On the 14th September 2021, Dannie Bonner, Adam Rowlatt and myself, will be taking on a once-in-a-lifetime challenge for the Blue Tangerine Federation by climbing the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Starting in the lower rainforest slopes, over the following 6 days we will take one of the Machame paths to the summit at an altitude of 5,756m. On the 62km hike via the ‘Whisky Route’, we will climb through challenging, steep, rocky terrain, and scale the eastern side of the Great Barranco Wall, passing below the Helm Glacier.
The final ascent to Uhuru peak, will be through the night via Stella Point along a snow-covered trail, with temperatures plummeting to -23° C. After taking in the spectacular view of the sunrise, we will begin our descent from the summit, passing through moorland and the forested, lower slopes back to Moshi.
About The Blue Tangerine Federation The Blue Tangerine Federation is comprised of three schools - two Special Educational Needs Schools; St Luke’s School in Redbourn, and The Collett School in Hemel Hempstead, and a hospital school; Forest House Education Centre in Radlett. Across the Federation, they cater for almost 300 children aged between 4 and 18, with a broad range of Special Educational Needs and complex mental health issues, from all over Hertfordshire and the neighbouring counties.
The schools are amongst the lowest funded in Hertfordshire, and therefore rely heavily on fundraising to provide the necessities, and to meet the complex needs of the children.