60 up at 6000 metres
John Crutcher, Technical Services Manager at S.A.Brains, brewers of Wales’ most famous beers, recently celebrated his 60th Birthday by climbing almost 6000 metres to the top of the worlds highest free standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, in aid of the Cardiff based TY HAFAN children’s hospice.
Hubbard Ice Systems the UK suppliers of Scotsman Ice Making Machines to Brains 120 plus managed estate of Pubs, Bars and Hotels across Wales and the West of England were delighted to support John on his marathon trek.
John, accompanied by his partner Hazel left the UK at the end of August to tackle the Rongai Route up the Northern slopes of Kilimanjaro, which originates close to the border with Kenya, as part of a 36 man team consisting of nine climbers and 27 porters, guides and aides. The six day trek is one of Kilimanjaro’s lesser used routes but is renowned for being demanding, requiring a long summit climb in sub zero temperature throughout the night and bringing, a high risk of altitude sickness through the lack of Oxygen in the atmosphere.
The ascent was spread over five days and four nights with the final summit attempt starting in the early hours of day five, reaching the famous Uhuru Peak (5895 metres) at 8.00 am with stunning views across the African Continent. The descent then took a further two days before John and Hazel were able to partake of a locally brewed cold beer…somewhat of a Busman’s holiday for John!
John commented: “This was a truly stunning experience even though none of us were prepared for the sheer diversity of natural wonder that we experienced through freezing cold moonscapes on the ascent, to the clarity and crispness of thin air at almost 6000 metres’. He continues, “But most important of all is, that whilst we were experiencing a personally life enriching experience, the sponsorship that we raised for the TY HAFAN Hospice will go in a small way towards supporting the palliative care offered by the hospice to life-limited children and young people and their relatives and hopefully improving their lives”.
Adrian Rayner, Key Accounts Manager at Hubbard Ice Systems said: “Scotsman Ice Machines are renowned for the purity and clarity of ice that they produce, which is why Brains specify them, so John’s experience of clear thin air and the chilling cold at 6000 metres offers appropriate parallels. However, most of all it proves that no matter how much effort is required, improving other less fortunate people’s lives is the biggest reward you can experience. We are pleased to have supported him in his efforts, well done John!”.
Caption:- John Crutcher, Technical Services Manager of S.A.Brains, at the summit of Kilimanjaro – the highest point in Africa.
High resolution image available on request.
