So we did it!

Our team of nine climbers, including myself and Neil Lombardo, Managed Services Solutions Expert Polycom EMEA, reached the summit of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa on Friday 31st July. 

After a gruelling five days of climbing a total of 5895 metres, we reached the Uhuru Peak and with temperatures of -15°C we didn’t stick around for long.

But before making our descent, we held a quick video call via Polycom RealPresence desktop on our Zebra ET55 using Inmarsat satellite equipment – proving you really can work from anywhere!

We were well looked after by a support team of 35 people and our itinerary was well designed to prepare for acclimatization - the most challenging aspect of mountain climbing.

For me, climbing Kilimanjaro was a great experience; as taxing as it was physically, our team spirit kept us going. During our moments of down time we played general knowledge quizzes, some of the team took races up the mountain and I even learned a new card game – I am now a pro at ‘Trumps’!

It was awe-inspiring seeing the cloud level clearly below us. And experiencing the changing environment as we ascended to higher levels, you really have to be there to understand the wonder.

For those of you who might not know, Kilimanjaro is one of the “Seven Summits” (the highest peak on each continent) and the highest free standing mountain in the world. The base of the mountain is already at the same height as Ben Nevis in the UK, so we knew we had our work cut out for us from day one.

So I can now add Kilimanjaro to my list, along with Mont Blanc & Mount Elbrus, and I have Aconcagua, Argentina on the list for next year.

Now that we know our video technology works at any height, my team should watch out for future video meeting invites from other mountain summits! 

NOTE: The charity we climed Kilimanjaro was for www.youngminds.org.uk/

For children and young people's wellbeing and mental health.