By André Lachapelle
It's now several months since we started our journey to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The training, the fund-raising, the meetings, our 5 to 7s .... all these activities are an integral part of the journey and the experience of a life-time. I don't remember who exactly, but a wise man once said: "The journey is as important as the destination". Now I understand why.
Everything we're experiencing at the moment - buying our equipment, going to Accueil Bonneau and so on - builds character. We're still 12 000 Km and around 280 days from Kilimanjaro, but we're already feeling the effects. The relationship between team members is different from that with other colleagues. A special bond of friendship, that I don't have with others, is developing in the team.
I was expecting all that. I was expecting emotional and personal changes in myself. I was expecting to feel uncomfortable with fund-raising.
But one thing I hadn't expected - meeting special people along the way. We met two of them last night: Guylaine Keable and Jean Pagé. They are also members of the Desjardins family and live in beautiful Quebec City. What's so special about that? Well, they climbed Kilimanjaro in 2010 and, as if that wasn't enough, they're now getting ready to climb to the Everest base camp. They deserve our profound respect and admiration - special people!
It's so remarkable that, although Guylaine and Jean were total strangers before, it only took an e-mail telling them about our project for them to offer us their friendship. It's as if we're now part of a family. There are ordinary people and there are those who have climbed or are going to climb Kilimanjaro. The connection is instantaneous, it feels comfortable, it's so easy. And talk of help - mutual help. I've already mentioned that Guylaine and Jean are from Quebec City. But they had to come to Montreal on business so we arranged to meet - in the evening - late in the evening! I've never known a meeting to be set up so easily. "OK, if I come to Montreal - I'll have a look at my agenda - perhaps at lunch-time - we could meet for lunch - maybe there'd be more time after my meeting......."
How about Wednesday evening at 7.30? No problem. It's settled! The only way I can explain what's happening is that it's the mountain itself and the adventure that are bringing us together in friendship.
How can I describe their presence last night? Informal, among friends (remember - this was our first meeting), open, relaxed. But what a flood of information.....
Thank you Guylaine. Thank you Jean. We were completely engrossed by your thrilling story, your advice and your pictures. You've given us so much energy - so much, in fact, that I'd be ready to set off tomorrow. But cool it - slow down a bit - you have to take the time....
Good luck for Everest. I'll be one of your most ardent followers throughout your journey.
I invite everyone to follow Guylaine and Jean's adventure on the following link:
http://monteverest2012.com/
And maybe you'd like to encourage them with a gift.
Translated by Pamela Gauvin
No comments:
Post a Comment