How to get your husband to do what you want!

Ok, fair enough, you'll say there's loads of ways to achieve the above, but do they really work?

Here's what I did last year and it's still paying dividends!

I climbed Kilimanjaro with Justin! Yep! (granted, I made the decision after a few glasses of vino....)

Seriously now, it's something my wonderful husband had wanted to do for a long time and I could either share the experience with him or watch from the sidelines as he went and tackled the highest point in Africa with others. I decided I wanted in and there followed about a year of researching and preparing - not so easy when you live in Zambia - trips to South Africa are required to organise gear, etc.

We planned out our training methods and had to do most of it in our little gym at the bottom of the garden (Zambia is a very flat country!), but it worked! By the time we set off - 25th July 2004 - we were as physically prepared as possible.

Mental preparation is another thing altogether and that altered each day with the terrain, reaching a full panic crescendo on summit night! (for me at least!)

We did the 6 day Machame route, longer, harder and more scenic than the Marangu (coca-cola) route.

We shared our climb with Linda & Liezl from South Africa, good friends.

We relied on our guides and porters and are sobered by the fact that these guys risk their lives at high altitude regularly, scratching a living for themselves and their families while we trust them with our lives.

What can I say? Phrases such as 'experience of a lifetime' come to mind, 'hardest thing we ever did', life-changing', 'a sense of achievement beyond belief'.

The time we spent on the beautiful mountain of Kilimanjaro was so precious, so removed from everything and everyone else in our lives (ok, we had photos of our six animals, family and close friends with us). It was about the two of us, needing each other totally, experiencing peace and serenity at times and learning to draw on our inner strength at other times.

It was a time that we'll never forget. Not a day goes by when we do not think of Kilimanjaro.

She was good to us, she looked after us and she let us climb her.

For that we thank her.

And I thank her because any time I like, all I have to say is "I climbed Kilimanjaro with you Babe......."

And he says "Ok then..................................."