Exonians successfully climb Kilimanjaro

A group from Exeter College has just reached the summit of Kilimanjaro by one of the toughest routes. The group ranged in age from 20-year-old Patrick Gartland, a current law student, to 73-year-old Stanley Johnson, Exeter alumnus and father of the Mayor of London.

Among the other climbers were Peter Collins, Emeritus Director of the Royal Society; Jonathan Miller and Rhodri Williams, two eminent barristers; Bill Kennedy, Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments; and a number of other Exonians, young and old.

The group of 17, which set off for the summit on 27th September via the Lemosho route, was led by Anna Crampin from Global Adventure Challenges and Julius John White who, in 2012, was the first Tanzanian ever to win the Explore Tour Leader of the World award.

The eight-day trek took the group through four different ecosystems: jungle, moorland, alpine desert and finally high mountain snowfields. Sadly one member of the group had to drop out on day four, but the rest of the team made it to Barafu Huts base camp at 4,600 metres to prepare for the summit attempt. Armed with a banner of the College, the team left base camp at 10pm on Wednesday 2nd October and embarked on a trek through the night, aiming to reach Uhuru Peak shortly after sunrise. It is truly an incredible achievement that every single member reached the summit at 5,895 metres on 3rd October. In total the trek to Uhuru Peak and back down to Millenium Camp at 3,900 metres lasted 16 hours.

Exeter College is extremely proud of its courageous team, who have already raised over £25,000 for the College. Stanley Johnson says: “I climbed Kili in 2010 and am just so pleased to “bag” this great mountain a second time for such an inspiring cause.”