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ST Christopher's School students have been on the move again with a group tackling Africa's third highest peak to gain their Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award - a journey that awakened climbing ambitions in a few of them.
Mount Meru, in Tanzania, is Africa's third highest peak, soaring above the plains to 4,562 metres. Although it sits in the shadow of 5,892-metre high Kilimanjaro, it is considered to be a tougher climb than its imposing neighbour.
After a day's acclimatisation and a cultural evening at a local lodge, the expedition of 17 students and three teachers set off with the route initially following a gentle gradient through lush woods and grassland with an abundance of wildlife.
These lower slopes offer a deceptively relaxing start to the trek but before the end of the first day everyone was beginning to feel the effects of high altitude. A 1,000m ascent to a height of 2,514m ensured complete exhaustion had overcome everyone by the time they reached Miriakamba hut - the first night's accommodation.
In the normal course of events, teenagers might turn up their noses at such basic accommodation. For many, it was their first experience of a 'long-drop' toilet (a deep hole in the ground over which a seat is erected). But the physical demands of an expedition push the body to its limits and make people appreciative of even the most basic amenities.
And the sheer beauty of the surroundings was enough compensation for the facilities. Ahead, the mighty crater walls rose over the ash cone to Socialist Peak, the mountain's highest point. Behind, the forested slopes dropped steeply towards the distant savannah far below. This is where, on their way down, they would stand shoulder to shoulder with a wild giraffe. It wandered past grazing peacefully on leaves from the tree tops that rose level with a veranda erected behind the canteen.
A long, hard slog through ever thinner air brought them to Saddle Hut (3,500m above sea level) by mid-afternoon on day two. From here part of the group continued on to the summit of Little Meru (3,801m). The walk took them through striking changes in the landscape and flora.
Meru is a spectacularly beautiful volcano that geologists believe was once bigger than Kilimanjaro. It lost much of its bulk about 8,000 years ago in a sideways eruption that obliterated its eastern slopes. Left behind is a horse-shoe shaped ridge, harbouring a slowly growing ash cone at its centre. Its last minor eruption was about a century ago.
The final summit push began at 1.30am on day three after just a couple of hours of sleep. Weary before they even started, the group battled chilly temperatures, oxygen deprivation and challenging terrain to reach Rhino Point. Most continued on to reach Halfway Point by dawn. Fatigued beyond belief and with altitude sickness creeping up on them, this was where many of the party celebrated their immense success before heading back to Saddle Hut.
However, there were four students who were prepared to settle for nothing less than the summit. Shrugging off their exhaustion, they petitioned expedition leader Jon Bigg to take them further. Warned that there was no chance of reaching the summit as it was already too late in the day, a compromise was reached: to climb on as far as Cobra Point before heading down.
They set off at a blistering pace hoping that if they went fast enough then maybe they might be allowed to carry on all the way to the top...
Scrambling doggedly over rocky outcrops, grinding their way up slopes of soft, black volcanic sand, and balancing fearlessly along narrow ledges past precipitous drops, they edged ever closer until the summit flag came into view. Cobra Point had come and gone, a goal accomplished so quickly that the summit was no longer a subject for debate.
Through the clear morning air, it appeared: a silhouette against the vivid blue sky! Christina Lunn, Miguel Cardoso, Ollie Hudson and Serena Mujtaba, accompanied by Mr Bigg, gasped their way up the final section of the volcanic ridge to stand on top of Africa's third highest mountain!
Seventy kilometres away, the 5,892m high snow capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro rose impressively above its skirt of cloud. Even as the summit of Mount Meru lay conquered beneath their feet, ambitions were stirring ... several of them hope to look down on Mount Meru from the top of Africa's highest mountain.
After the climb Christina said: "Standing at the bottom of Mt Meru was easy; standing on the top was not. It was a long, LONG hard trek but I can honestly say reaching the summit was the proudest moment of my life. I wish I was still up there searching for oxygen in the air right now!"
Fellow adventurer Niall Boland added: "The most amazing parts of climbing Mount Meru were the overwhelming feelings that came over you after a hard day's walking and the sheer beauty of the landscape which stood beneath us. The trip was a life changing experience; it opened my eyes to whole new worlds. The Duke of Edinburgh Programme itself has given me the reassurance I need to strive forward. After facing the brutal yet beautiful Mount Meru I think I can take on anything."
The International Award is an exciting self-development programme available worldwide to all young people between the ages of 14 and 25. It aims to equip them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world.
Launched as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in the UK in 1956 by Prince Philip, the Award has now spread to 126 countries. The organisation's goal is to have one million young people participating in the programme by the end of the decade.
Mr Bigg said: "Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions push students beyond what they think they are capable of, giving them new horizons and higher expectations of themselves. They learn independence and self reliance. They also give them greater confidence and raises their aspirations."
- The report was written by expedition leader Jon Bigg
