I was at the 4,700m Barafu Camp on Kilimanjaro after a five day hike, just hours away from the final six hour push to the summit.
I was prepared. I was ready.
And then I got hit with food poisoning.
The false peak — the moment that breaks most people
In sport we talk a lot about the finish line. But the reality of any journey is the false peak.
It's that moment when you think you've reached the top, only to realise there's a steeper, darker climb hiding behind it. You thought you were in great shape. You thought the hard part was done. And then the ground shifts under your feet.
I've lived this in sport. I've lived it in business. Nine months of 'maybe next week' from UK regulators while trying to become a licensed bank. A whirlpool off the French coast during the Channel swim that pinned us in place for hours.
But the moment that truly defined this lesson for me was on Kilimanjaro.
The night I passed out on the rocks
There's nothing pretty about what happened next. I spent the afternoon and early evening running between the long drop toilet and the tent. This ended with me passing out on the rocks, looking up at the stars and the milky way on the way back.
The view was incredible. I had no food left in me. I was dangerously dehydrated. And we were about to start the final hike to the summit within the hour.
The guide was pushing for me to stay at base camp.
I started climbing.
Not because I felt strong. Not because it was the sensible thing to do. Because a Navigator knows that the extra hill — the one you didn't plan for — is where character is forged.
Although to be honest, it didn't feel like that at the time.
What success actually looks like
Success isn't the perfect summit on a sunny day.
Success is what happens when you're shivering, depleted, facing a six hour climb on rocky gravel that shifts half a step back for every step forward. All with nothing but a sip of water for fear of setting off your stomach again.
The most rewarding journeys aren't the ones that were easy. They're the ones that took longer than they should have because you had to crawl part of the way.
Your Kilimanjaro moment
You will face these moments in your own journey.
You'll think you're in great shape only for something to shift at the last moment. You'll be within touching distance of the goal only to hit an unexpected obstacle. You'll find the route only for the ground to move beneath you.
When that happens, you have two choices:
You can moan about it and quit. Or you can start climbing.
The hill you didn't plan for is always the hardest. It's also always the one that matters most.
Just remember: there's always one more hill.
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