7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 7)

So I made the summit, what more is there to blog about?!?  It’s easy to think that once you get to the summit the journey is over but for me it really has only just begun. The climb down from the summit was unequivocally hard.  Not the same difficulty as climbing up but since going up took 5.5 days and getting down only took 1.5 days, the effort was considerable. What some may consider amusing was my reaction once we started down after only being at the summit for 15-20min.  Whilst logically I understood that what goes up must come down, when our guides announced it was time to go my first thought was “Are you kidding, now I have to climb all the way down?!?  Isn’t there some sort of magical carpet off this mountain???” The experience was somewhat similar to skiing, at least that’s the advice we were given.  Keep your knees bent and nose over toes and simply “skate” down.  Needless to say, even though skiing is one of my favourite sports, I didn’t really see the similarities and it took almost 6hrs to get from the summit to Mweka camp for the evening. Waking on the last day in preparation for getting off the mountain, we were energised by a demonstration of musical prowess by our porter crew.  It was a bittersweet feeling as this endeavour which I had trained and prepared for over many months was coming to an end so quickly.  We had the opportunity to express our appreciation for these wonderful gentleman who had made our trip as enjoyable as possible. And as we walked out through the rainforest in a light drizzle I reflected on the lessons the mountain had gifted me.

1. I learned to appreciate the moment, rather than expect to control it
2. I learned challenging myself out of my comfort zone is better with the support of a team
3. I learned by silencing my mind and taking the time to just be present enhances my feelings of peace and love
4. I learned how to breathe and allow myself to fully experience gratitude, grace and compassion
5. I actively learned persistence and resilience are key to overcoming challenge
6. I learned that life is a journey of growth to better enable me to serve others
7. I learned to listen… and acknowledge there is a lesson from every one and in every thing

I know I have changed.  I know this experience of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro has left its mark on me and like a balloon that has been stretched I will never quite return to my original shape. But I also know I am better for it and it has set me on a path that may not have opened up to me had I not made the decision to go.  In the words of Tony Robbins “it’s in the moments of decision that your destiny is shaped”. My thanks, appreciation and gratitude go to the following people who made this entire experience possible… Blair Singer whose facilitation, mentorship and guidance is second to none and he ensures you learn the lessons! Kevin, Kristen, Kelly and Kaki from K2 Adventures whose leadership and organisation are the best in the industry and were the reason why we were successful! The 97 porters who assisted all of us, making us feel as comfortable and cared for as possible and spoiled us!  With a special mention for Sistus Mtui, my guardian angel on the mountain.  The 2016 MLE One Team: Claudia, Annie, Sarah S, Sarah D, Harvey, Trevor, Renee, Jodi, Lenny, Margo, Justin, Jenifer, Jesus Snr, Yair, Bruce, Shane, Jesus Jnr, Perla and Mike – they supported, encouraged and had fun! And of course, big thanks to my tent mate, my husband Adrian whose undying love and support is undeniably my biggest source of strength and am thankful was with me every step of the way! Day 7 Statistics Start: Mweka Camp @ 3068m (10065 ft) Finish: Mweka Gate @ 1640m (5380 ft) Distance: 10km (6 miles) Time: ~3-4hrs   7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 1) 7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 2) 7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 3) 7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 4) 7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 5) 7 Days of Leadership Lessons from Mt Kilimanjaro (Day 6)