In January 2026 I am climbing Kilimanjaro with 9 friends who are also mostly operational firefighters. This is a fully self funded adventure but as it's going to be a huge physical and mental challenge I would like to also raise funds for the Fire Fighters Charity. This will be in memory of Rob Taylor, Chief Fire Officer of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service who sadly died in September 2025 after a short illness.

We will begin the trek on 14th January, following the Lemosho route to summit on 20th Jan. This is a longer route which gives us the best chance to acclimatise as we aim to reach 5,895m. We will spend 6 days trekking up through 5 different climate zones - starting in the rainforest and finishing in the arctic zone! We will see temperatures from 30C to -20C and as we climb the air gets thinner until at the top we will experience approximately half the amount of oxygen than at sea level.

This will be as much a mental challenge as a physical one as we hope to adapt to the lower levels of oxygen, sleeping in freezing temperatures in tents with very basic facilities. An amazing team of porters, cooks and mountain leaders will keep us safe and well fed throughout the trip.

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