Ten reasons to climb Mount Kilimanjaro

1 It’s a weight loss programme with a difference and you’re guaranteed to lose a minimum of 4kg. If you’re lucky you may even shed up to 10kg in just one week. 

2 Every morning you will be woken and offered a choice of coffee, tea or hot chocolate in the comfort of your sleeping bag or tent. I don’t have this luxury at home. 

4 Does your iPod Nano really have a battery life of up to 30 hours? Now is the time to test it as you climb, climb and climb uninterrupted. 

5 You’ll be able to impress your friends with your new interest in astronomy having seen the Milky Way and Southern Cross. 

6 You’ll come back learning a new language – Swahili! Jambo! Poli Poli!

7 It will be like putting yourself on an email detox – 192 hours without Wi-Fi. This could be more challenging than the climb itself. 

8 Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, enhances attraction. Pick up your own piece on the mountain, make it into a necklace and attract admirers and impress friends. 

9 Interested in the flora and fauna of different climatic zones? Experience four on your way to the summit – rainforest, heather and moorland, alpine desert and the arctic zone. 

10 Which woman travels with only two pairs of shoes? Prove to yourself that you are a real woman, and can survive in a pair of hiking boots during the day and Crocs at night.