest).   Our highest point was the summit of Ras Dashen, at 4550m, Africa’s 4th highest mountain, and a high-altitude climb in its own right.

The trek has raised over £35,000 for Afrikids, an incredible charity that supports locally sustainable projects like hospitals, schools, foster homes, business loans, and training in rural northern Ghana. 

I would like to thank: our many, generous sponsors, awesome expedition leader Brian Jackson of Expedition Wise, tour organisers Charity Challenge, local firm Jacaranda tours, Simon for pulling it all together, my excellent fellow trekkers Alistair, Catherine, Dawn, Roddie, Julian and Brian, and finally the authorities and people of Ethiopia, for making us so welcome and sharing their spectacularly beautiful mountains with us.