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CLIMBING KILIMANJARO

Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest free-standing mountain in the world and one of the Seven Summits. Standing at an elevation of 5,895 metres, it presents a challenge for even the most experienced climbers, who must contend with the effects of high altitude, freezing conditions, and the mental struggles of living and hiking on a mountain for an entire week. This was the journey that I undertook with my son, Amos, at the tender age of 7 years old.


Living in the north of Scotland, we are surrounded by beautiful mountainous scenery, and it brings me joy to behold the beauty of God’s creation (Psalm 19:1). When Amos was just three years old, he began accompanying me on small mountain hikes. Over the years, he has summited the highest mountain in the UK three times and has demonstrated great endurance and skill by joining grown men on 19-mile hikes in the Cairngorms, as well as participating in overnight camping trips. Given his growing ability to adapt to challenging environments, we started discussing the idea of tackling an even greater challenge: Mount Kilimanjaro.

Planning a hike that involved travelling to Tanzania, spending a week on a mountain, and managing the associated costs and practical preparations was a new experience for me. I also had to secure a special permit for Amos to be allowed to climb, as very few children under ten have ever attempted to reach the summit. Nevertheless, considering Amos’s growing abilities we proceeded with this trip, and during the second week of December, we flew to Tanzania to begin our adventure.


The trip started poorly when our two large bags containing essential camping gear went missing. While missing luggage is always frustrating, this situation threatened to jeopardise the entire hike. Thankfully, we were able to postpone our hike by one day, and mercifully, our luggage arrived just before midnight the following day. After this stressful start, we were finally ready to begin our hike.


Many routes can be taken for this climb, and we opted for the 7-day Machame route, which begins at an elevation of approximately 1,800 metres. However, this route involves spending much of the trip acclimatising to higher altitudes. During the third to fifth days, we walked for many hours up to higher altitudes and then back down to lower elevations. We were also accompanied by a team of porters who carried our larger bags and all the other equipment. It was admirable to see these men managing weights of over 20kg on their backs and heads from campsite to campsite on the mountain, having everything prepared before we arrived and tidying up when we left. This eases the level of challenge in a setting where everything is an adjustment for those who are inexperienced with camping.


During the initial two days, we climbed up to around 3,700 metres, walking through very steep forest and moorland territories. Amos managed this with relative ease, and I would dare to claim that I did too! However, the third day marked the beginning of our altitude adjustment, as we walked for many hours through the alpine desert land to the Lava Tower Camp at an elevation of 4,600 metres. This was a struggle for both of us due to the impact of altitude, which made us feel increasingly tired with every step. However, we succeeded in reaching the camp and then felt more energised walking down to 3,900 metres through some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. It was also incredibly encouraging to see my son persevere through his greatest struggles while maintaining his enthusiasm to keep going.

The following day involved scaling the Barranco Wall and this was a challenge we overcame. The subsequent hours included going down steep mountains and ascending high ones. We continued to grow in strength and were prepared for day five, which featured a shorter hike of only 3-4 hours as we walked up to our highest elevation of 4,700 metres. We felt good and managed to get some rest that afternoon, followed by an early night in preparation for “summit night.”



“Summit night” is the greatly anticipated (and feared) climactic part of this epic hike. We woke up before midnight, ready to scale the summit of Africa’s highest mountain at 5,895 metres around the time the sun had risen. Facing temperatures well below freezing and the increasingly crippling effects of altitude, where altitude sickness becomes more likely, each step feeling heavier. This is a challenge for the hardiest of souls. We entered this night with growing confidence, given all that Amos had managed to achieve.


We were delayed due to the problem of trying to find certain equipment (a problem when you must pack and unpack every day), but we started the ascent. Although Amos was groggy, I had often seen him increase in energy during a climb. Over the past week, his mental strength had given me much confidence. However, as the hours rolled on, he became increasingly tired. We had to stop and make attempts to wake him up and keep him alert, but as we continued to gain altitude there was no improvement. The porters and I did not observe any serious effects of the higher altitude apart from his tiredness, but a challenging decision had to be made: Do we try to drag him to the top, where the impact of higher altitude may have an increasingly debilitating effect, to achieve the ultimate success? Or do we give it up here? We pressed on to over 5,400 metres, and the summit was getting closer. My competitive drive and the magnitude of the achievement very much fuelled my desire to continue. However, there was something more important before my eyes: my son.


The decision was made to stop hiking towards the summit, and one of the porters began carrying him down the mountain. I quickly followed, filled with emotion while trying to process what had happened as the sun rose above the clouds. It was a spectacular sight, and suddenly I was stopped to find my son standing beside the porter next to some icicles that had formed on the rocks. He had told the porter he wanted to show his ‘daddy’. It was an unforgettable moment, and I broke down in tears as I hugged him. This trip was motivated by my ambition for success, but it created an unforgettable experience with my cherished son. I wanted him to know how much I loved him and that he had not let me or anyone else down.


There was no denying the disappointment of not achieving the ultimate goal, but the level of success was unprecedented in reaching an elevation higher than Everest Base Camp. However, this experience served as a humbling lesson for me. The Lord has prospered many of the plans I have made, which have involved numerous battles and hard work. In this instance, the result was not what I had anticipated. In such situations, the Lord uses our disappointments to deepen our trust that He is Sovereign in our lives. He realigns and shapes our focus through these experiences. I was blessed with a unique opportunity to witness my son’s achievements, and the quality time we spent together was something I will cherish for my entire lifetime.


Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18


The significance of the trip became increasingly clear following our descent to 4,700 metres, after which I had a conversation with the chief porter. He told me that he had learned something valuable from witnessing our time together. This was significant because a father and son spending such a time together does not happen in their culture. This man, a professing Seventh-day Adventist, demonstrated much patience and care towards my son, yet this behaviour was unfamiliar in his own family. I proceeded to express that this trip was a blessing but also a time that magnified my sinfulness. I referred to being stressed at the beginning of “summit night” which required me to take time in prayer to repent and regain my calm. I realised how unique this opportunity was to spend with my son, a time I truly wanted to cherish. My desire to raise my son in a loving, God-centred way is biblical. I am very busy with my ministerial work and life, but this makes prioritising and maximising time with my children increasingly vital. This is something that is all too readily neglected in cultures across the world. In the United Kingdom, we see absent fathers alongside mothers who have been removed from the family home. This is one of the great wars within our culture and is a subtle yet damaging attack from Satan on the Christian family unit.


My son, give me your heart,

and let your eyes observe my ways.

Proverbs 23:26


My witness as a father was not one of perfection or superiority. Instead, it reflected the journey of a sinful and weak man who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ. I felt deeply convicted about my role as the head of my family and recognised the importance of investing time in their growth to the glory of God’s name. A climbing trip to Kilimanjaro did not teach me this lesson, but the fruit of this investment was something I could enjoy and celebrate amid the challenges and all the more to focus on because of the disappointments encountered.


During the rest of the trip, Amos was full of joy and served as a source of great delight and encouragement to our team and many others who encountered him. We safely returned to the camp to complete a very successful trip that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life.


As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Psalm 103:13


This trip has been a fundraising event to raise money for the Classical Christian School that our church is establishing at the beginning of 2025. We are very excited about this important step in advancing Christian education, so please pray for Dóxa Theó Christian School. If you would like to donate towards this then you can use the following link:


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