As part of our Geography study of mountains, Prep V were very lucky to have Dexter’s Mum come in to school to talk to us on Tuesday about her adventures climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Located in Tanzania, it is Africa’s tallest peak at 5895 km. It was formed by volcanic activity over two million years ago, and fortunately for Dexter’s Mum it last erupted over 150,000 years ago and is largely dormant.
We found out about the animals and plants that live on the mountain and were intrigued by the kit list, which ranged from suncream and sunglasses to thick gloves and an extra warm sleeping bag. We learnt about the amazing sherpas who cheerfully carried all the luggage on their heads and managed to sing to encourage others on the expedition, whilst taking the lead and setting up camp each night. The communal food tent looked good, but we weren’t so sure about the toilet tent…!
We had many questions for Dexter’s Mum, including Carlo’s “What inspired you to climb the mountain?”, (raising money for the Hope4 charity, which helps refugees in Ukraine and orphans in Moldova.) “Did you sleep well in the camps ?” (no, too much snoring!) and Edie’s “How did you feel after you had climbed it?”
Dexter’s Mum showed infinite patience in answering all our questions, and we were left with much food for thought. A vote showed that half of us would like to attempt a climb like this when we are older, whereas the other half like our creature comforts (and our toenails!) too much.
A great afternoon’s learning, and our thanks go to Deter’s Mum for her time and inspirational talk.
