UPDATE 04/11/09:

WE DID IT !!!!!!!

Just want to say a very, very big thank you to everyone who has sponsored me for the climb. All of our team of 10 made it to the final camp at Kibo huts (15500ft amsl). On the 6hr night hike to the summit, one of the team dropped out at 16500ft, while everyone else made it to Gilman's Point (18500ft) at the edge of the crater (and as such were officially deemed to have climbed the mountain). 5 of us (including me) went on to Uhuru Peak (19340ft), the true summit and the highest point in Africa, which was another 1½ hours trek through wind and snow!!
After this we had to walk 1½ hrs back to Gilman's, then 4 hours down the crater, followed by 1hr rest and then a 14km hike (in pouring rain) back to one of the lower camps at Horombo. One of the toughest days I've ever had!!! Oh, and the next day it was a 20km hike back to the reception centre at the bottom, where we got our certificates :)

*Update* 17/10/09:

We've managed to fill 3 containers, 2 x 40ft ones and one x 20ft one. All of these have now arrived in Nyeri and we weren't even charged any import taxes/duties!!!

We've been training hard for the Kili trip and we leave in a few days' time, on 21st October. I'm hoping to provide updates on my facebook page, although this will depend on getting a mobile phone signal on the mountain. I'm told we will, but can't be sure!! Here is the address of my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1818654643&ref=profile

Thanks very, very much to all who have already sponsored me!! If you haven't yet there's still time!!!

I must be going mad in my 'old' age :-)

Somehow I've managed to get myself onto a team of a dozen people from my church who will be attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in October 2009. This effort is in aid of a childrens' hospice in Nyeri, Kenya, which was built by, and is run by, the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle Belfast.

Each month as many as 600 children aged between one month and 17 years, many of whom are disabled, are treated by trained doctors and nurses at the hospice. Their illnesses include HIV, tuberculosis, cerebral palsy, rickets, jiggers and cases of sexual abuse. Nyeri is located approximately 100 miles north of Nairobi and has a population of over 350000. Here is a link to the Kenya page on the church website: http://www.whitewell.com/outreach/kenya.php.

In addition to the climb, we will also be visiting the childrens' hospice during the trip and helping to distribute aid from 2 x 40ft containers which we hope to fill :-).

So this is a really worthy cause!

Don't forget to tick the gift aid box if you are a UK taxpayer!

Please note that I will be paying *all* of my own travel expenses for the trip and *all* of the money donated will go directly to the childrens' hospice.

Finally, although the climb will undoubtedly be a big effort, please (please!) don't feel that any donation is too small. I would be *really* grateful for *any* donations no matter how small!