Two Aberdeen women have scaled new heights after setting themselves an intrepid challenge to climb Africa’s highest peak – and helping to raise an incredible £8000 for their chosen charities.

Ailidh Wilson, 31, and Sam Hendry, 36, spent ten days in Tanzania undertaking the trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro with the Action Challenge organisation after deciding they wanted to push themselves to see what they were capable of.

Conquering the 6000m mountain was not bad for a couple of women whose previous trekking experience consisted of climbing one Munro and Bennachie between them.

Sam said: “We wanted to set ourselves a challenge, and climbing Kilimanjaro fitted the bill for sure. It was like nothing else we had experienced in our lives and we hope that the memories will last a lifetime.”

-- Advertisement --

Architect Ailidh chose to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation; a charity particularly dear to her due to the support they gave to her father - a keen hill walker who’d always dreamed of climbing Kilimanjaro - after he survived a heart attack in 2008.

For Interior Designer Sam her choice was the North East cancer charity, CLAN, as she wanted to show a local organisation support and appreciation for the fantastic work they do in her hometown.

Both women are employed by Aberdeen-based commercial property experts Space Solutions, who were particularly supportive to their endeavour, being accommodating with time off, donating generously and rallying around their fundraising efforts, enjoying a successful bake sale.

The girls added: “Despite the endless training, camping, terrible food, freezing temperatures, altitude sickness, mice and physical pain, overall the trek was amazing.

“We made friends for life, laughed, cried and pushed our physical and mental boundaries to the absolute limit - yet survived to tell the tale!

“Would we do it again? Give it some time for our feet to recover and we’d be there in a heartbeat.”

(GK)