Sam Keates

Job Title:
Director of Specifications & Repair

Why do you want to climb Mt Kilimanjaro?
For the amazing sense of achievement to ascend the mountain, as a team, and for the money we’ll raise for a good cause when doing it.

What has been the most challenging thing about this initiative so far?
Doing any training or preparation… my special skill is finding reasons to put things off.

How are you raising your UNICEF funds?
Primarily by hassling friends and family and encouraging people to take pity on me.

If there was going to be a Kilimanjaro playlist for your climb, what song would you choose?
“The Climb”, Joe McElderry’s version. It’s cringy enough nobody will be able to avoid laughing!

What luxury are you planning on taking up the mountain with you?
I haven’t thought through my full kit for Kili itself, but I’m likely to have a lot more stuff than I could possibly need so maybe a better question is “what luxuries are your planning to keep behind?”.

Is there anything you are ‘dreading’?
Lack of coffee! Usually I will constantly have a coffee on the go, and that isn’t going to be practical up a mountain. Perhaps my luxury can be a drone to collect coffee? 🙂

What are you looking forward to most?
It is very hard to identify just one thing, unless I can pick the entire challenge. From the reports of previous climbers, I would say the unforgettable nature of the experience and the strong sense of team!