A MOUNTAINOUS CHALLENGE!

We are so very grateful to our member Sukhchandan Kaur, who made the incredible journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds both for her grandson’s sensory room and for NAS Stafford. In the past our members have cycled, run marathons and done skydives for us, but climbing Kilimanjaro is quite a feat!

I spoke to Sukhchandan upon her return all about her experience. She did lots of training to prepare, including climbing Snowdon, Edale Skyline and Wrekin but the scale of Kilimanjaro, the thin air and the altitude sickness made it an extremely challenging environment..

Sukhchandan told me she wore plenty of layers (7 or 8!) and two sets of gloves; every day she asked herself the question: will I get to the summit? Not everyone who makes the climb does actually manage to achieve the summit so it was always a question in her mind as to whether she could do it. 

Sukhchandan climbed with her son, who walked in front of her but who, unbeknownst to them, was developing a chest infection. She was always worried that she would be the weak link in the chain of climbers in their party, but she pushed on. 

 I asked Sukhchandan what the best part of the climb was, and she said that it came on summit night but before she actually reached the summit. Their party set off at 10.45pm so that they would make it to the summit for sunrise. She knew that this was going to be the hardest part of the climb, as it came on the back of a full last day of climbing. Sukhchandan described how she watched the sky start to fill with twinkling lights, and saw fellow climbers ascending the mountain, and she had no concept of time. Thinking it was only two or three am, she was pleasantly shocked when one member of the party approached her to say, ‘Your son really needs a hug right now!’ Sukhchandan and her son shared the most wonderful hug – then she looked up and that was when she saw the sign for Stella Point – the final marker,  which meant that the summit of Kilimanjaro was a mere 90 minutes away . She knew then that she would make it  and the guides, porters and climbers had a group hug, danced and sang in joy. That was her best moment

The summit, was of course, a wonderful experience as daylight rose and the climbers could bask in the sun’s rays and glistening glaciers but also the sense of achievement.  Yet as I was speaking to Sukhchandan I understood that the moment with her son was one that was so uniquely personal, and no climber of that mountain could ever quite recreate it. That was what made it so special. 

Sukhchandan explained how her Sikh faith helped to sustain her through training and the journey itself. It also made her feel a special spiritual connection with the mountain. She described how treading on the fresh snow made her feel like she was somehow she was violating nature, and so she felt that she had to seek a kind of permission from the mountain to climb it. She said that it was less about ‘conquering’ the mountain and more about respecting the climb, feeling gratitude to being there, and feeling humility in the face of its magnificence. 

Sukhchandan paid tribute to the crew and the porters who helped them to achieve the summit, and to those climbers who couldn’t quite make it to the summit because of the altitude. Her own son had to be escorted quickly back down the mountain as he was feeling unwell, but his infection was quickly treated and he made a good recovery. 

This sounds like the most amazing journey and we at NAS Stafford feel privileged to have in some way been a part of it. Once again, we would like to thank Sukhchandan for her efforts and for fundraising for us in such a monumental way.