Our lives are filled with bucket lists, dreams and wishes, yet we often don’t take the necessary steps to make those happen. A resident of Brazeau County, Bart Guyon was determined to make his dream come true, and once he had a leap of faith, it all happened for him, and he ended up on the top of the world.
The roof of Africa Almost 20,000 Feet in the Air
It all started for Guyon when he saw a photo of Kilimanjaro; he thought it to be sensational. Bart Guyon, a Brazeau County rancher, can remember his first thought was to climb Kilimanjaro and to reach the view called the Roof of Africa. He kept wondering what the light would be like when you almost 20,000 feet up in the air.
A Dream to Go to Africa
When it comes to extreme sports, the ultimate is probably to climb Kilimanjaro. Guyon’s dream started with a photo, and all he wanted was to go to Africa and while there he tried to climb a mountain. His bucket list was growing, and he decided to focus on making it all come true. His work as a rancher kept him busy for many years, and when it came to his dream’s 10th anniversary, he decided it was time to do something about it. Guyon was 56 years old when he decided that it is now or never and after contacting a group in Africa, he started preparing for his trip to Africa.
Preparing for Trip to Africa
Bart Guyon knew he had to adjust, and he started training on his treadmill in the hope that it would make the journey easier. Once he laid eyes on the mountain, he realised his preparations were not near sufficient. He understood he was not as prepared as he should be as it is a lot tougher to breath when you 12 or 18 thousand feet up in the air. The group he was climbing with, was a lot more experienced they accomplished 60 and some 90 mountains already.
Falling in Love with Africa
During his three weeks in Africa, Bart Guyon also visited Tanzania and Kenya and the more places he, the more he fell in love with Africa. He could feel the magic in the air. He never stopped feeling great, the water tasted terrific, and the air smelled so good.
Guyon’s Dream Came True
Guyon spent five days climbing the world’s highest mountain, which is 19,341 feet above sea level or 5,895 meters high; it was a journey that tested both his mental and physical state. Around 30 people left halfway through the passage to go back down as they could not continue and it had a significant effect on his mental state, he can remember longing for a warm bed. Many times, he thought of quitting, but he never did, and he finally could cross one dream of his bucket list. Bart Guyon says the world is just amazing, he discovered the most fantastic place on it and that is Africa and after he returned his only dream is to go back!