Climbing the Kilimanjaro

A trip like this one requires a great deal of preparation and a lots of hard work. First of all, every member of the expedition committed himself to be responsible for his expenses and to raise $2,000. Buying equipment and training then followed. “You need to be in excellent shape, eat well and be serious about your training if you want to do this,” said Mrs. Lamarche. Since this summer, the group meets once a week to climb up mountains like Mount Tremblant. “I was training three times a week and I had to double that number. Last summer, my wife and I visited Europe by foot,” explained Mr. Beauchesne, who’s also vice-president of Enfant-Retour’s board of directors.

As the D-Day is approaching, the group is getting a little nervous. “We’re asking ourselves if what we’re doing is enough to be ready and if we’re in good enough shape. Because you know that 10% to 15% of people are not able to climb to the top,” explained Mr. Beauchesne. But the 12 climbers are also very anxious to start their ascension, after all the work they’ve done. “It’s very exciting to take part in this kind of adventure, it’s a one-in-a-lifetime experience.” The group is very strong and everybody is getting along great. “We learned to know each other and now we’re all great friends,” he added.

The funds gathered by the climbers will be given to Enfant-Retour Québec. This organization helps families in finding back their missing children. The money is used to find the children, but also to teach prevention in schools.