UK Food Executives set to reach summit of Kilimanjaro

Team of leading UK food executives set for final push to top of Africa

A team of ten senior UK food executives is preparing itself in freezing conditions on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro for a final push to the summit.

The team, which includes Sainsbury’s Group Commercial Director and a former Director-General of the National Farmers Union, set out last Saturday. They are now at Kibo Base Camp (4700 metres) and within striking distance of the summit of Kilimanjaro.

At 10pm tonight (Thursday 29 September) UK time they will set out in a demanding final push for the summit. The team will spend about eight hours climbing the final 1200 metres in the dark and in oxygen-thin air before reaching the summit at sunrise (approximately 6am UK time).

Conditions at Kibo base camp, where the team is resting before the final ascent, have been described on the team’s blogsite as “miserably cold and bleak”. There is no water for washing as it has to be saved for the final climb; and it is difficult to sleep due to the extreme altitude.

The team blog, including climbers’ posts from each day of the expedition, is available at: http://www.kiliclimb-farmafrica.org.uk/ 

The team of executives is climbing Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Farm Africa, a British charity working with vulnerable farmers and communities in eastern Africa to tackle poverty and hunger.

So far the team has raised a staggering £220,000.

The expedition team:

Mark Carr, Group Chief Executive, AB Sugar
Mike Coupe, Group Commercial Director, J Sainsbury’s
Nigel Dunlop, CEO Moy Park and NED Warburtons
Iain Ferguson, NED Greggs plc, Balfour Beatty plc, Berendsen plc and former CEO Tate and Lyle
Andrew Cracknell, Director Anglo Beef Processors
Richard Macdonald, NED Moy Park, Dairy Crest Foods and former Director General NFU
Martyn Wilks, Executive Managing Director Dairy Crest Foods
Charles Reed, Group Managing Director, William Reed Business Media
Tim Smith, Chief Executive Food Standards Agency
Julian Marks, Managing Director, Barfoots of Botley Ltd

The expedition team flew from London to Nairobi on Thursday 22 September. They started the climb on 24 September and expect to reach the summit on Friday 30 September.