How Climbing A Mountain Changed My Life

Speaker A: In 2020 as part of the Timothy Put the Katel on series has been re, edited and remastered as a bonus episode for Talking Hospitality. The episode features hosts Timothy, uh, R. Andrews and Sarah Couttell with special GU events guru and author, uh, Paul Cook, who shares his inspirational story of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I'd like to thank our sponsors, Hospitality Jobs uk, HJ uk, the UK specialist job board and talent attraction platform dedicated to the hospitality, care, leisure, entertainment, attractions and retail sectors and Graphic Kitchen, who put your storytelling into your brand. A very different episode, this. I hope you'll enjoy it, Paul. Obviously, within the hospitality and events industry at the moment, it's been tough for a lot of people and a lot of people, ah, have either lost work or will be thinking of a change of career. So about four years ago, you took a complete career change. Would you like to tell us about that? What you used to do, what you did that, uh, made you change and your amazing story about how a mountain changed your life.

Speaker B: Yeah. Thanks, Tim. I didn't think I was going to have a career change, really. I thought it was just going to walk up a mountain. Little did I know. Oh, my goodness. It was just. It was one of those things where it's very easy to say, yeah, one day we're doing climb a mountain, we climb Kilimanjaro. Had it always been one of my big ambitions? Not really. It was more other people's ambition than mine. And I was approached by one of my friends. We were in a pub on a Friday night. He'd left his place of work and he'd said, all right, I'm taking a year out. I didn't enjoy what I was doing. I'm going to take a year out, um, and I want to climb Kilimanjaro. And, um, you've often said you'd be up for that as well. So do you want to do that? And I said to him, give me a beer and I'll think about it. He bought me a beer, drank the beer, and I thought, why not? And then we decided very quickly that evening, actually, we said, let's go for February. Let's just go. Let's do it. And that means that we're going to have to train over the winter anyway. So we both come out of the pub and we're not in any way drunk. Totally. He's just finished his job. I've just finished a beer. We've made this plan anyway, so we decided to do some training and, uh, we did all of that and I was still, I was okay. I was working at the time. I had an insurance business and it was all around events, that was okay. But I also had my other company, I had Planet Planet as well. And so there was some content sharing that I was doing there and I was doing a bunch of other things around events and around insurance and that was fine. And in the middle of all of this I was going out and I was doing some of these walks now and getting ready as much as I could, as much as you could prepare for going up a mountain, getting the jabs, getting all of the stuff that you have to do, getting all of the kits, spending a load, um, of money on it. But it wasn't, honestly it wasn't until I landed in Tanzania, got off the flight with a bunch of people that were going to do this as well. So there were 14 of us. And when we met the guides at ah, the airport and I met a guide leader and he's like a mini Indiana Jones really. Not that he's small, but just the way he comes across, it's just incredible, right? And he sat there, he was in this minibus, we said hello. And I knew in that instant I suddenly knew why I was there and I thought, this is it, I'm here and I've got a job to do and that job is to get up this mountain and down it. And I knew, realized in that instant that I was really going to enjoy it. And one of the things that they drum into you and you have all the briefings, because you have the briefings and they tell you enjoy the journey. I'm going to listen to what he said. I'm just here, uh, I can't do anything else. I can't write any emails, I wouldn't want to write any emails. There was no connection anyway, I'd taken a time out of work. Everybody that I loved and supported me was back home. The guy that was my tent mate, we were going up this thing together but he was the only person I knew. So that was it. And apart from the team of porters that you get to know over a period of time. But it was fantastic. They do advise you as well, they say, okay, don't try to walk faster than the guide. Sounds very obvious but the first day you've got such inclination to go, okay, we want to get on, we want to get there. Uh, and they're always going, Polly Poly, slowly, keep going slowly. And it's solid advice because you don't know what you're really doing because who's ever climbed a mountain before to such a height, and who knows if you're going to get there. So my mantra through this was, safe up, safe down. That's all I needed to do. And, um, the way I was going to do that was I was going to listen to what they told me to do and I was just going to do it. I wasn't going to try and be a silly sod that would know better than them because they've done so many of these things already. And I knew that I was in good hands. So I put complete trust in the people around me to enable me to do this. That was a game plan. Every single day we would go out and we follow their instructions so we get to know these porters. And every day they're carrying your, your kit up. Uh, what you carry is basically a rucksack, a day sack. So it's got your wet gear in, it's got some food and it's got other kind of essentials, torch those kind of things, but it doesn't have anything else. So all of the stuff that you're going to need for later on in the journey is being carried up by the porters. And they allow you to take 15 kilos. Now, I don't know if you've ever weighed 15 kilos, but that is a heck of a lot for somebody to lug up or. And in addition to carry their own other kit as well and to carry the loo and everything else that traipses up in the mountain with you. And I remember looking at, uh, one of these porters lugging all this stuff up, thinking, I really hope I didn't pack too much, because they do weigh it before you even set off. But suddenly you realize that you want to travel as light as you can because anything extra is extra work for them to do. And you get a real bonding with these guys and girls. There are men and women of all ages that go up. And for our group of 14 people, there were, I'd say there are about 50, 50, 60 people. And they come with you, they're with you every step of the way. And then obviously we've got our crew, and our crew are basically like Indiana and his boys that are experts in this stuff, but everybody is an expert on the mountain because it's, it's where they live and it's basically their home. Um, the sacrifice is incredible because they're away from their families as well. And I was just really taken by that. And I think that what was happening in my world was I was beginning to really look at things differently, to really value. Not that I didn't value life and all the things around it, but all the material stuff just fell away. That stuff wasn't important. It was just all of us together on this journey and how much we were helping each other. What they would do, and it still leaves me with a, uh, little throat, is they would clap you in and they would sing you in every single night as you came into camp. So they were the last people to leave breakfast. They'd pack up all the tents and everything else. They pack up all their camp. You would be struggling up this mountain, doing the best you could. These people would overtake you on rocky ledges, which was so narrow that anybody could easily fall off, then go. They make the camp up. They then put all your food on and they'd be clapping you in. It's like, who does this? This is just mind blowing. And of course, along the way, you get to think you've got time to really think about some of these issues and all of that stuff, the camaraderie, the clutter, uh, what am I really doing on this stuff? They're all bubbling along underneath you. And you don't realize because you think you're just out doing a walk. And it's not a walk. It's a bloody great trek. And anybody that says it's like a Sunday afternoon stroll just has not done it. But what happened in our group was that we had these 14 people. We all bonded as a group and we all looked out for each other, and that was special. So we had this bond going on within us. We had the crew bond, and then we also had the bond with all the porters and everybody else that was around. You take five days up, two days down, and then the rest of the time is acclimatization and. And then travel. So you're away for basically two weeks. We got used to the cold nights. We got used to the shocking weather because there was one day when it just rained constantly and it was ice cold as well, which meant that, uh, you could take off all the clothes, but they were never going to dry, and there was no way of drying this stuff. And sometimes we would be at a camp where there was no water other than a mile or so further down the road. But the porters would just go and get it so that they could wash the dishes. It was just incredible. But when it came to the. When it came to summit night, and summit night is the one that everybody is, uh, mindful of because however Bulshy or however pigheaded you may be, summit night is the leveler for everybody. Now, all the while that these porters have been carrying all of your kit, in that kit there's also been a, a bag. And you put all of your summit gear into this bag and where it is and what you're going to wear on that night because you don't have time to think. And this is a big thing because your brain is going to go to mush very quickly. So as you get higher up the mountain, your headaches start, the brain starts to go. You need to be really mindful of those things and just aware that they're going to happen. So what they do is say we'd walked all the way to the high camp and we'd got there about 9 or 10 o' clock in the morning and then they basically give you some breakfast and then you sleep and you sleep for some of that afternoon, but you don't really sleep because you're on adrenaline. You are aware that this big anticipation is going to come and uh, what are you going to do? And you're going to do your very best to, you know, to make it, to get up this, up this mountain. And so you have a light supper and then they send you off to bed and you're still not sleeping. I wasn't sleeping. I don't know anybody else that slept. And they, um, wake you up at 11 o' clock at night and you start walking at midnight and you walk through until 8 o' clock in the morning. And the reason is that, uh, this is a time of when the mountain is at its hardest in terms of giving you the footing that you need. Because if it's warm, it's all shale and stone and you're going to slide all over the place, which is no good to anybody. So the way it was described, it's like going up in a deep freeze, but then you have to come back in a microwave oven because it gets very hot very quickly once you're at the top of the mountain. We were all still together as a group. Nobody had been sent down because people do get sent down, uh, earlier on if they're not going to make it. So a lot of people would have gone before this point, but all 14 of us are still together on a final stretch now. So we got woken up at 11 at night. I tell you to put your kit on and then go into the mess tent and you're going to have a cup of tea and something there. Final briefing and Then away you go. We have a. We have tea, we have ginger nuts. And then they set us off. But because. Because I'd been late to start, I found myself right at the very back of the group and that's, uh, not where I wanted to be. I wanted to be at the front. And we set off and it was just horrid. If you can imagine. You're dressed up like a, uh, kind of Michelin man advert. Uh, you've got layer upon layer on. You are in pitch black. Uh, the only way that you can see is by the light of your head torch. And you know that the excitement and the adrenaline is pumping through everybody. And you want to succeed and you want everybody else to get there. And we step out from our base camp and we start walking. And the wind is blowing again at about 45 miles an hour. That doesn't sound a lot, but bearing in mind at this point we are 4700 meters up a mountain. So it's quite something to be blown about. We're having to go in single file and it's -18. So your body starts to close down almost immediately because you think, I'm really cold. And the only thing that wasn't cold on me as we churn it up was, for some bizarre reason, my left hand. Everything else was just frozen as we went up. But I was at the back and the winds are howling and they assigned you with a guide so that you could. Somebody would be there with you to give you water and other stuff. And we had a break. After about 45 minutes, we had a break and the Indiana Jones guy came up to me and said, he said, I'm going to shift you. And I said, why? He said, we don't like you at the back. You hate it at the back. And also the pace isn't enough. He said, you've been at the front all week and you've kept up. Uh, and that's, uh, pulled the whole group on. And I said to him, it's not a race. And he said, yeah, I know, but we do need to still move, even though we've got these hours ahead of us. They know exactly where you should be at each stage, right? So I get moved up to the front and suddenly I'm feeling much better. Yes, I'm here, got a guy next to me, I'm feeling better. And we stop. So we carry on trudging. And, uh, when I say trudge, it's. Imagine the smallest step that you could ever take. And that's what you're doing. And it must be like a moonwalk almost, because it is so tiny and just so much effort that's going in every time just to make the most simplest of steps. But the hours are rolling on. The darkness is pitch. There's no moonlight. There's nothing to guide you other than the head torches and your guide. And you are aching. All over was just another way. And the wind has not let up. The cold hasn't got any better. In fact, it's. It's got worse and there's just no end in sight. And back home you would be saying, yeah, just put one foot in front of the other. It's easy. One foot, that's all you got a day. That's what everybody tells you. And yes, you can't criticize them for giving you that advice. But your brain is mush and, um, all you can do is just keep on going. But it is so hard. It is so hard. But I kept on going. And then I got to a point where I started to cough and then the next thing I knew was that I was literally lying. I was on the floor. I had keeled over. I'm being ill and I'm crying because at that point I just think that's it. It is game over for me because the, the guys can come up, up and he's going to turn around and say, paul, you're done. You've got to get off this mountain and go now. And yeah, I'm in a horrible stage. It's just not working for me at all. And I'm just thinking, how am I going to do this? I've got no energy, I've got no reserves here. And I didn't even know. But the group, some of the group went past me, they patted me on the back and I didn't even know they were giving me the kind of thumbs up to keep going. But I'm just spaced out. I had no idea. But somehow I managed to just drag myself back and, um, I drank some water and I just found something inside. And I don't know, it wasn't my brain telling me, it wasn't my body. It was unbelievable how I got back up again, but I did. But I managed to drag myself out the gutter and just back into some semblance of having to go up. And the winds haven't let down. They are still going as strong as ever. It is still as dark as ever. The body is spent. But somehow I kept moving. But what I didn't do and didn't want to do was I didn't want to look up because I knew that if I looked up, I would probably not be able to cope with it. The guide is with me. He's my man. He's been there. Uh, he's going to stay with me. And we are getting up this thing, and the time still keeps going, and you've got no idea what's happening. And you literally are in automatum mode and not even realizing what you're doing. I'm moving along slowly and I hear this bubble of voices around me, and somebody is saying, paul, for Christ's sake, look up. I'm going, nope, I'm not looking up. Not until I've got there. Can you just look up? And I'm aware that there's more than one voice now. So I did. I was at the top at, uh, that moment. Just as I'm looking up, sun comes up. And the sunrise starts. And it's amazing. I can see around me. And suddenly the whole thing has become that much clearer. The wind has subsided, the brightness has come out. I'm here. We got to the board, we took the photo on the Facebook and everywhere else, lots of spoiler type. And initially, I got to, um, find a little space, um, and just soften the heart. For 15 minutes, I sobbed because it was such an achievement. But I thought of all the people that helped me get there, uh, all the people back home, all the people that had been on that crew and those porters and everyone else, and it was just amazing. Now, what I did, in answer to your question earlier, much earlier, uh, what that, uh, did for career change was I came down off that mountain. I knew that I had to declutter my life. And part of that meant just deciding that I wasn't going to be insurance anymore. I didn't love it enough. So, uh, I decided to exit that, and I did. I decided I was going to do much more creative work in events, which led to the writing that I do, the hybrid and the virtual events. I thought, I'm going to just do a lot more of this. I had a new respect for all of the invisible roles that people play and enable you to do something. And I think that really resonates with events and hospitality. And it's full of those little people and the little touches they can make that make the difference. And I think it said to me, life is so precious. You cannot be doing things that you're just not that you don't love enough. So if you don't love something enough, you've just got to leave it. It's really that simple.

Speaker A: Talking Hospitality Reporters thank you by Paul Cook.

Speaker B: Thank you, each and every one of you. You made, uh, our dreams of climbing Keely come true. You looked after us and took away our fears. You will live in our memories for years and years. Ruote Munifanya Dutoye 2 Yakupanda Kilimanjaro Kua uh, Kweli Tabaki Kua Kuakumbuka quetu miyakayote.