Peak fitness: Brownstown man's charity climb of Kilimanjaro

James Carroll, from Brownstown, Navan, recently returned from Africa where he completed a climb of Kilimanjaro in aid of SOSAD, the suicide awareness charity. He was one of a group of 33 people, from Meath, Sligo, Cavan, Dublin, Tipperary and Clare aged from 16 to their mid-50s, who took part in the adventure. James, from Veldonstown, made it to the 19,300 feet summit on 4th July at 7.30am. Over €5,200 has been raised for SOSAD Ireland, with more coming in, and he has thanked everyone who got involved in helping to fundraise and all those who supported the cause. After a few months of training with plenty of hikes on mountains around Ireland from Slieve Donard in Co Down to the Galtees in Co Tipperary, the 33 set off for Tanzania on 27th June. Ian McKeever led the group and set out training and nutrition plans for all as well as lists of gear needed to survive the temperatures that ranged from the high 20s in the daytime to -15 degrees at night. James explained: "Our group took the less used Lemosho Route to Uhuru Peak at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. This is the longest and most remote route to Kilimanjaro. Initial forests of the Lemosho Glades are rich in buffalo, elephant and other game - bar some monkeys but we weren't lucky enough to see these animals. "After passing through the beautiful forests and moorlands, it crosses the Shira Plateau to meet up with the Machame Route. The south circuit is then followed, from which we had great views of the Southern Icefields, past the Barranco Hut then on to Barafu and finally the summit. Accommodation along the way is in tents at various campsites, with Tanzanian and Kenyan Porters carrying food supplies up the mountain. "The Lemosho route is over 70km in length and had some tough climbs in places. With this route, there is additional time to acclimatise that you don't get on other routes - this took us eight days to complete from start to finish. Our great Tanzanian guides were constantly telling us to climb 'pole pole' which means 'slowly slowly'. "As many as 40 per cent of those who set out to climb Kilimanjaro each year turn back before reaching the summit as they don't have enough time to acclimatise. All 33 of our group made it. "That is not to say it is easy. While for the most part the trek is fine, altitude sickness set in for many, myself included, on the summit night. We were very fortunate to have a great medical team made up of Dr Ellie O'Leary, Dr Padraig Sheeran and Dr Jenny Murray," he said. James said that, for him, the last hour-and-a-half before reaching the summit was when the effects of altitude sickness really began to take effect. "We had been climbing for six hours in the darkness and in -15 degrees temperature. With an hour-and-a-half to go, I began to get a blinding headache and my legs felt like they were made of lead. Some of my group were getting physically sick and a feeling of absolute exhaustion was a common complaint. Not surprising, considering there is 50 per cent less oxygen at such altitude. "However, we all battled on and reached the 5,985 metres (19,341 feet) summit at 7.30 on the morning of 4th July. It was a great feeling to have made it to the summit, after all the months of preparation and anticipation. "After our two-day descent, journey back to the lodge and a well-deserved (and needed!) shower, one question was on everyone's lips: 'So would you do it again?' While the answers certainly varied, for me, I can wholeheartedly say yes - I would go back in the morning!"