Two set off to climb Kilimanjaro for charity

Simon Morgan and Jock Alan Stevenson left the Rock in the early hours of Thursday morning to make their way to Tanzania, where they will climb Kilimanjaro in aid of the Cancer Relief Centre Gibraltar.

The men were flying from Malaga to Barcelona, then to Qatar and on to Tanzania, a journey of 23 hours in total.

They are due to make their way up the mountain today.

The trek up and down Kilimanjaro is expected to take eight days.

Mr Morgan and Mr Stevenson were part of a team of five athletes that did the ‘Everest Challenge’ last month, making their way up the Rock 25 times collectively while pulling a tyre behind them, all in aid of Cancer Relief Gibraltar.

The idea is the brainchild of cancer survivor Simon Morgan who last year ran, cycled or swam 1,000km, all while undergoing chemotherapy for bladder cancer, again in aid of Cancer Relief.

He recalls how much the Cancer Relief Centre supported him while he was receiving treatment, how he could talk to the people there even if it was just having a cup of tea and a chat.

In an unexpected confession, Mr Morgan told the Chronicle that he had packed a couple of Viagra pills for the journey, rapidly explaining: “I have been researching for altitude sickness. Apparently, Viagra is the way forward. It really genuinely works at altitude.”

“It pumps more blood around your body and it helps your lungs breathe at altitude so I have got us a couple of tablets.”

Mr Stevenson is departing with some ailments, namely a twisted rib, a semi-blown out calf and Achilles tendon issues but appears to be unfazed by this.

“I’m feeling fairly positive,” said Mr Stevenson.

“The Covid tests have been passed, a half hour ago we passed those.”

“I have all my visas, I have got a folder like a dossier of stuff that I am taking so I have everything covered,” he added.

Ahead of the flight, Mr Morgan was not quite as organised and was still having to collect his Covid vaccine certificate as well as get his dollars and other items sorted, much to Mr Stevenson’s amusement.

However, with all that said, Mr Stevenson was also going to go home and repack his bag because Mr Morgan made him paranoid that should his bag get lost in transit, he should have at least one change of clothes in his carry-on luggage.

To support Mr Morgan and Mr Stevenson go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/matt-coulthard3