I was born in Uganda, surrounded by the beauty of the African landscape — its wilderness, animals, mountains, lakes, and rivers were the backdrop of my childhood. At 17, I moved to London to study Accountancy, intending to return home. But political turmoil, including a dictatorial regime, changed those plans. I stayed in London and have lived here ever since. I built a life — got married, had children, and carved out a long, fulfilling career as a Partner at HW Fisher.

Yet, nature has always been a part of me. And so has spirituality.

My parents were both religious and spiritual and we went on pilgrimages together, along with my grandparents. However, as life became busier, those spiritual journeys became less frequent but not forgotten.

So, when I stepped down from full-time work at HW Fisher, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. In August 2024, I embarked on a pilgrimage with my wife and son to Mount Kailash, a sacred Himalayan peak revered by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and followers of Bön. Located in southwest Tibet near Nepal and India, it stands close to the sources of major rivers like the Indus, Brahmaputra, and Ganges.

In Hinduism, Kailash is the legendary abode of Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities, and is viewed as the cosmic centre of the universe. It stands as a symbol of divine power and purity and is regarded as one of the most auspicious places to visit, at least once in your lifetime. Pilgrims believe the clockwise circumnavigation of the mountain (Parikrama) cleanses the sins of many lifetimes and purifies the soul. Yet the journey is not easy. High altitudes, rugged terrain, and extreme weather conditions mean that few people complete it.

I started preparing for the trip nine months beforehand. The first step was mental preparation. You need to get your mind into a positive space and truly believe you can do it. The second step is to build up breathing techniques. You are 20,000 ft above sea level, and the oxygen levels become very low, so regulating your breathing is paramount as well as doubling your water intake. The third step was to get physically fit. Both the terrain and weather conditions are challenging, so I prepared by walking in different places across the UK, 1000 feet above sea level.

Our 17-day pilgrimage started in Nepal, flying into Lhasa in the southeast of Tibet and ascending westward gradually to 18,500 feet to acclimatise. The drive offers surreal landscapes and passes Lake Mansarovar (pictured), the world’s highest freshwater lake, also spiritually revered. Meeting also the Tibetan people was humbling; their kindness, humility, and compassion made a lasting impression.

The Parikrama itself took 3 days of trekking. At end of day one you reach the foothills of the mountain’s North face and the view is simply breathtaking (pictured) and you feel overwhelmed that you have managed to get there. There is a calm aura in the cold air and the sound of the Brahmaputra river created a sense of spiritual achievement and deep peace within me.

At night, when you step out from your tent you see the Milky Way in the clear sky, with millions of bright stars which simply dazzle you, and despite temperatures of minus 10°C you stand there for hours simply enjoying the beauty of nature and our universe.

Day two is the toughest day. Going around the mountain, you climb up some challenging steep terrain and over the highest point of the trek at Dolmala pass, before coming down on the other side of the mountain range. This part of the journey certainly does test your stamina and agility! Finally, on day three, you complete the Parikrama passing through very different and much flatter terrain running parallel with the river with some beautiful scenery. After returning to the base, we started our journey back to the Tibetan border and then to Nepal.

Taking this trip with my wife and son was a once in a lifetime experience, and we feel deeply blessed to have done it. Being so close to nature and something greater than ourselves was calming, uplifting and reminded us of the vastness of the world and our part within it.

I’m grateful to share this story. And I look forward to more pilgrimages and adventures in the future.

Circle Square Q&A

What 3 words best describe you? Hard working, compassionate, spiritual.

If you could offer your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be? To not work as hard, and take time for other interests, I could have enjoyed more journeys like this one.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Being there for my family and friends.

Which person (dead or alive) would you most like to invite to dinner? I spent time working in South Africa, so Nelson Mandela.

How has age strengthened your advantage? It provides experience that helps you accept certain things and understand what matters most.

What inspired you to join Circle Square? To be with other people who are going through a similar stage of life and share ideas and views.