Just summit I did, says charity climber Lesley

Thrilled by her achievement, Lesley, 56, of Fowlers Close, was one of 19 intrepid souls to take on the challenge as part of KiliClimb 2011. All were successful in making the climb, and hope to have raised some £55,000 for a mechanics’ training workshop in Tanzania.

Lesley, who has a son, 19, and daughter, 24, said: “We took 12 days to actually tackle the challenge, but spent a lot of time before that in training.

“For the attempt on the summit we struck camp at midnight and climbed for several hours so that we could see the sun rising over the plains as we reached the top. It was simply stunning and there was a great team spirit among all those who took part - one member was 74-years-old.

“Despite many hardships, rigours of climbing in difficult conditions and hostile terrain, new friends were made and great camaraderie and team support all made it possible to achieve our individual dreams.”

Lesley’s fund-raising webpage is at: http://ukvirginmoneygiving.com/Lesley Vernon and further donations would be welcome.

When not climbing mountains, Lesley’s leisure pursuits more usually revolve around golf and swimming.