SEVEN intrepid mountaineers returned to Bermuda triumphant this week after ascending Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, and in the process raising much needed funds for an orphanage at the base of the mountain in Tanzania.

Michael and Debbie Jones, their daughters Meghan and Sophie, son Richard, along with friends Irene Conlon, Anna Fulton and Canadian Andrew Morrison completed the climb in eight days, however, the ascend wasn't without its challenges. Approximately half way up the mountain Debbie Jones, one of Bermuda's leading diabetes educators, became crippled by altitude sickness, believing she would not make it to the top and having to turn back to base camp. But with 34 orphans depending on her to make it to the mountain's summit, she refused to succumb to the waves of nausea, blinding headaches and dizzy spells.

Mrs. Jones spoke to the Mid-Ocean News reporter Tricia Walters this week about the highlights and challenges of her adventure and the rewards of helping the children of Tuleeni Orphanage.

Upon arriving at the mountain, the group of eight was met by their three guides: Onest, Godlisten and Yohanas Kinyala Lauwo, the great-grandson of the first Tanzanian to reach the peak during the first recorded ascent in 1889.

"He told us how his great grandfather ended up as the guide on that first ascent," she explained. "Turns out the 18-year-old (at the time) was a poacher whom the King assigned to go up the mountain with the two Europeans, Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purscheller. The King didn't think they would ever come down off the mountain alive and literally sent him to his death. But Lauwo made it back and started the first business offering guides up the mountain."

The climbers began their trek up the mountain on the less popular, but more scenic Rongai Route, aided by their three guides and 35 porters, who carried all the equipment, camping gear and luggage up the mountain strapped to their backs and heads.

"They were unbelievable because they carried everything, including tables, chairs and even portable toilets up the mountain on their heads," she said. "They were practically running. So while we are struggling to walk, these people with this huge weight on their heads are literally zooming ahead!"

When they reached their first camp, the group was treated to a four-course meal prepared by the head porter, Goodluck. Mrs. Jones, who advocates eating a healthy diet to Bermudians, was assured by Goodluck that there had plenty of fruit and vegetables with each meal.

As they proceeded up the mountain Mrs. Jones said the terrain changed from lush green landscape where they spotted monkeys to dry and rocky. At one point during the climb the group found themselves enveloped in an eerie mist, however, once they made their way through it, they were standing above the clouds.

"You are literally looking over the country as if you are in an airplane, looking out over the banks of clouds," she described. "When we got up to 16,000 feet I started to feel it (altitude sickness) and I have to say, while all eight of us made it to the top, I had one night when I thought I was not going to make it. I was vomiting, I had a headache and I felt awful. I kept thinking if I could get down now, I would."

However when she woke up the next morning she felt well enough to continue and accompanied her family and friends to the summit.

"Before you get to the top you have this huge climb up a rock face, which is not a technical climb, it's just very long as you traverse across the rock face. Then you get to the top where it's all rocky, you look over and there's ice everywhere, a crater filled with ice. It's surreal."

The group spent that night sleeping in the crater. "That was tough for everybody. It was so cold. Our porters gave us bottles of boiling water for our tents and by the morning they had frozen solid," she recalled. "It was beautiful up there, but cold. There was also very little air, so everyone complained of headaches and not feeling well."

They started the descent the next morning and when they reached 14,000 feet, the group started feeling better.

After a total of eight days on the mountain they reached the bottom. "The guidebook says about 35 per cent of those who try, don't make it and we met a lot of people afterwards who had tried and turned around," Mrs. Jones said with a broad smile. "And I can see why because you feel dreadful. I felt awful, but our guides were phenomenal in getting us through it."

As for the natural high they felt after their accomplishment, Mrs. Jones couldn't find the words to describe it, however, what made her realise the adventure was well worth the effort, were the children she met when they reached Tuleeni Orphanage a few hours later.

The children came running to meet the cars, arms laden with bright flowers and big smiles. They recognised Mrs. Jones' daughter Meghan who has volunteered at the orphanage several times over the last few years. In fact, Meghan has helped raise money to buy the orphanage not only food, furniture and clothing, but also chickens, goats and a cow to help make the youth home more self-sufficient.

Mrs. Jones and her group managed to raise just over $5,000 for the orphanage through people sponsoring their climb and the money will go towards purchasing a new building for the orphanage as the existing building is currently rented.

"They need the security of knowing that their home is their own," Mrs. Jones said.

She hopes to raise even more money for the orphanage, explaining that it costs about $1,500 per child, per year to buy their uniforms, pay their school fees, provide meals, clothing and toys for them at the orphanage.

"These children deserve a chance," she said. "You see those children and what funding has already done and what their future is going to be like and it makes it all worth while!"

If you would like to donate to the Tuleeni Charitable Trust, you can make a deposit to one of the following: Bank of Bermuda HSBC accounts: Account 010-806891-001 for donations in Bermuda Dollars, 010-806891-501 for US Dollar donations, and 010-806891-511 for donations in Pound Sterling.