The final descent was around 10km to the gate. Before we set out the ranger approached us asking if we wanted to take the jeep rather than walk. Anthony laughed saying "She won't allow us to do that!" as he looked at me for confirmation. He was right as I replied, "Let's finish this properly, we've got this far" as he nodded approvingly. We walked through the forest as monkeys and baboons went about their daily routines. The route was caked with mud from the recent rain and

The team had decided that after my 11 hour epic summit day, I deserved a lay in and Ramaa wouldn't deliver me tea until 9am. We relaxed at camp for the morning as Anthony and Nasibu taught me how to prepare a local dish called ugali. Saidi explained that him and Anthony were a little concerned regarding the teams that had ascended through the night. A group already had returned, failing to safely pass the snow in the dark and by now it was 11am and the other teams hasn't retu

A gentle knocking on my door with the sound of Ramaa's voice woke me up. I'd been reminded the previous evening that "There's no alarms in Africa, we need you to wake up peacefully and happily - Ramaa will come with tea" It was 6am as he began the morning ritual of questions to assess my wellbeing; "How did you sleep Amy?" and "How are you feeling?" He gave me a bowl of warm water and soap for washing and a cup of tea, telling me to come for breakfast whenever I was ready. To

There was instant commotion as I stepped off the bus, following a 6 hour journey from Nairobi to Arusha. As my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight I saw 2 familiar smiles as Saidi and Ramaa waved excitedly. “Jambo, jambo!” they greeted me in Swahili simultaneously rushing over frantically to hug me and before I could even attempt to lift my bags they were already loaded onto their backs. “Ay up duck” Saidi said through uncontrollable laughter, remembering the Nottingham gree

The final day had arrived. There was only one other team at camp and they were completing the last few kilometres in a vehicle. Alex explained that the risk of dangerous animals is high on this final section so most people drive. There was limited space in the vehicle, Alex had discussed with the ranger and we had approval to walk the final stretch. "We are concerned for you, ladies need their personal space and I am worried you will not be comfortable squashed with all these

It was early and I could Samson's voice saying "Amy are you inside, are you okay?" followed by him vigorously shaking my tent. This was not the usual gentle peaceful wake up call I had become accustomed to. "I need to untrap you Amy" he said as the shaking continued. I was half awake and unsure what was happening. He began to unzip my tent saying "Look Amy, we ordered a surprise for you - you went to sleep in Kenya and woke up in Canada!" I could hardly believe my eyes as I l

I began to hear shuffling around camp at 2.30am as the two other teams were getting ready - the sounds of endless zips, clips and sleeping bags being stuffed. I attempted to get more sleep but could not settle again. My alarm went off at 3am and I began layering up for the summit ahead. Alex had told me he wanted me to smother my toes, finger tips, nose and cheeks in vaseline as it provides extra insulation and protects from wind burn on your face. I laughed to myself at his

I slept perfectly though the night, luckily not disturbed by any rabies infected dogs or angry buffaloes. After breakfast, Alex led me out of camp following a steep incline. The altitude had already progressed to over 3000m which was clear with my elevated breathing. The mountain was quiet, with only one other team at the camp overnight. Alex would announce, "study time" when we encountered a new plant species and begin listing facts. Half way through his explaination of the

My alarm sounded at 6am and I struggled to emerge from the mass of pillows I'd wedged myself between. I moved around my room slowly and sleepily, checking I'd got all the essential kit in the right bags. Gerald assisted me with my luggage which had now increased to 3 bags, as I'd be leaving some items behind that I needed for the remainder of my adventure. I checked out with Mary and she offered for me to extend my stay at a reduced price, which frankly was tempting. My driv

Not all adventures begin as you dreamt. I stood staring in despair at the word "cancelled" that appeared on the flight departures board at Heathrow. It was now 11pm having waited here since 2pm for a flight scheduled to depart at 5pm. The flight had been delayed, the board increasing the delay by manageable hourly increments until the inevitable cancellation was announced. Naturally I catastrophised the situation, the irrational thoughts catalysed by my tired state. A flood o

Today would be the final day in Madagascar before embarking on the long journey home. After breakfast we drove to the outskirts of...

The accommodation for the night was individual straw roofed bungalows, which is the more common style here than a typical hotel. Luckily...

Today we continued to journey across the island, now heading west towards the coast. Our first stop was Zombitse national park, a...

I managed to sleep for around 12 hours and although my stomach still felt sensitive in the morning, I was confident that I was over the...

After over a week of avoiding a bad stomach, I had finally become the next victim. I’d had a rough night, getting up around 7-8 times,...

I woke up the sound of people shuffling around camp in addition to the strong gusts of wind that hadn’t relented all night. I sleepily...

I’d slept remarkably well for the first night camping and although it was a cold night, I’d remained cosy bundled up in my sleeping bag....

Following a restful night we began the day by visting a local zebu market in Ambalavao. The market was bustling with locals stood around...

I was woken early at 5am by the rainforest chorus so decided to go for a swim in the local pool before breakfast. Hery had pointed it out...

After another morning of driving on rough roads, we finally reached our first national park where we would spend 2 days exploring....