If you've been following our blog a while, you might remember VJ who took up the noble challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with Rahhalah in order to support victims of human trafficking. We are extremely proud of his successful adventure and were happy to be a part of such a great cause. We sat down with VJ to discuss his Kilimanjaro adventure and here's what he has to say:
Name: Nagender VJ
Occupation: Exhibition Sales
Rahhalah destination/ trip: Mount Kilimanjaro
Why did you choose to take on Mount Kilimanjaro?
It is the fourth tallest mountain in the world and every time I used to see videos of people climbing Kilimanjaro, it used to give me goosebumps. There is no technical training required to climb Kilimanjaro and I always wanted to do something that a common man wouldn’t try. Hence, I decided to climb Kilimanjaro, and by far those have been the best 6-7 days of by whole life.
Do you have a favorite memory from your trip?
Every day was tough and challenging where you learn a lot about yourself and what you are actually capable of. The best memory for me was the last day of the summit, we started our summit climb at around 3:30 am and around 6:30 am, I could see some of the other climbers who could not make it to the top come back down. When I saw them come back down, all the motivation I had built up had gone for a toss, my mind was telling me to give up and it almost took me 4 hours to fight that mental stigma of giving up. For me, it was really tough mentally.
Were there any obstacles you had to deal with on your trip? If so, how did you overcome them?
Luckily, I never had any altitude sickness, the only thing that troubled me a lot was cramps in my stomach on a daily basis. After climbing for a few hours, I had cramps in my stomach. Apart from that, the whole trip was really worth the hard work.
Did you learn anything about yourself from this Kilimanjaro trip or did it have any kind of personal impact on you?
For the first time in my life, I was proud of what I had achieved, I understood that if you really to achieve something, and if your mind and heart are set on to it, you can achieve it. I have become more strong mentally and more confident about my own self.
Would you recommend our Mount Kilimanjaro to other people and why?
I would recommend this to everyone who wants to something different, who love adventure- this is worth the whole thing, every single day of the climb was great fun. I completely enjoyed it. The nature is too beautiful and I really feel lucky to have gotten a chance to climb Kilimanjaro.
Do you have any advice for future travelers who are signing up for Mt Kilimanjaro trips?
Be physically prepared: It is important that your body is adequately prepared for the physical challenges of Mount Kilimanjaro. Build strength on your shoulder and legs
Mental preparation: You should always remain in a positive state of mind, but not overly arrogant. Try to anticipate various different scenarios you may possibly encounter on the mountain and try to work out the most suitable course of action, mentally by yourself or even as a group
On the mountain: drink enough water, walk high – sleep low
Climb light but pack well: carry suitable clothing, take a ski pole and extra batteries
Learn more about our Kilimanjaro trip here.
