Hazlewoods Partner, Scott Lawrence, teamed up with Emma Payne, Senior Associate at BPE Solicitors, as part of an intrepid team of eight, who took on the challenge to climb Kilimanjaro in October 2017.
It was a week of extremes for the team, who had to deal with temperatures up to 30 degrees during the day and lows of -15 at night. The trek to base camp of the highest mountain on the African continent and highest freestanding mountain in the world took them through rainforest, fields of grasses, heathers, rocks and over 6km of desert.
Despite the beautiful views and team camaraderie, the climb was not without its challenges. From base camp at 4,700m to the summit is where it got really tough; hiking was no longer an option and the group slowed to approximately 1kmph, which was nothing to do with their fitness or ability. Oxygen deprivation due to the high altitude, lead to sickness, dizziness and confusion, to name just a few.
Speaking of the experience, Scott Lawrence, Partner, said: “It was so much more difficult than I could have imagined, but once you’re back down, you start to remember all of the wonderful experiences. At times, it felt like we were stood in the sunrise and everything from those views to the people and porters who helped us, was amazing.”
Emma Payne, BPE, agreed “The summit attempt was without doubt the hardest physical and mental challenge faced by any one of us - the runners in the team claimed running a marathon was a doddle in comparison. I am incredibly proud of myself and the entire team for our achievements. It is definitely not for the faint hearted!”
Scott and Emma were raising money for Winston’s Wish; the charity was created in Cheltenham in 1992, providing much needed help and support to bereaved children throughout the UK. Their fundraising total currently stands at over £5,000.