Climbing to the roof of Africa

In what she hopes will not be a once in a lifetime experience, Stephens, Director of Public Relations & Special Events for Immunotec, a Vaudreuil-Dorion wellness company, described the climb as “wonderful and exhausting at the same time.”

“I wish I could have stayed longer at the top but our guides monitored our oxygen levels pretty thoroughly and didn’t let us stay for safety reasons,” recalled Stephens this week from her Vaudreuil office.

Eight days after beginning the upward climb, Stephens ascended Kilimanjaro’s Gilman’s Point at just past 7:00 in the morning on July 8.

She and a group of 36 other Canadian climbers, mostly women, began the six hour final leg of the journey at 1:00 in the morning.

And once the guides hustled down those who had completed the climb – some were forced to turn back due to altitude sickness, hallucinations, and such – they faced an additional seven hour trek to their next camp site.

The contingent exited Kilimanjaro’s trails the next day.

Stephens’ journey began on June 25 and ended July 19. She treated herself to four days of rest at a beautiful little hotel before meeting up with 36 strangers from across the county.

A breast cancer survivor, she additionally participated as one of six in a subgroup for a study focusing on coping strategies and similarities between breast cancer survivors and mountain climbers.

CBC news personality Valerie Pringle, who organized the entire expedition with Canadian Physicians for Relief, CPAR, as a means of raising money for women living with HIV and Aids, documented the group’s climb in a special that will air sometime this fall.

All $18,000 raised went to building a 4,000 sq. ft. resource centre for UMATU, a support group for people living with HIV & AIDS in Karatu District Tanzania.

Meeting the African women she helped is a moment Stephens says she will never forget.

“When we arrived (the UMATU woman) came toward us throwing bougainvillea flowers and singing and then we all danced through the streets and sang at the top of our lungs. It was an incredible moment,” she said.

Indelible memories include “belly laughs” shared around camp site cook tents, how a group of strangers coalesced into one team, viewing spectacular scenery and learning about new cultures.

Oh, and the undeniable achievement of realizing just one more life goal.

“Now I have to decide what I want to do for my next adventure,” Stephens added with a laugh.

Katherine Stephens has also written an internet photo book about her adventure. To view the book go to: preview.picaboo.com