All eleven members of Team Ubuntu have successfully triumphed in their Kilimanjaro challenge. After almost a year of training, preparation, gathering and testing kit, and fundraising for UNICEF (more than €33,000!), this outstanding team of people from across Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Austria and the UK have done it!

Triumph for all…

Now safely on their way down the mountain and spending their last night in their trusty orange tents, each of the team members made it to their own summit. Kati – our super-fit Finn – always said that her aim was Kibo Camp and that she would be delighted to get to this last camp before the top of the mountain. Kati – nicknamed KitKat by her Ubuntu teammates – is from the flat area of Finland and had no access to any hills or altitude training during her preparation.

“Kibo was my summit,” says Kati. “I started to get a pounding headache on the way up, which was getting worse rather than better. The night before the push for the top of Kilimanjaro, I decided that I would stay at Kibo and enjoy my experience.”

“As it turns out, it was a very good decision,” adds Kati. “The next day, after everyone had set off, I did a short climb up to get some photographs. Having improved overnight, my headache came back very strongly as soon as I climbed in altitude. This confirmed to me that I’d made the right decision.”

The rest of the team had set off for Gilman’s Point – the top of Mount Kilimanjaro by any measure and around the crater rim from Uhuru which is the highest point in Africa. During the three days in the run up to summit day, Rob (another super fit team member) had suffered from an acute stomach bug picked up at the Lodge before the climb began. With no appetite and little food for three days, Rob was also suffering with severe headaches and nausea. The team guides checked his stats (blood oxygen levels and heart rate) several times on the way up to Gilman’s Point.  Shortly before reaching the top, they agreed with Rob that he would get to Gilman’s and then descend to Kibo.

“It was the right call and our guides were brilliant,” said Rob via satellite phone when he was safely back to camp. “Having not eaten much for three days, I was struggling. But I’d made it to the top, and it was time to descend.”

“It was the toughest day I’ve had in a long time, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” adds Rob.

Nine make it to Uhuru…

After saying farewell to Rob –who descended with two guides for safety – the nine remaining Ubuntu team members head up around the rim towards Uhuru. The walk is not steep, but the effects of altitude are ever-present with every minute spent up in the ‘death zone’ tough and energy-sapping.

Rodri, Ana, Paul M, Rolf, James, Kirsty, Paul L, Ernesto and Rickkie all had various symptoms of headaches, nausea, breathlessness and exhaustion, but all enjoyed the stunning views before reaching Uhuru at 3:20 pm (having set off from camp at 4am, in the dark!).  There, on the roof of Africa, Team Ubuntu celebrated with photos and a look around them at the stunning views.

It’s important to take some quick photos and then get off the summit as fast as possible. The nine of them certainly made haste to get down, reaching Gilman’s Point by 5pm and then shocked and surprised their guides back at camp by hiking into Kibo at 6:20pm.

Paul Marklew gave us an interview by Satellite phone at about 7pm and, despite sounding like he’s walked across the office for a chat, he said it was exhausting.

“We were lucky as we had beautiful weather with great views for most of the climb, but everyone found it exhausting,” says Paul.  “We are happy but tired!”

When asked about the team’s quick progress down and whether (joking) they’d used skis, Paul said:  “It was more of a ‘controlled fall’ down the mountain.  Everyone was surprised about how quick we were – we  all just wanted to get back to Kibo to see Kati and Rob and have a rest.”

Today, the team is fit and well with no more headaches or nausea.  They are relaxing in their final camp and we can’t wait to see them all around lunchtime tomorrow.  During the morning, they’ll make the final hike down to the Kilimanjaro National Park gates where we’ll meet them with a well-deserved cold drink!  Then, it’s back to the Lodge for showers, rest and a celebration dinner.

Congratulations Team Ubuntu…we are SO proud of you all!