Discover Adventure | Blog

When Sam, Discover Adventure's Office Manager, swapped her desk for a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, she discovered that the greatest challenges often lead to the most rewarding moments. Here's her honest, inspiring account of climbing Africa's highest peak via the stunning Machame Route.

For Mental Health Awareness Week 2025

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb.

There’s something quietly powerful about the moment a group of strangers becomes a team. If you’ve ever joined a challenge, you've seen it: day one is full of slightly awkward introductions, nervous smiles, and last-minute kit checks. By the time you hit the halfway point, you're swapping snacks, sharing life stories (and toilet anecdotes!) and waiting for each other at the top of every climb.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, with its theme of community, we’re reflecting on those moments and how adventure has a habit of bringing people together when they need it most.

On a golden April Friday, a group of us from Discover Adventure laced up our boots and headed to the South West Coast Path for a very special reason: to walk a stretch of the Jurassic Coast alongside one of our incredible participants, Tracey.

Tracey is currently undertaking an extraordinary challenge – walking the entire coastline of Britain, in memory of her late wife, Angela. It’s a journey of love, loss, and healing, and she’s doing it with her trademark humour, strength, and purpose, raising funds for cancer charities along the way. When we heard she’d be passing through our local patch, it was a no-brainer: we knew we wanted to be there, we had to join her.

Viv also joined us – Tracey’s close friend and fellow DA trekker – and Frank (four-legged morale booster), making it a proper DA Family moment. For us, it was about more than a day out of the office – it was about showing up for someone in our community, walking side by side with purpose, and reconnecting with the 'why' behind what we do.

Picture this: you mention to a friend, family member, or unsuspecting colleague that you’re thinking about trekking to Everest Base Camp, and their immediate response is a wide-eyed, horrified look followed by, "No thanks, I don’t want to die!" We hear this far more often than you’d think. And we (sort of) get it - when people hear "Everest," their minds jump straight to the frozen, oxygen-starved, extreme survival stories of climbers battling their way to the summit. But here’s the thing: trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC) is not the same as climbing Mount Everest. Not even close.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's tallest free-standing mountain, is one of the ultimate trekking challenges. Towering at 5,895m, it’s a true test of endurance, resilience, and your ability to function on very little sleep. But the reward? An unforgettable adventure through ever-changing landscapes, a summit sunrise you’ll never forget, and a huge personal achievement.

Jess here (DA Marketing)! I first met Jackie on my Great Wall of China Trek in 2018; she was the kind of person you instantly warm to. Her enthusiasm for the adventure ahead was infectious, and we bonded over countless laughs and shared moments on that unforgettable trip.

Since then, Jackie has continued to travel with Discover Adventure at least once a year, and in 2023, her partner Tim joined her to see what all the fuss was about. Together, they’ve become some of our most loyal (and favourite) customers, taking on multiple challenges a year. They are a firm part of the Discover Adventure family!