At just 21 years old, Molly Turnbull is taking on one of the greatest challenges in mountaineering: to stand on the highest point of every continent on Earth. It is a gruelling journey across all seven continents from the brutal ice of Antarctica to the thin, unforgiving air of Mount Everest — the highest point on our planet at 8,849 metres. A graduate of the Scottish-based charity The Polar Academy, which transformed her life, Molly is taking on the world's most formidable peaks to shine a light on its work and to show that courage and sheer determination can carry an ordinary young woman to extraordinary heights. This is her journey.
Hi! I'm Molly, a 21-year-old mountaineer from Freuchie in Fife. When I was only 14 years old, I was selected to join The Polar Academy. This Scottish youth charity seeks out “invisible” kids — teenagers who have quietly withdrawn from the world and lost all belief in themselves. They are the young people who sit at the back of the class and go unnoticed, who have been worn down by years of bullying, isolation or struggles with their confidence and mental health, until they feel unseen and convinced they have nothing to offer. After years of bullying, I was timid, terrified and afraid to show myself to the world. I was invisible. After undergoing their intensive training programme for two years (widely considered the most rigorous youth training programme in Europe), I went on to take part in an extreme expedition and my passion for adventure thrived. Through my experience, I found a love of exploration and the outdoors but, most importantly, I realised the necessity of overcoming challenges in life. In 2023, aged 18, I trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp to raise funds for The Polar Academy. I wanted to give something back. There I saw Mt. Everest with my own eyes for the very first time and while standing there looking up at the highest point on Earth, I decided that one day I would climb it.
After that adventure, I won Young Scot of the Year 2023, an award which recognises resilience and dedication in supporting other young people to overcome adversity.
In the years since, as I have kept climbing and begun my university degree, my dream has grown into a far bigger challenge. Not only do I want to summit Mt. Everest… but also the highest peak on every other continent too.
The Seven Summits Challenge is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. I am determined to show that with the right preparation, support and stubbornness, a young woman from a small village in Fife can take on the toughest mountains on the planet and inspire others to believe that what might be perceived as impossible is achievable. This challenge is not only about the mountains, but about using them as a platform to raise awareness and represent the incredible work of The Polar Academy. A charity which changed my life.
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Only a few hundred people have ever completed the full set and far fewer have done it this young. If Molly succeeds, she hopes to become the youngest Scottish woman and one of the youngest people ever to complete the challenge. Here's the route ahead.
Each summit brings its own test: the thin air and technical ridges of Everest, the relentless altitude of Aconcagua, the brutal cold of Denali and the unpredictable weather of Vinson. Between expeditions come long months of relentless physical and mental training, fundraising and painstaking logistics: securing permits, booking flights, arranging guides and gathering the specialist equipment each mountain demands. Every summit is earned as much in the preparation as on the peak itself.
The journey began on Kilimanjaro in September 2026 and builds, summit by summit, to the ultimate goal: Everest in May 2029. Seven peaks in under three years.
This page will grow into a living tracker. As each mountain is climbed, its card will be marked Summited, so you can follow the progress in real time from base camp to the final peak.
01
Africa
Kilimanjaro
5,895 mSummited
September 2026
02
Europe
Elbrus
5,642 mNext up
Summer 2027
03
Oceania
Carstensz Pyramid
4,884 mPlanned
Autumn 2027
04
Antarctica
Vinson
4,892 mPlanned
December 2027
05
South America
Aconcagua
6,961 mPlanned
January 2028
06
North America
Denali
6,190 mPlanned
Summer 2028
07
Asia
Everest
8,849 mThe finale
May 2029
The Final Goal
Seven peaks, seven continents, in under three years, with the hope of becoming the youngest Scottish woman to complete the set.
In partnership with
The Polar Academy
The Polar Academy is a Scottish charity on a mission to transform the lives of young people who feel invisible and who have significant mental health issues. Each year it selects teenagers who have lost their confidence and self-belief, and puts them through ten months of gruelling physical and mental training before leading them on a genuine expedition across the frozen Arctic. They come home transformed. They stand taller and braver and more sure of their own worth than ever before. They go on to inspire thousands of their peers with what they have achieved. Its guiding belief is simple but profound: Inspiration through Exploration.
Molly is a graduate of that programme. It handed her back her self-belief and set her on the path to the mountains. Her Seven Summits challenge is her way of giving back — dedicated to raising awareness of The Polar Academy's life-changing work and to proving to every young person who feels unseen that they, too, are capable of extraordinary things.
The Polar Academy is proudly supported by a wonderful community of partners
Holywood Trust
Expedition Patrons
Backed by remarkable people
Molly's Seven Summits is proud to be championed by a group of Expedition Patrons: significant figures in mountaineering and beyond who are willing to lend their name, experience and encouragement to the challenge and be associated with it.
Garrett Madison
Expedition Leader · Founder, Madison Mountaineering
"Molly's Seven Summits project inspires me because it represents something much bigger than climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. She is setting a bold goal, committing to it fully, and showing us what can be accomplished by moving forward one step at a time.
Having spent much of my life in the mountains, I know how powerful these experiences can be. They challenge us physically and mentally, building confidence, perspective, resilience, and a deeper belief in what is possible.
I admire the example Molly is setting for those around her. Projects like this can inspire a community to dream bigger, take on their own challenges, and believe that ambitious goals are within reach.
I'm excited to support Molly and to see the impact her journey has not only on her, but on everyone following along. I hope her Seven Summits project encourages others to step outside their comfort zones, pursue something meaningful, and discover just how much they are capable of."
Bio: Garrett is a High-Altitude Mountain Guide and Expedition Leader and the owner and founder of Madison Mountaineering. He holds the US record for the most Everest summits (16) and has personally guided more clients to the top of Everest than anyone in history. He also led the first successfully guided expedition on K2 in 2014 and has since led four further expeditions to the summit — another US record — guiding more climbers to the top of K2 than anyone in history.
"I have had the honour of watching Molly grow in confidence, overcome adversity, and redefine her boundaries since she first joined our ranks as a quiet 14-year-old participant.
The Polar Academy was founded to transform the lives of young people through physical training, teamwork and extreme Arctic exploration, turning ordinary individuals into inspirational leaders.
Molly demonstrated her capabilities during her time at The Polar Academy. She didn’t just endure the challenging training, she excelled, emerging not only as a graduate but as a beacon of what sheer willpower and humility can achieve. Molly has continued to embody our values and attitudes with her current training.
Now, at 21 years old, Molly is channelling that exact same grit into one of mountaineering’s ultimate trials: scaling the highest peak on every single continent. She is taking on the brutal cold of Antarctica and the thin air of Everest not for personal glory, but to shine a light on our work and to prove to young people everywhere that no peak is truly insurmountable.
Molly Turnbull is an incredible young woman. Her physical fitness is matched only by her profound humility and unwavering focus; she inspires everyone lucky enough to know her.
I fully endorse Molly in the strongest possible terms for any ambassadorship, sponsorship, or partnership opportunities. She is an inspiration to our current participants and our staff. We are rooting for her through every step of this monumental challenge."
Bio: Craig is one of Scotland’s foremost polar explorers. In 2004 he was part of the first dedicated Scottish expedition to the South Pole, and in 2006 he led an expedition to the Geographic North Pole. In 2013 he became the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s first Explorer-in-Residence and founded The Polar Academy, the charity that selects young people who have lost belief in themselves, trains them for a year and takes them on expedition to the Arctic. He holds an honorary doctorate from Abertay University, is a member of The Explorers Club, and was recently awarded the illustrious Polar Medal in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026, in recognition of his polar exploration and his work with young people.
Owner, Climbing the Seven Summits · 6× Everest Summiteer
"I have no doubt that Molly has what it takes to get the Seven Summits done! I can't wait to see her achieve her dreams. Best of luck on your amazing journey."
Bio: Mike is the owner and founder of Climbing the Seven Summits, a specialist expedition company running expeditions to all of the Seven Summits. Personally, Mike has two decades of guiding experience across all seven continents and has completed the Seven Summits circuit six times. He is the author of Climbing the Seven Summits: A Comprehensive Guide to the Continents' Highest Peaks — the first and only guidebook covering all seven — and his own adventures include skiing to the South Pole and cycling unsupported across the United States.
Expeditions of this scale don't happen alone. Permits, flights, guides and specialist equipment for all seven peaks run into serious money, with the full challenge expected to cost in the region of £250,000 across the three years. Every supporter helps get Molly one step closer to the summit.
There are three sponsorship packages, plus a bespoke option for organisations that want to become an official expedition partner. Every package can be tailored to you or your company, and all enquiries are handled personally by Molly's expedition manager, Kae Tinto.
Base Camp
Bronze Package
£5,000
Company logo on the website
Social media recognition: 2 posts
Logo on a selected item of expedition kit (hoodie or jacket)
Expedition updates
Company included in selected expedition updates
Ascent
Silver Package
£15,000
Company logo on the website
Social media recognition: 4 posts
Logo on expedition kit
Employee presentation or talk about the challenge
Employee Q&A with Molly
Exclusive behind-the-scenes expedition updates
Company included in selected expedition updates
Company acknowledgement across social media
Summit
Gold Package
£25,000
Prominent recognition across the website
Social media recognition: 6 posts
Prominent logo placement on expedition kit
Company logo carried on the flag at the summit of each mountain
Exclusive behind-the-scenes expedition video diary
Employee presentation or talk after each summit
Employee Q&A with Molly after each summit
Exclusive corporate partner announcement
First access to expedition stories and content
Co-branded social media content
Company acknowledgement in major press and media opportunities where appropriate
Personalised video messages from the expedition
Bespoke
Official Expedition Partner
Price agreed with us directly
The opportunity to become an official partner of Molly's Seven Summits, with an exclusive category partnership: "Official [Category] Partner of The Seven Summits Challenge". Major branding across expedition kit, prominent website placement, a long-term content partnership, an employee engagement programme, corporate speaking opportunities, exclusive events, media opportunities and a significant association with the Seven Summits story, all shaped into a bespoke partnership package built around your organisation.
There are two ways to give. Support Molly's expedition directly through Crowdfunder, where every pound goes towards making the Seven Summits possible and your message joins her wall of supporters. Or make a charitable donation to The Polar Academy through Givestar, with Gift Aid, to help the charity change more young lives.
Via Givestar · registered charity · Gift Aid eligible
Supporters Wall
Messages of support
Every pledge made through Crowdfunder, and every message left with it, appears on Molly's Crowdfunder page the moment it is made: a permanent thank-you and a wall of encouragement for her to carry up every mountain.
Be part of the story. Pledge any amount, add a few words of encouragement, and your name and message join the wall of supporters on Molly's Crowdfunder page.
Training diaries, honest expedition updates and vivid stories straight from the trail. From the gruelling days high on the mountain to the quiet moments of doubt and triumph in between, follow every step of Molly's journey as the challenge unfolds, one post at a time. For behind-the-scenes photographs and real-time updates from the field, you can also follow Molly on Instagram at @mollyssevensummits.
Blog 1
Why the Seven Summits?
Welcome to my first blog! For this one I thought the best idea would be to share my why. Why am I doing this challenge? It starts with a phone call one random Tuesday, a first sighting of Everest, and the years before that when I made myself invisible.
Read more →
Blog 2
Plotting the Peaks
How on earth do you go about making the Seven Summits happen? Seven mountains to plan, training to complete, skills to learn, money to raise, kit to buy. Here is everything Kae and I have done so far, including Zoom calls with some of the best in the business.
Read more →
Blog 3
Kilimanjaro: One Down, Six To Go!
On 16 September 2026, at exactly 6:47am, I stood on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro alongside my sister Grace. Seven days of jungle, Barranco Wall for breakfast, singing games, a lot of tears at the top, and then the world's worst safari passenger.
Read more →
Why the Seven Summits?
Blog 1 · By Molly
After I decided to do this pretty mega challenge, one thing I said I really wanted to do was a blog. I love sharing stories, and what better way to keep people in the loop than writing a blog?!! So, welcome to my first blog! Woop woop! This feels so fun to write and I’m looking forward to sharing all about my experiences throughout the journey. Whether that’s through training plans, explaining how on earth we’re going about planning such a big challenge, writing about the summits themselves or simply blabbering on about whatever comes to mind in the moment. I’m so excited to share all the positives and negatives of this journey!
For my first blog, I thought the best idea would be to share my why. Why am I doing this challenge???
So, the first seven summit I discovered was Mt Everest. In 2023, I completed the trek to Mt Everest Base Camp – with my extra awesome expedition manager Kae Tinto. This came about because my teammates and The Polar Academy (TPA) volunteered me to go on this trip. Craig (TPA founder) gave me a phone call one random Tuesday and straight up asked if I wanted to trek to the base camp of the highest mountain in the world. After being speechless for a minute or two then bursting out crying… I obviously said YES! Over the next year I began my training, walking up my local hills every spare day I had – dragging tyres up them too! Along the way, Kae and I fundraised for The Polar Academy. By the end of the trip, we had fundraised a total of £13,000. The time finally came to leave for Nepal. The trek was truly the most fun and most challenged I’d ever been. It felt like a life changing moment for me. The mountains were incredible. I felt so small surrounded by these towering giants. The shape of the mountains was so incredibly striking and the intricate details of rock and ice were fascinating to look at. I could not believe what I was waking up to each morning. Then we got our first sighting of Mount Everest. In the distance, you could see the highest point on earth peeking out behind the other mountains. Looking at Everest, I said “I want to climb that one day”. That’s where the idea began. Seeing the top of the mountain and it feeling so close but being days and days of climbing away had me hooked. That point in the trek was the turning point for me.
First sighting of Mt Everest, and some of the intricate mountain details I obsess over.
Upon returning home, I had a look at Everest expeditions. This is where I lost my inspiration for a couple years. The cost of an Everest expedition is around £100,000, give or take. I decided this was literally impossible to achieve. Over the next couple of years, I obsessively followed along the Everest summit seasons, wishing there was something I could do to make this possible for myself.
Then in May 2026, I did yet another fundraising challenge with Kae. We completed the Camino de Santiago, trekking across 115km of northern Spain in 5 days. We took on this challenge with 26 others, raising £30,000 for The Polar Academy. On this trek there was a fabulous woman named Andrea Guy. She is on the seven summits quest. I got chatting to her throughout the week and the inspiration for climbing Mt Everest was reborn. Hearing her experience on the mountains was fascinating, I listened in awe at every story she told me. Hearing all the good and all the bad she had faced made me realise this is a passion I could not let go. I want to do everything I can to make myself physically and mentally strong enough to complete this extreme challenge. Whatever the cost, I will make it happen.
I returned home and the research began. Although not only did I decide I want to climb Mount Everest. I want to climb the highest peak in every continent. Meeting up with Kae, I told her my idea. She looked at me with eyes filled with excitement, wondering when the planning will begin!
Now, you may ask: Okay Molly you saw Everest and decided you wanted to climb it, but why the other 6??? And yeah, the look of Everest is fascinating, but WHY do you ACTUALLY want to go up there? This is something I have been fighting to understand over the past six months. Every time I tell someone my idea and truly picture myself standing at the top of these mountains, I get extremely emotional. There is something about this challenge that I feel so connected to. It has taken me hours of journaling, speaking to people, and reflecting on my TPA journey, but I’ve finally figured out my why.
In school, I went through years of severe bullying. Because of this, I made myself invisible. I felt like if I was seen something bad would happen to me. I was terrified of putting myself out there. I hid in my bedroom in my spare time. At school I went different routes through the corridors just to avoid confrontation. In queues I would slump down so I blended into the rows of people. My entire personality was compressed, and I became a shell of myself. After years of battling the idea of doing anything that would show me to the world, The Polar Academy found me. This charity truly changed my life. Our years of intensive training, teamwork and expedition made me realise it was okay to do things that make you visible. I had finally got my happy and bubbly self back, and the real Molly came out her shell. After The Polar Academy, I started university, trekked to Mt Everest base camp, travelled to some insanely cool countries, and enjoyed doing activities that would make me stand out.
This is where my WHY comes in. My experience with The Polar Academy was just the start. I’ve had years since to reflect on the journey and figure out what really matters. By completing this challenge, I will stand at the highest point on every continent. I will literally feel like I am being seen by the entire world. That’s why I get so emotional thinking about it. I was once a timid girl terrified of walking into restaurants by myself, now I’ll be climbing some of the highest mountains on the planet, being seen by everyone across the globe. I am excited to no longer be scared, and I want to share this feeling with others that are. I want to stand at the top of these peaks and show that it’s powerful to be seen. I want to be seen by the bully that tried to put me down, and show that it only made me stronger. I want to be seen by the people that have gone through what I did, to show that literally anything is possible and you DON’T NEED TO BE SCARED!
The Polar Academy was the turning point that gave me the strength to decide to do a challenge like this. I want to share what I learnt and be the turning point for others to do the same for their lives.
Before TPA: my not so great time at high school.
During TPA: our Polar Academy expedition – the smile is back!
After TPA: thrivingggggg and loving the mountains.
Plotting the Peaks
Blog 2 · By Molly
You may be wondering how on earth do you go about making the seven summits happen? Seven mountains to plan, training to complete, skills to learn, money to raise, kit to buy. It’s a bit of a logistical nightmare. I am here to talk through everything I’ve done so far.
Once I decided I was going to climb the seven summits, I knew I would need some help. I’m a 21-year-old university student with no background in organising something this big. I turned to Kae Tinto, a trustee and patron of The Polar Academy. Kae has organised and participated in multiple fundraising treks in Scotland and internationally for over 20 years. We have built up a wonderful friendship since Everest Base Camp, and I was delighted to hear she wanted to help me with this journey.
So, where to start? We decided to split the planning into phases.
Phase one: educating ourselves
We’re both mountain lovers who obsess over the mountains and follow pretty much everyone there is to follow on Instagram. But we needed to know the nitty gritty. We listened to podcasts, watched films and read countless books to understand everything involved in climbing these mountains. We now know the costs, the routes, the best time of year to go, everything you can think of. Then I planned my timeline for the mountains. You should see the excel spreadsheet I’ve got on the go, it’s mental… Once we knew all this, we were ready for phase 2.
Phase two: researching guides and companies
For a challenge this big, we need to pick someone I can trust and connect with. We attended a talk by Adriana Brownlee. Adriana is co-founder of AGA Adventures, and the youngest to climb all 14 x 8000-metre peaks. Her talk further inspired me for this challenge. Hearing about her expeditions was so motivational. During her talk she spoke about AGA and the values of her company, which I absolutely resonated with. After the talk we managed to meet her! I honestly couldn’t believe I was listening to a talk by this legend let alone shaking her hand! I told her about my challenge, and she suggested a zoom call to discuss – I was in shock.
We contacted numerous companies and had many zoom calls with some awesome people. We spoke with Garrett Madison, the founder of Madison Mountaineering. He has personally led more climbers to the summit of Everest than anyone in history, holds the US record for the most Everest summits, and led the first successfully guided expedition to the summit of K2. This was mental. Garrett seems to be a very level-headed man; someone you could trust with your life completely. He was very open to hearing about and helping me with this challenge. His company’s commitment to education and training for his climbers was a standard I very much noted down. Hearing his perspective was very important.
We’ve spoken with Mike Hamill, founder and owner of Climbing the Seven Summits (CTSS). This man literally wrote the book on climbing the seven summits – would recommend btw! He has more than 20 years of high-altitude guiding experience and shaped the system we use today for climbing the seven peaks. His welcoming approach to our call made me feel very included in their amazing community, and his expertise was unbeatable.
We’ve had a call with Jangbu Sherpa. This incredible man has guided clients to the summit of Everest, K2, Makalu, Lhotse and Dhaulagiri alongside multiple other summits in Nepal. Most importantly he has led successful expeditions on the Seven Summits. Jangbu Sherpa is involved in mountain rescue and emergency response and led multiple high-stake rescues on Everest. I was in awe that we got to speak to this inspirational and incredibly humble mountain guide. Being guided by him would be a privilege I would never get over.
We then had our zoom with Adriana of AGA Adventures, where her partner and co-founder, Gelje Sherpa, popped his head in. Not only was Adriana sitting on a call with me but Gelje too. Literally two living legends that I’m a massive fan of! He too has summited the 14 x 8000 metres, is the youngest person to summit K2 in winter AND has the highest solo rescue on Everest. The call with Adriana was amazing, encouraging and her advice was very much something I’ll have in the back of my mind during this journey.
Then, we met up with Kirsty Mack. Kirsty became the first Scottish woman to summit K2 and has completed 6 of the 7 summits. Kirsty’s stories were fascinating, but also a reminder that mountaineering comes with great risks. She was probably the most down-to-earth human I’ve ever met, and so incredibly humble.
After each of these interactions, I take a minute to myself. Having spoken to some of the best in the business, I am star struck by it. They are all human beings I look up to and aspire to follow in the footsteps of, yet all extremely modest.
BUT, the purpose of these calls was to gain further insight into their guiding styles, company logistics and to simply see what I thought of them. (Speaking with Kirsty was purely to meet this phenomenal woman, and the guidance she gave was very valuable.) Of course, I loved them all… so now I’m in a predicament because I have no idea whose company to choose.
Phase ???
To be honest, Kae and I did plan on having our different phases of this plan, but we did only get as far as the first two and now, we’re just doing what we need to do, when it needs done, continuously planning for what’s next.
We’ve created a website, my Instagram (which if you’ve not followed go for it! @mollyssevensummits hehe) and my logo. The logo designed by the wonderful Sonja at Tiso has my challenge name and The Polar Academy’s “Inspiration Through Exploration”, a message I want to carry throughout this adventure. It has the globe in the background as it is a world-wide adventure, and seven little peaks to represent the seven summits I’ll climb.
Next on our list, and one of the most important, is funding. I’m hoping to find some big sponsors that value the message I want to get across and help make this trip happen. Another big bit of news from me funding wise is I got my first grant!! I sent an application to join a prize pot that allocates money for causes like mine. Next thing I know, I’ve got an email saying I’ve won part of the prize pot! ME? They’ve given ME part of the money? WHAT?! I was absolutely in shock. I actually got the email while I was up Kilimanjaro, it was the perfect end to my first seven summit. It really did make it feel like that trip was the start of something real, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Another thing I’m juggling at the minute is my life outside of the “mountain stuff” – which is what everyone else refers to it as! I’m in my final and most important year of uni, meaning I have a dissertation to write among lots of other coursework and exams. Then there’s work. I work at The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews as a supervisor in the conference and events department. Whenever I’m not doing uni or have pre-arranged commitments, I work every hour I can to save up money to do more “mountain stuff”. As well as the “mountain stuff”, work and university, I do try and have a social life. I have an amazing group of uni friends, friends from home, family and a boyfriend to make time for. My calendar has been filling up fast but I’ll always have time to see the people I love. Spending time with them is the time I value the most.
In the last six months, my life has gotten busier than it has ever been before. It’s a new challenge juggling absolutely everything going on. But I am loving it so far. It’s motivating knowing everything I’m doing is because I’m choosing to. The fact it will lead to big things is extremely motivating. I genuinely plan on putting everything I can into making the seven summits happen. The next few tasks involve picking guides for each mountain, contacting potential sponsors and hopefully launching my challenge in the media. As I write this the website also still hasn’t been launched so, that’s on the agenda too… We do also have some big plans coming up that I will share when they happen. Until then, the ‘to do’ list keeps on growing and growing.
The ongoing “to do list” whiteboard that only grows.
My amazing home friends, Amy and Scarlett! And my lovely mum, dad and boyfriend Sam, taken recently at The Polar Academy Gala Dinner.
Hard at work setting wedding tables, my fav thing to do! And catching up with uni work at who knows what time of night, in bed.
Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,895 metres: One Down, Six To Go!
Blog 3 · By Molly
Wellllll, that's it! The first of my Seven Summits is complete!
On the 16th of September 2026, at exactly 6:47am, I stood on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, alongside my sister Grace. The highest mountain in Africa, the highest freestanding mountain in the world, and most importantly, the first mountain of my Seven Summits challenge.
Before I get to the emotional stuff, let’s rewind a little.
Days 1 & 2: Jungle, questionable decisions and new friends
Our adventure began on the seven-day Machame Route, starting at 1,800 metres and making our way through the rainforest towards Machame Camp at 2,835 metres. Now, you'd think the biggest challenge on day one would be adjusting to the altitude or getting used to walking for hours. Nope. For Grace and me, it was our inability to say no to water. We'd each been given three litres of water, and for some reason we thought it would be disrespectful not to finish it all. So naturally, we downed the lot and spent the rest of the day needing a pee every five minutes. Excellent start. Arriving at camp, we were handed bowls of hot water to wash ourselves. Not entirely sure of the etiquette, we proceeded to wash our faces, hands… and then our feet, looking like a pair of complete numpties with our feet dipped in these small plastic bowls. I'd also decided to go vegetarian for the duration of the hike, purely to avoid any dodgy meat and potential food poisoning. Grace, however, was feeling brave and gave the chicken a go (remember this detail, it'll become quite ironic later).
Day two was when things really started getting exciting. The clouds finally cleared, and for the first time, we could see the summit we were heading towards. Until then, we'd essentially been walking towards a mountain we couldn't see. We also met Will and Chris, two friends from London and Canada who quickly became our mountain besties. The four of us got on ridiculously well, and what should have felt like hours of walking flew by because we genuinely couldn't stop laughing. After arriving at Shira Cave Camp, we had lunch with our guide Ringo, before heading off on a little adventure to the Shira Caves with Will, Chris, our guide Simon and their guide Mercy. It was honestly one of the funniest afternoons of the trip, topped off by Mercy doing Grace's hair at the top. That evening involved card games in our new friends’ tent and one of the most incredible sunsets I've ever seen. We were now above the clouds, which stretched out beneath us like an endless sea.
Days 3 & 4: The wobbles and Barranco Wall for breakfast
Day three was when altitude decided to remind me who was boss. We climbed from 3,750 metres up to Lava Tower at 4,600 metres, and I developed what I like to call the "day three wobbles". A pounding headache, feeling absolutely rotten and quite emotionally unstable. We reached Lava Tower, took the obligatory photo, and promptly headed back down towards Barranco Camp at 3,900 metres. Thankfully, descending helped, and I started to feel much more human again. Arriving at camp, we were greeted by the rather intimidating sight of Barranco Wall. A massive, steep rock face that we were apparently going to climb the following morning. Simon very casually informed us that we'd be having "Barranco Wall for breakfast". After another evening of card games with Will and Chris, it was time for bed.
The next day we had a slight lie in to avoid the morning traffic up Barranco Wall. As it turned out, Barranco Wall was BRILLIANT. Yes, it was busy. But it involved loads of scrambling, which Grace and I absolutely loved. It was easily one of our favourite sections of the entire route. The rest of day four consisted of us entertaining ourselves with singing games for approximately four hours straight. I can only imagine how delighted our guides were with that. We eventually reached Karanga Camp, where we managed to get some phone signal and update Mum and Dad that we were still alive and going strong. That night, the sky was completely clear. We could see thousands of stars above us and the lights of Moshi twinkling far below.
Day 5: The day before the summit
By day five, things were getting noticeably colder, and Kilimanjaro's summit was now clearly visible ahead of us. We had a relatively short three-hour hike to Barafu Camp at 4,673 metres, our base camp for the summit push. Thankfully, both Grace and I were feeling strong. No headaches, no sickness, and generally in really good spirits. We'd started taking Diamox the night before, and everything seemed to be going to plan. One of the highlights of the day was bumping into Will and Chris when we got to base camp, who had summited that morning and were now on their way down. We gave them massive hugs, congratulations, and a final goodbye before they continued their descent. It was so lovely getting to celebrate their achievement after sharing what felt like ages with them, but turned out to only be two and a bit days…
Then came the strange part. Trying to sleep in the middle of the afternoon, knowing we were about to attempt the biggest climb of the trip. We had a nap, got up for dinner, then attempted to sleep again before our 11pm alarm. I think between us, we managed a grand total of a couple of hours. Ideal preparation, really.
Day 6: 5,895 metres and a lot of tears
11pm. Alarm goes off. FREEZING. We dragged ourselves out of our sleeping bags, layered up, and forced down a little food before heading into the darkness. And when I say darkness, I mean complete darkness. All you could see were the little beams of headtorches snaking their way up the mountain. The worst part was looking ahead and seeing tiny lights miles above you, knowing that wasn't even the summit. But we started strong. Four hours passed before I decided it was time to get some music on for an extra push. The sunrise felt like it took approximately three working days to arrive, but when it finally did, everything changed. Suddenly, we could see the world around us, and the summit felt within reach. We reached Stella Point, leaving roughly 45 minutes to Uhuru Peak.
Physically, I felt surprisingly good. My only real issue was that my hands were absolutely freezing. Grace, meanwhile, was battling a very sore stomach because her trousers were putting too much pressure on it. So, being the wonderful sister she is, she gave me her thick gloves and made do with her liners.
For the final stretch, Grace stayed with Simon while I continued slightly ahead with Ringo. And then, suddenly, there it was.
The summit.
I could feel myself getting emotional about five minutes before we reached it. I was trying so hard to control my breathing, partly because of the altitude, but mostly because I knew what was about to happen. And the second I reached the top, I just burst into tears. I gave Ringo the biggest hug and honestly couldn't believe where I was standing. I sat down on a rock, took a few massive deep breaths, and just looked around. 5,895 metres, the top of Kilimanjaro, my first Seven Summit.
It wasn't just about reaching the top of a mountain. It was the realisation that this enormous challenge I'd spent so long dreaming about, planning and talking about had officially begun.
One down. Six to go.
A few minutes later, Grace arrived, and we hugged and cried together. After seven days of walking, laughing, singing, complaining about toilets and sharing the whole experience, we'd actually done it. Of course, I got my Polar Academy flag out and waved it as proudly as I possibly could. The charity that changed my life, and the reason I have the confidence to even attempt something like this, was right there with me. And the funny thing? Apart from my frozen hands and getting out of breath from crying, I felt absolutely brilliant. We thought we'd spent about half an hour at the summit. Turns out it was closer to ten minutes. Time flies when you're having an emotional breakdown at nearly 6,000 metres.
Then came the descent. And oh my gosh, what fun. The loose gravel meant we could practically ski our way down the mountain. After hours of slowly trudging uphill in the dark, suddenly we were flying downhill, feeling more alive with every metre descended and more oxygen in the air.
We eventually made it back to base camp, grabbed an hour's nap, and then continued descending to Mweka Camp. That afternoon, we looked back up at Kilimanjaro. Neither of us could quite believe we'd been standing up there just hours earlier. A massive dinner and the most glorious night's sleep followed. Very much deserved.
Day 7: Back to civilisation
The final morning was a relatively straightforward walk down through the forest to the gate. And just like that, it was over. Seven days of walking. Thousands of metres climbed. I couldn't have been prouder of Grace and me.
But naturally, the adventure wasn't quite finished yet.
Days 8–10: Food poisoning and the world's worst safari passenger
Remember how I said I'd gone vegetarian on the mountain to avoid food poisoning? Well. We headed into Moshi for a meal after the trek, and guess who managed to get food poisoning? ME. Seven days on a mountain, absolutely fine. One restaurant back in civilisation, and I'm finished. The following day, we had a safari booked. Grace had the time of her life, while I spent most of it keeled over the back seats, desperately trying not to throw up. We saw giraffes, zebras, monkeys, flamingos, warthogs and more. Although I think Grace saw considerably more of them than I did, given that my main view was the floor of the vehicle. Eventually, we had to leave early because I was so ill. Back at the hotel, the vomiting continued. Fantastic.
Thankfully, by the following day, I was feeling a bit better, and we managed to squeeze in a waterfall walk and coffee excursion before heading to the airport. Not quite the relaxing end to the trip I'd imagined, but certainly memorable.
Looking back, Kilimanjaro was everything I could have hoped for and more. Of course, reaching the summit was incredible. I'll never forget the feeling of standing at Uhuru Peak, hugging Grace, and waving The Polar Academy flag. But some of my favourite memories came from the smaller moments. Laughing with Will and Chris, singing our way across the mountain, scrambling up Barranco Wall and watching sunsets above the clouds. There are honestly so many more stories I could tell, but I think I've rambled enough for one blog post!
Getting to share that very first summit with my sister made it even more special. (Grace, if you’re reading this, make the most of this soppiness, I’m saying it once and never again.)
Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,895m. Summited: 16th September 2026, 6:47am. Seven Summits: 1/7 complete.
