Working in the mountains had taken Phil to many places, but not yet to Africa. When an opportunity came to join a Challenge Central group on Kilimanjaro, he travelled to Tanzania for a journey that would be as much about patience and acclimatisation as climbing.
After landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport, the heat made an immediate contrast with the UK. Time in Moshi and a visit to the Ngorongoro area provided a vivid introduction before the trek began.
Into the forest
The group travelled to Machame Gate, met the local team and began on a defined path through forest. Phil remembers a deliberately slow pace and the phrase repeated by the guides throughout the trek: pole pole—slowly, slowly.
That restraint was part of the experience. Kilimanjaro is a high-altitude environment, and the historical journey was structured to let the group gain height progressively. Present-day route, itinerary and health guidance must always come from the current event team.
Above the clouds
As the group climbed, forest gave way to more open terrain. Phil remembers leaving camp to find a sea of cloud below and Mount Meru visible in the distance—one of the most remarkable views of the journey.
The day included climbing higher before descending to camp. For Phil, it made the idea of acclimatisation tangible: progress was not simply a straight line upwards.
Every morning revealed a different mountain. The pace stayed patient; the scale of the experience kept growing.
Hands on the rock
A later stage brought a change in terrain and moments where hands were needed for balance and movement. It felt different from the earlier paths and gave the group another kind of challenge before a shorter afternoon at camp.
By then, anticipation was building around the final push. Temperatures had dropped, layers had changed and the summit section was clearly visible from the higher camp.
The summit night
The group set out around midnight into cold and darkness. Head torches marked the route ahead, movement was slow and the same patient rhythm continued. Phil remembers looking at the time in the early hours and reducing the task to one instruction: keep going.
Sunrise brought the crater into view, followed by the final gradual progress towards Uhuru Peak. The cold and thinner air made even nearby points feel distant, but the surrounding glaciers and the changing light created a scene he described as completely surreal.
Coming back down
After reaching the summit and taking the group photographs, the journey turned downhill. A short rest at the higher camp was followed by the continued descent through changing landscapes.
Back near the gate, relief and celebration replaced the quiet concentration of summit night. The group marked the finish together with food, singing and dancing. Phil's immediate reflection echoed around the table: an extraordinary experience—and one he might approach differently the next time.
