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.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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