Cabbies conquer Mount Kilimanjaro for charity trek in aid of charity
BY JAMES TWOMEY
james@slpmedia.co.uk
A cabby will have had to turn off the meter for this trip, as he found himself at the summit of the highest mountain in Africa.
Darren Parr, a black cab driver from Greenwich, swapped his wheels for walking sticks and flew to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.
“Friendly smiling faces, Masai dancers and TV crews welcomed us as we stepped off the plane in Tanzania,” said Darren. “But before we could enjoy this incredible jewel of a country, we had the mighty Kilimanjaro to conquer.
“Kilimanjaro is the hardest, toughest test I have ever put my body through. It asked questions of both my body and soul.
“The porters and guides were brilliant, waking us each morning with a smile, a cup of tea, a Tanzanian dance and a sing song. You could not fail to smile and join in.
“They accomplish so much with so little, so novice climbers like us have a chance to climb Kilimanjaro, and I applaud them.”
Darren was joined by two other cabbies for the hike, all part of The Taxi Charity expedition CabbiesdoKilimanjaro, which has raised nearly £15,000 at time of writing.
One of the cabbies had to turn back before reaching the summit, but Darren and John Dilane from Orpington achieved the feat of climbing to the top of the nearly 6,000m peak. Typical. You wait months for a cabbie to come along and then two arrive at once. Even up Kilimanjaro.
Darren said: “At 7.07am, October 4, John and I did it. Dragging our knuckles for 45 minutes from Stella Point to Uheru Point, with the curvature of the earth in full view and the beauty of Tanzania at our feet.
“I was overcome with emotion and exhaustion but we had done it. We came down to a hero’s welcome and loved every minute of the celebration. Dancing, singing and a tipple or two of the local beer.”
CabbiesDoKilimanjaro have pledged to return next year with a more challenging project – to climb Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru back-to-back.
They have also committed to sponsor a Kilimanjaro guide through the country’s guide school programme and have pledged to give 25 per cent of any money they raise to a Tanzanian charity.
If you would like to donate to CabbiesdoKilimanjaro you can do so at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cabbiesdokilimanjaro.
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