Leeds woman climbs Kilimanjaro

A woman from North Leeds has raised £850 for Yorkshire Cancer Research after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Claire Richards, 30, took on Africa’s highest mountain in July and called the experience “an incredible challenge.”

Claire followed in the footsteps of her parents, who completed the same climb almost 30 years ago in 1996. Her mum and dad’s support of Yorkshire Cancer Research also inspired Claire’s fundraising.

Yorkshire Cancer Research funds world-leading research to help prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer in the region.

She said: “ In 2021, My dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer and thankfully has been successfully treated, which is fantastic. He did some of my training hikes with me which was really nice.

“It’s a cause that is close to my heart, and being a Yorkshire girl, doing it for Yorkshire Cancer Research just felt like it made sense. My Mum also played a big part because she’s been involved with the charity for a number of years.”

Located in the East African country of Tanzania, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro sits an impressive 5,895 metres above sea level, making it the highest mountain on the continent of Africa.

The challenge was something Claire had always wanted to take on, and as she approached her 30th birthday, she decided it was finally time to tick it off her list.

She said: “I’ve always been active, and I love hiking, so climbing Kilimanjaro has been something I had in mind for a while. I said I wanted to do it before I turned 30, so I managed to just get it in a week before my birthday.”

Claire signed up for the trek, taking on the ‘Rongai Route’, with three of her friends from university, and the group encouraged each other to keep up the training in the months leading up to the journey.

She continued: “We weren’t able to train together as we all live in different areas. To keep us motivated to train, we set up a challenge where we could compete with each other to see who was doing the most training and getting the most elevation. Collectively we hiked over 15,000 metres before the trip.

“Everyone around me was really supportive as I was training and were keen to not only support me doing the challenge but also to be able to donate to Yorkshire Cancer Research.”

With generous donations from family and friends, Claire raised £850 for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Claire said: “The first few days of the climb were a lot of fun, catching up with my friends and getting to know the porters.

“On day four, it started to get much more difficult as the altitude became more of an issue. The summit night was by far the most physically demanding part, as you’re climbing roughly the height of Ben Nevis overnight to reach the summit before sunrise.”

The group reached the mountain’s summit, known as Uhuru Peak, after four days and one tough morning of climbing.

“It was quite emotional when we got to the top, and the views were just stunning. Thinking of my parents definitely pushed me to the top, knowing that they’d walked that path before me.

“I actually took my mum’s rucksack that she’d taken back in 1996. It was funny because all my friends had their high-tech, brand-new backpacks and I had my mum’s old pink bag with absolutely no back support, but I was determined that it’d be that bag I’d be taking to the top.”

For Claire, the experience is one that she’d recommend to anyone who wants to push themselves and take on a challenge.

She said: “It’s one of the most accessible mountains to take on, if you’re not a technical climber, and it’s such an incredible experience to have. If anyone has been considering doing it, I’d say go for it.”