Aunt May, as she's known in the family, was a Brigadier in the Salvation Army and served in Africa for around 35 years. In June 1941 she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world in her Salvation Army issue shoes and dress!
She wrote an account of her climb and took photos en-route. My family discovered a fully typed manuscript entitled "The Making of a Mountaineer" in my granddad's loft a few years ago, when he sadly passed away.
In 2001, shortly before my 30th birthday I made exactly the same trip my great aunt did, following in her footsteps as closely as I could, 60 years TO THE DAY after she made the ascent!
I will reproduce some of her account and photos, alongside my own account and photos in this blog.
In 2011 I hope to return to Kilimanjaro to make another attempt on the summit, 70 years after my great aunt and 10 years after my first attempt. I will also reproduce any news about the build up and the climb itself right here. So make sure you stay tuned.
There's lots to tell, so I do hope you come back for more.
One day I would like to get the whole story published, as a book. But until then, I hope you enjoy these excerpts as much as I've enjoyed writing them ... Happy reading!
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