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
So with the way the module system works up at Stirling, I had one last chance to pick any random subject I liked before I start doing Psychology modules exclusively. Continuing with Linguistics was out because it had specialised so only English undergrads could pick it and I didn't really fancy starting a new subject... so I decided to go out on a limb and choose the work experience module. 

Before things got started, we had to 'apply' for our placements. One of the major draws of the module for me was that their was a link with the Bannockburn Riding for the Disabled Association, a charity which specialises in riding therapy for disabled children and adults. I sent off my choices and when I heard back, it was one of those wonderful times where the universe does me a solid (previous examples include getting accepted to study abroad at the University of Victoria and whenever I make it to the bus stop on time) because I was given the BRDA as my placement! 

Slight issue: I had zero experience with horses. 
I'm having real trouble not typing all of this in capitals right now. I'm just too excited. In fact, excited doesn't even cover it. Hysterical, maybe? Today I successfully reached my target of £2995 for the Association of International Cancer Research!!!!!
I can hardly believe I'm writing this post so soon, but it's true! I've hit £1000 on my fundraising!
In eleven months I begin my climb for AICR!



With less than a year to go, I thought it appropriate to announce my Just Giving page to the world. I'd greatly appreciate a donation of any size and so would AICR. They currently have 185 projects on the go in 18 different countries and have made it their mission to only fund the very best cancer research, no matter where in the world it is. I'll let David Tennant tell you more...

A Midsummer Night's Breeze from TheTravellingQuill on 8tracks Radio.
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.
IF the world produces enough food for everyone, why do one in eight people not have enough to eat?

© Food Enough If
I’m all signed up with AICR to fundraise and I’ve just received the itinerary for the trip! My climb will be like travelling from the equator to Antarctica in a few days. I will pass through tropical rain forests, evergreen forests, moorlands and alpine deserts and see an entirely unique landscape. 

© Mikelac01
I'll start the first post with a bang, shall I? Next summer, several members of the University of Stirling and I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro after raising £3000 each for the Association of International Cancer Research (AICR). 

© Dave Lobby