After a long four days, we were at long last going to reach Uhuru Peak! I had known all along that summit night was going to be the hardest part of this trip but I hadn't really known what to expect. I knew the day would consist of four parts: trekking to Stella Point, walking along to Uhuru Peak, getting back to Barafu Camp and then walking to Millennium Camp... but other than that, I was in the dark when I awoke. Literally.
With two days already under my belt, I was feeling confident but knew things were going to get tough. I was already struggling to breathe while trying to walk at a normal pace at Shira camp. I was having to remind myself to take it slow, as just walking to the toilets left me breathless. Despite this, I was extremely glad to have got one of the steepest days out of the way, and was keen to get closer to the summit!  
To say I was nervous for Africa would be the biggest understatement of my life. It wasn't one of your bog-standard trips - it was serious adventuring. The two flights and long drive to get to Moshi, Tanzania allowed me to attempt to mentally prepare for the subsequent week on Kilimanjaro.

I found myself frequently reminding myself why I was climbing the mountain while I was on the road. My group had raised over £30,000 for the Association of International Cancer Research (now Worldwide Cancer Research) and while that fact didn't make me feel any less unsure of what to expect on the mountain, it did make me feel a little stronger. And I knew I'd need a lot of strength to survive the next week...

Day One: Machame | Day Two: Shira
This is a photo of my mum on her wedding day with her parents and bridesmaids. My grandfather died of lung cancer due to passive smoking on the boat he worked on. One bridesmaid has beaten cancer and the other is currently fighting it.