Falkirk sailor Donald Grant hits the heights of Kilimanjaro for Strathcarron Hospice

The retired sea captain who has travelled the world is now firmly back on dry land and living in Falkirk’s Cow Wynd. However, at 67 he decided that he wanted one “last hurrah for old age” by challenging himself to climb Africa’s highest mountain and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world.

He also wanted to make his adventure a worthwhile one for a local worthy cause and, thanks to his efforts, Strathcarron Hospice will be receiving a sizable donation. His £1000 target has already been exceeded by over £700 and he hopes that even more might still come in.

Once he had made up his mind to make the trip, Donald knew like many people the biggest challenge would be becoming acclimatised to the high altitude – even the most experienced climbers have been know to become unwell with altitude sickness and fail to reach the summit. For that reason he decided to travel with a company which added in a couple of days trekking at 15,000 feet to allow all those in the party to get used to the thinner air.

He left Scotland on October 4 and spent a couple of days exploring Tanzania before joining up with his fellow climbers to begin the ascent on October 7.

"I was really concerned about altitude sickness and knew that breathing the thin air could be a problem. I’ve tackled much more difficult trails on the munros in Scotland but it was the altitude that was always going to be the biggest factor in my ability to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro,” admitted Donald.

"Our trip lasted eight days – six an a half of those on the way up which factored in two days trekking at around 15,000 feet then one and a half to come down. I was the oldest in the party. There was an American who was around five years younger but he was a real tough cookie, then the rest were at least 25 years younger than me so to say that I was delighted to make the summit with them all is an understatement.

"The trek itself was a great experience and you go through so many different landscapes on your way to the top. There is a rainforest where you are surrounded by monkeys in the trees then there is an alpine desert where the vegetations is the most unusual cacti. After that it becomes very rocky and dusty."

But he admits the final journey to the top was one of the most wonderful experiences he has known.

"The guides wake you at midnight and you begin the final ascent. I’ll admit that it was tough but once you reach the summit just as the sun is rising it is exhilarating.

"There’s time to take some photographs – I had my Strathcarron t-shirt with me and took it to the summit – then by 6.30am it’s time for the descent. You are travelling quite quickly thanks to gravity and my ears popped as we came down.”

Now safely back home, Donald reflected on his trip, saying: “When it did get tough, I remembered all the people who had sponsored me so I was never going to give up. It was a very, very interesting experience but I was always a little bit wary of any breathing issues I might have. But I managed and did play my bagpipes that I took with me at around 15,500 feet although I would never have managed it at the summit.

“Somehow you manage to pull on reserves that you don’t even know you have. It may be easier if you are a bit younger but everyone is affected differently and I’m just glad that I did it.”

Originally from Edinburgh, Donald moved to this area as a youngster and attended Falkirk High School before beginning his career at sea when he was 18. Much of his time was spent on offshore oil rigs which required a maritime presence as they were moved into place.

He was working in Saudi when the pandemic began and everything stopped almost overnight. But when it began opening up again, those over 65 were told not to come back so his working life came to an unexpected end.

It was as he was looking for new challenges that the idea came of climbing Kilimanjaro and he was delighted to make it a worthwhile trip by also raising funds for Strathcarron which needs to raise £14,632 every single day to keep its vital services running.

“It’s Falkirk’s own charity and 20 years ago I used to visit a friend who passed away there. I’ve always been very impressed by the people in the hospice and all they do. Many of the people who have donated have said how much Strathcarron has done for them and those they know over the years. I must admit reading all their messages gave me a lump in my throat.”

Donald, who has a 24-year-old daughter, aspiring opera singer Karla, said his Kilimanjaro experience was “almost life-changing” as he pushed himself through physical barriers especially at the final ascent. However, he admits that it is one he will never regret taking part in or forget his journey to the summit.

You can add to Donald’s fundraiser here