SCALING the dizzy heights of the world's highest freestanding mountain might be a thousand miles away from the normal routine of managing a Tavistock chain store but one determined lady has taken it all in her stride. For Debbie Mills, who manages the Edinburgh Woollen Mill in Brook Street, climbing Mount Kilamanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa, was a 'life changing experience.' Earlier this month Debbie, along with her friend Chrissy Dunmore of Newquay, embarked on the ascent of the 19,430ft mountain in Tanzania in celebration of Chrissy's 40th birthday, accompanied by 13 other walkers, aided by 32 African porters and guides. Debbie, 50, a member of the Caradon Ramblers, is a regular walker but never imagined she would be taking on such a challenge — and especially having to deal with the real dangers of altitute sickness, which can be fatal if not properly monitored. In fact, of those who started out, only four reached the summit — Debbie, Chrissy and Norwegian couple Svien and May Brith. The rest dropped out along the way due to altitude sickness. Debbie was the third eldest in the group, which included men in their 30s and very fit Norwegians used to Nordic walking and skiing. The seven day trek included one day of acclimatisation, four days up the mountain and two days coming down, with 50 miles walked in total. The party stayed in huts along the route. On the penultimate camp at Gilmans, which 12 of the Europeans reached, only four were fit enough for the final assault on the summit at Uhuru Peak. They left Gilmans for a six hour walk before resting, then trekked a further one and a half hours at high altitute to the ice covered summit. Debbie told the Times: 'Breathing was difficult but I didn't struggle. I knew as long as I kept going and the altitute sickness didn't hit me that I would get there. 'At the last stage of the walk near the summit at that altitute it was like having an elephant sitting on your chest. The African guides kept telling us "pole, pole," which is Swahili for "slowly, slowly". 'When we reached the summit I felt very elated and very emotional, the four of us were laughing and the sight was magnificent. 'It was so beautiful and there was lots of snow all around, you could see for miles.' She said she had great respect for the group's African porters and guides, who carried all the equipment needed on the trek — although each walker daily carried four litres of water, wet weather clothing, and lunch and snacks. 'The Africans are the most magnificent people I have ever met. They were so strong and yet so kind and all they wanted to do was to help you make it up the mountain. 'Where we had trouble with breathing they just skipped up like mountain goats.' The journey cost Debbie around £2,000 although she and Chrissy raised more than £800 for the The William & Patricia Venton RSPCA Cornwall Branch Animal Centre in St Columb. 'The whole experience has been life changing — not just the size and scale of the mountain and seeing how other people such as all the wonderful guides and porters live, it certainly humbled me.' Debbie has no plans to tackle any more huge peaks, although she might have a bash at Ben Nevis, which she has tried before but never quite conquered. Unless of course her friend Chrissy has another birthday to celebrate!
