Climb Kilimanjaro and Conquer Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is something that I hold close to my heart. My Grandmother had the disease in her old age and it basically destroyed her mind. In the end she had no idea who any of her family were. When I went to visit her, it was like she was looking at a stranger. She didn’t even know who my Grandfather was any more – the man she had been married to for over 60 years. It was heartbreaking. Alzheimer’s and dementia are really nasty diseases, and it is something that we really need to find a cure for.

I was recently contacted by Alzheimer’s Australia who are organising a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in October. Having climbed this formidable mountain before, I know what a tough challenge this is, and it fits perfectly with the challenge of curing Alzheimer’s. This is a great opportunity for you to conquer the highest free standing mountain in the world and at the same time raise awareness and funds to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Here is some information from Alzheimer’s Australia about the challenge and how you can get involved:

Combining raising money for a cause close to your heart and conquering Kilimanjaro, it doesn’t get much more gratifying than that! We guarantee that this will be an experience that you will be proud of and reminisce about for a very long time. Imagine how incredible it would be to conquer Kilimanjaro with a group who are ALL fighting for an amazing cause! You will have each other for support as well as two members of our fundraising team who will be with you every step of the way.

Our fundraising team are thrilled to be helping you every step of the way, from confirming your place on the trip to raising your first dollar, reaching the summit and returning home a new person! We are very excited about this new adventure and will take good care of you. We will provide you with your own fundraising pack which includes hints and tips for fundraising. You will also be sent a pack list and a health checklist to go over with your doctor. Emma, our Community Fundraising Executive, will help you set up your own JustGiving fundraising page and share with you the many ways that you can let people know about what you are doing. We will have a member of our fundraising team taking part in the challenge too!

We have a great relationship with Adventure Alternative – a company with extremely experienced staff – who are always happy to answer any questions that you may have both before and during your trip. It is our priority to ensure that this experience is a very positive one. We understand that there will be challenges along the way, but we see this as an unmissable opportunity to bring like-minded people together in the fight against dementia. Not only is this an opportunity to raise vital funds, we also believe that it will be tremendously helpful in promoting our cause and raising awareness, so the more you get from this incredible experience, the happier we will be!

Dominating the landscape like no other mountain, both iconic and instantly recognizable, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest peak in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. At 5895 metres, to climb Kilimanjaro is a great challenge, not to be underestimated, but entirely feasible for the hill walker looking to combine a high mountain adventure with going to Africa. Kilimanjaro translates to “mountain of the springs” and its unique position just below the equator offers an opportunity to experience five different habitats from bottom to top, which makes an ascent of the mountain undeniably special. In a matter of days you’ll climb Kilimanjaro from the equator to what feels like the Arctic, moving through grasslands, tropical rainforest, alpine meadows, moorlands and desert uplands to snow and ice.

Website: https://nsw.fightdementia.org.au/kilimanjaro

Information Pack: https://nsw.fightdementia.org.au/sites/default/files/Kilimanjaro%202016.pdf