Teenage climber conquers Kilimanjaro (From Stroud News and Journal)

Teenage climber conquers Kilimanjaro

10:00am Friday 24th June 2011 in News By Harriet Hernando, Reporter for Stonehouse

WHEN Tommy McInerney’s grandpa died from Alzheimer’s disease just three days before he was due to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, it made him even more determined to get to the top.

In a bid to raise money for Dementia UK, Tommy, aged just 13, pushed the headaches associated with altitude sickness to the back of his mind and reached the 5,895m summit with his dad Duncan in less than eight hours.

"We found the trip very hard and suffered from headaches and nausea. It was really cold, especially during the overnight ascent with temperatures of –20C, so cold that our water bottles had frozen before we even set out," said Duncan, who is a partner in environmental consultancy firm EDP in Cirencester.

"It was both a physical and mental challenge but we are happy to have conquered the mountain, especially since Tommy is the youngest person to have got to the top this year," he said.

Anyone wishing to donate should visit www.justgiving.com/tommy-mcinerney