Ian Robinson, managing director of Gill & Robinson in Newcastle upon Tyne, has made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Mr Robinson, a member of the Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society board of management, climbed the 19,340ft (5,898m) mountain in a six-day expedition. He has already raised more than £2,000 to be shared between the TTBS and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation cancer charity.
“I am really delighted to have made it to the top as between 20-25% of climbers don’t reach the summit and I can only describe the final day as brutal,” he said. “The first three days were fine but once we reached 13,000ft the altitude started to affect me.
“It gives you headaches and nausea and breathing is difficult even when you are resting. At night ice forms on the inside of your tent and, with the wind chill factor, temperatures dropped to as low as -25ºC.
“The final summit day starts at 11.30 pm and walking is reduced to a shuffle although you can’t stop because of the low temperatures and you have to keep drinking. I really don’t remember much about the final three hours and the guide kept checking me and gave me the opportunity to go back down on two occasions.
“I think it might only have been Geordie bloody mindedness and not wanting to let people down that got me there! It was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and my main regret is that I wasn’t well enough to enjoy my time on the summit as the guide wanted me to go down to a lower altitude as quickly as possible
“I am very grateful to everyone who sponsored me and, if there is anyone else who would still like to support two very worthy charities, they can contact me on ian@gillandrobinson.co.uk.
