Teen out to join elite of climbing
A mountaineering schoolgirl from Northampton has set off on the first target of the mountaineering grand slam – to climb the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents.
Ailsa Wright, 17, left her Collingtree home on Friday for Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, which stands at 19,400ft – the tallest mountain in Africa.
Over the next two years, Ailsa plans to climb Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mt McKinley in Alaska, Mt Vinson in Antarctica, Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, Mt Kosciuszko in Australia and then finally Mt Everest in Nepal in 2009. They are the tallest mountains on each continent, a total climb of 133,400ft
The challenge, known as the Seven Peaks Challenge, has been completed by fewer than 100 people and if Ailsa is successful, she will be the youngest woman to have climbed all seven peaks.
However, the project is also in aid of Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, which grants wishes to young people with life threatening illnesses.
Ailsa said: "This is going to be incredibly hard and will take a huge amount of determination, but I am confident that I can do it.
"I have spent the last few months finding out as much as I can, and as a regular climber I already have the basic skills and fitness needed.
"My aim is to start with the less technical mountains over the next year and work up to my final climb, which will be Mount Everest.
"I hope to raise as much money as I can for Make-A-Wish Foundation so that they can grant more magical wishes to children in the UK."
Ailsa, who is studying for her AS levels at Bury Lawn School in Milton Keynes, returns to the UK on October 31.
More information about sponsoring the teenager is available online at www.justgiving.com/missioneverest2009 or by calling 01733 894495.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
