Kensington resident summits Kilimanjaro
He said he had worries about altitude sickness as this tests one’s endurance and attitude. “I relied on the fact that I walk regularly, I knew how to breathe up there and it was a real test”.
“I’m not an emotional person, but when I looked at those glaciers I had tears in my eyes. It was an amazing feeling to be able to commune with nature.”
These are the words that capture 48-year-old Laurent Chauve’s journey to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The Kensington resident journeyed to Uhuru Peak from September 28 to October 6. “It was my first time. I had planned it for months and it turned out to be okay,” said Mr Chauve.
He said he is grateful for the help he had from the guides on his journey. “It was freezing on the roof of Africa. It was amazing to see those glaciers about a 100 metre’s from me,” said Mr Chauve.
His love for walking and climbing mountains started as boy, growing up in Chantilly, on the north of France. “My mother would send me to the bakery and I would enjoy the walk there. I also spent some time in the Eastern Cape, where I did a lot of hiking,” said Mr Chauve.
He said he had worries about altitude sickness as this tests one’s endurance and attitude. “I relied on the fact that I walk regularly, I knew how to breathe up there and it was a real test,” said Mr Chauve. He paid homage to one of his guides, Majidi, and all the guides who helped in the journey.
“We shared stories about life and our different cultures and even shared our food. Tanzanians are a wonderful people,” said Mr Chauve.
He is humble about his achievement, brushing it off as nothing major. “Yes, it is a nice achievement for me but anybody can do it if they put their minds to it,” said Mr Chauve. He did not do any form of training to prepare for this journey and says it came naturally, albeit with some effort. He says the guides on the route kept reminding them to walk slowly as a precaution. He feels he could have reached the summit sooner.
Mr Chauve works as a translator for the French Institute of South Africa. He also does a lot of freelance work and is a sworn translator for the High Court. He has a half brother in South Africa, but the rest of his family lives in France. He said he would advise others to take the journey to the roof of Africa. “Next on my list is Mount Fuji in Japan. I do it for the passion of the climb, the prospect of communing with nature,” said Mr Chauve.
