Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Earlier this year I decided to attempt a climb of . This was to satisfy my own wanderlust and also raise money and increase awareness for the work of GUCH Patients Association.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GUCH

My fiancé Lucy was diagnosed as having Cor triatriatum in March 2005. This is one of the rarest congenital cardiac anomalies where there is a division or partitioning of one of the atrial chambers to form 3 atria.

Most children are diagnosed at birth. Lucy was diagnosed at the age of 28 having been living a highly active and fulfilling life without any knowledge of such a condition

I clearly remember the deep concern, worry and total feeling of ignorance we all felt in the first few months of her diagnosis.

The corrective procedure was to involve highly sophisticated open heart surgery over a five hour period.

Lucy was operated on in August 2005 at the Heart Hospital. The operation was a complete success and our heartfelt thanks goes out to all the staff involved.

After a few days in intensive care Lucy was moved to the GUCH ward for some convalescence and was discharged (a little reluctantly) a few days later. She is currently enjoying the very best of health.

We are both looking forward to some trekking in Tazmania over December and are busy with wedding plans for next year.

Despite this all taking place over 12 months ago the pain and uncertainly of the experience for both myself and Lucy is still very clear in my head.

My thoughts are with anyone else going through a similar experience. The strength and courage shown by all I saw on the ward was quite humbling.

THE EXPEDITION:

I decided to attempt my summit attempt of Kilimanjaro via the less travelled Machame or "whisky route". This was considered to be the harder but more beautiful and dramatic of the ascent routes.

The trek lasted 7 days in total and the summit attempt was especially gruelling both mentally and physically.

The horizontal distance between the final base camp (Barafu. It means ice and was an apt name) to the summit is 4500m.

The altitude gain was 1295m, so the average gradient was 1:3.6 or the equivalent of climbing twenty six "Gerkin" towers laid end to end at an incline. But then at 4703m where the final ascent begins there is only half the density of oxygen which occurs in the Square Mile.

You could say it's the equivalent of performing this feat with only one lung.

At times I found the effect agonising. There is no other word for it. It was well worth it.

The brief time I spent on the summit was surreal. It felt like a dream or the equivalent of being in outer space far above the clouds with the dramatic glaciers framed by a pure orange morning sky which was like some inferno.

I would like to thank all those at GUCH for their fantastic work. Sincere thanks also to everyone who donated to this very worthwhile cause. All aspects of the expedition were funded by myself so that all money raised will go towards their good work.

Rahul Shah
Mortgage Centre IFA
T 020 7495 7333
E: rahul@mcifa.co.uk www.mortgagecentreifa.co.uk