One week to go .....

Only one week to go before we finally depart for our Kilimanjaro Trek.  A year ago leaving for Tanzania and starting the challenge seemed a long way away and was just something we were going to do next year, now its finally here.

We both keep getting asked "are you nervous?"  The answer a few weeks ago was always "yes, lots"; then when the first of September hit I think we both had a mild panic attack and the phrase "crapping hell" was said rather a lot when we realised "the real September" had arrived.

Now however, with only 6 days to go until we board our Kenya Airways flight from Heathrow, we can't really describe how we are feeling.  Whether it's nerves, excitement, apprehension or fear that caused us both to suffer with a couple of bouts of insomnia and loss of appetite we're not sure.  One thing we do know is though is that now the time is drawing closer, we just want to go now.

We've had our jabs, got our visas, received our final itineraries, bought most of the stock from Boots, not drunk an alcoholic drink for what seems like ages (lots doubted we could do that!) and have met most of our fellow fundraisers and trekkers.  We have all of our kit, and yes we don't know where it is all going to go, but we have it and it will all fit in .. somehow.

I think we'll both agree that the most emotional and amazing part of our experience so far is raising £8,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.  This provides 400 hours of nursing care to terminally ill cancer patients.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us and our fundraising efforts; everyone from those who attended or organised fundraising events, donated your hard earned cash, had your body parts waxed or sponsored a part of our bodies; you are all stars!

Thank you also to all of our families and friends who have supported us so far and who we know will be with us every step of the way.  To our Mum's who are nervous wrecks, to Lisa's Dad whose Bacon on Toast we will be thinking about when we need a bit of energy and all we have is a cereal bar, to Jim whose sleeping bags are keeping us warm at night, to Mel who will have the Pinot on ice for our return, to AJ and CPC who WILL miss us and Keith who wishes there was wifi on the mountain so Lyndsey can carry on working, and all of our other supporters.  Thank you all for having faith in us.

Everything is ready, we just have the small matter of climbing the 19,340 ft of the tallest freestanding mountain in the world and the facing the minus temperatures and prospect of Acute Mountain Sickness.  We may have got lost of various training trips, had our girly panic attacks about kit and leopards and laughed our way through the nerves,  but we are ready to go and we are confident we can do this, conquer this mountain and have an amazing adventure.  After all life begins at the end of your comfort zone...