We love to adventure with people, and we love to hear (and share) their stories, as well. So we have a series of posts called “Sharing Our Embark Stories.”

This time, the adventurer is Neelam Narula, who said she “didn’t know where or what Kilimanjaro was” until she decided to climb it after doing another hike with Team in Training. “I was in a transition in life, and I needed to do something, so I said ‘Sure!’”

“You can never find out what Kili is until you are there,” she says. And now that she’s been there, she answered our questions about what it was like climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with Embark to raise funds to fight cancer.

What was the most inspiring moment of your trip?

On summit night, nearly at the peak, I was freezing, and one of guides pulls out hot tea, and I’m sharing the cup with him. I managed to make it on to the summit, but that was a lovely moment.

What’s the biggest challenge you overcame, and how did that feel?

Summit night, getting to the peak was difficult. My oxygen levels dropped, and were dropping throughout. I’m a nurse practitioner, and I know what those numbers mean. I would put somebody in ICU for the numbers I had, but I was feeling okay.

It was hard trusting the culture and the process that it was going to be okay, that I wasn’t going to get sick. I’m really into infection control, and here I was drinking water from a jug that didn’t look as clean as I was used to, and eating food prepared by some process I wasn’t aware of. After a couple days, though, I was eating anything. I am glad I did because the food and the people were great.

What did you learn about the place you visited and the people there?

Arrival was frustrating, getting our visas, the whole thing. And a part of me was shocked: I walked the market in Moshi, and I saw the children and the poverty. But the porters and guides are the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. You could feel their insides. They are always smiling and polite and helpful. I sensed zero judgment, and by the end I was drinking from the same cup of tea with them.

How did Embark help make your trip a success?

Embark picks really good people. The food was great, and the people were hospitable, compassionate, and caring. You don’t expect that from a guide, but for them it was not a business. By the end we were really caring about each other.

And they sing for us! It’s amazing. I had no idea. It was unbelievable; there was a lot of stuff like Bollywood, stuff you could dance to. It was very melodious, with the whole group dancing and singing. A couple of the songs were about climbing Kili, some were religious, and a lot were about letting go and being happy.

Where do you want to go next, and why?

(We rephrased this question for her as “Where would you go if you won the lottery?”)

If I won the lottery, I would go back to Moshi and join Carrie (of Embark) with volunteering. I would try to help.

Otherwise, I think I’m going to do Machu Picchu next. I hope to do that next year.

Would you like to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with Embark?