I have a special interest in animal welfare and conservation issues and was particularly moved by the plight of the Orangutan, which has been featured in the media over recent years.  With an estimated 15,000 Orangutans currently in existence in the wild, it is anticipated that unless urgent steps are taken, these gentle apes will face extinction in the wild within our lifetime.

Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in North Borneo was set up with the aim of rehabilitating young Orangutans who have been orphaned due to the destruction of their habitats or who have fallen victims to the illegal black market pet trade.  Not only does the centre rescue many desperate individuals but it also does vital work to protect what forest is left and stop the continuing destruction of the orangutan’s home. Saving the orangutan is an uphill struggle but a few steps can be taken up that hill every single day. With support, the orangutan CAN be saved. Watching orangutans become extinct surely is not an option.

On 2 September I am traveling to Tanzania to undertake a symbolic uphill struggle by trekking Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the Orangutan Appeal UK which funds specific projects at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre.

At 5896m, Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain. The Mountain is made up of 3 separate peaks; Shira to the west which is the original volcano, Mawenzi to the east, formed by a later eruption and towering between these is Kibo, the youngest and tallest peak and the ultimate destination of my Summit Challenge.  For 6 days, the trek will follow the Machame route, which approaches Kilimanjaro from the south, through dense tropical rainforest and moorland of the lower slopes, across barren moon like landscape, around craters and over volcanic rock to reach the highest point, the Uhuru Peak.

This is a tough but I am told, spectacularly rewarding trek that requires fitness, determination, resilience and adaptability to higher altitudes and lower oxygen levels and temperatures. 

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