Home » News & Articles » 2023 » King's conquers Kilimanjaro once more

King's conquers Kilimanjaro once more

The largest ever group of King's students, staff, Fellows, alumni and their families and friends returned to Tanzania to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro.
20230707-122815-original

After a hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a group of King's students, staff, Fellows, alumni, and their families returned to Tanzania to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro.  Standing at 5,895 metres, it is the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.  The mountain dominates the skyline as one descends into central Africa and a few hundred miles south of the equator.

The Domus Bursar, Philip Isaac, has been taking teams to the summit since 2016, having previously organised an expedition while in the Royal Navy in 2001.  Over the years, some 65 members of King’s and their loved ones have risen to the challenge – with 23 attending in 2023, the largest group.  This year's team comprised 15 students, two members of staff and their partners, one alumnus and former Research Fellow, as well as the siblings and children of some of these King's members.   Philip makes sure the team is ready for the challenge, from identifying the right equipment, to organising training weekends in North Wales and the Peak District, to arranging vaccinations, the prescription of the standard medical prophylaxis agent to avoid high altitude illness and visas in order to enter Tanzania. 

The trek takes six days and is programmed to include acclimatisation days and thus improve opportunities to summit without altitude sickness.  In 2023, 22 of the 23 attendees were able to summit together, commencing their summit day at 01:00 and concluding the day at around 21:00 – some 18 hours of trekking!  There are few mountains that present a good degree of challenge while remaining within bounds of personal safety and trekkers have often commented that the experience is the hardest thing they have ever undertaken but praise the camaraderie that develops and describe the astonishingly beautiful views.

Back in Cambridge, Natural Sciences undergraduate student Nick New says:

The success of the trip is not determined by the miles we covered or getting to the summit.  It is all about the cries, laughters and smiles we shared as a group along with challenging ourselves by stepping outside our comfort zone.  But being able to to say that we stood at the highest point of Africa is awesome as well.

And EMBA candidate Andriy Byelka adds: 

We touched the sky, proving that with perseverance and a supportive team, even the highest peaks can be conquered.  This journey has reshaped our souls forever.  Kilimanjaro taught us that no dream is too big, no challenge too daunting, and no goal unattainable.  

 

 

Similar Entries

oq99ww-w_lr

Kings bans use of the apostrophe

As a result of an extraordinary meeting of the Governing Body, Kings College has decided that the apostrophe should no longer be used in official communications.

img_0883

College Art Rooms opened up for children's workshop

In a session led by art co-ordinator Nigel Meager, children of King's staff and students collaborated to create drawings of imaginary amusement park rides.

dsc_0105square

2018 King's Annual Report

We are pleased to announce that the 2018 King's Annual Report is now available.

tfc_2024_collage_5

The Telephone Fundraising Campaign begins today

From today and until 22 April, a team of 13 student callers will be reaching out to alumni across the world and asking them to support our Supplementary Exhibition Fund and other College initiatives.

Two new Yale scholars arrive at King’s

MPhil students Raquel Sequeira and Evan Mingo are among the College’s 95 new graduate students.

buildings_square

King’s College Entrepreneurship Prize 2019 is now open!

The annual competition encourages King's students and alumni the opportunity to develop their ideas, initiatives and inventions, with a top prize of £20,000.

fellowsgarden

H E Durham Fund 2024

Small grants made for the purpose of advancing, improving, or disseminating knowledge of human or animal life in health or in disease.

postcardsq

The Telephone Fundraising Campaign begins 18 March

The 2019 Telephone Fundraising Campaign will kick off in a couple of weeks.

Follow us on Instagram

View more