Sophie is on top of the world
Fundraising climb for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity
Sophie Brewster from Edinburgh has just got back to the capital after climbing Kilimanjaro.
Conquering the highest free standing mountain in the world is a big moment for anyone.
This was a bigger deal for Sophie as she really is someone who loves home and family - and for this challenge she left both her fiancé Toby Clutton and beloved dog Oakley behind.
Sophie (27) is a physio at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children and she gave us a flavour of the adventure. She said : "I think I was really lucky not to suffer from altitude sickness. Many of my group did with constant headaches, shortness of breath and occasional dizziness. I tried my best to follow what the guides advised.
"We were encouraged to drink as much liquid as possible and I think
one day I drank around 7L of water which seemed to really help though did mean a lot more weight in my backpack.
"I also made sure I was eating as much as I could - the food they prepared for us on the mountain was amazing considering the conditions. I think for me it wasn’t necessarily the physical challenge but more the stepping outside of my comfort zone - going to a completely new country and getting used to the climate and culture, originally not knowing anyone and joining a group of strangers, camping for 7 nights in a tent on the side of the mountain (I’ve never really camped ) and
just generally being away from my family and friends. I’m a home bird!
"During the climb you see the terrain change from rainforest to moorland to alpine desert and then the snowy summit and so part of the challenge is being prepared for that too. The first day and night were quite hot but the temperature dropped from then on in and was well below freezing at the peak!
"Nights were long and cold - a lot of heat packs and hand warmers were used!”
Sophie has a fundraising page on Just Giving.