Charlie has a high old time climbing Kilimanjaro for charity (From Swindon Advertiser)

Charlie has a high old time climbing Kilimanjaro for charity

9:00am Sunday 25th October 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

A 19-YEAR-OLD girl who climbed the highest peak in Africa has doubled her fundraising goals after going through a “life changing” experience.

Charlie Martin, from Wanshot Close, Wroughton, returned from Tanzania on Friday where she managed to raise more then £4,800 for Help for Heroes by trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro with friends Jana Smith and Jacqui Smith.

Her story was first covered in the Adver when she announced she would be leaving in a bid to raise £2,000 by completing the “once in a lifetime” journey.

During the climb Charlie said she faced countless challenges and some funny moments, including a baboon stealing her dinner – twice.

She also had to drink five litres of water per day, shed so much weight her trousers no longer fit and trekked more than 16,700 feet over five days.

“It was the greatest thing I have ever done,” said the sixth former from Ridgeway School. “I miss the mountain so much. I miss the other trekkers. We had such a blast together.

“Every night we sang, we danced, we laughed – and during the walk we spoke about politics, life and the world.

“During the walks we were able to make each other happy even when we felt down.”

Charlie said one of the toughest parts of the climb was sleeping in winter clothing and climbing through torrential rain which turned the paths into “mini waterfalls”.

She said: “When we got above 3,000 feet the rain stopped because we were above the clouds, but before that it was very hard to deal with. But then Kilimanjaro means the house of god and water.

“The dust storms weren’t too nice either, it got up my nose and in my throat.

“I am raising the money for Help for Heroes because Wootton Bassett is the home of repatriations and because I have family members in the forces.

“My kin have been a great help in raising these funds – and the first Adver article helped loads too.”

Charlie said after the exhausting trek, which saw a number of climbers carried down due to breathing issues, she was also able to visit a Masaai village in Tanzania, where she met a man with six wives and more than 25 children.

During the visit a baboon stole her meal while she was in a toilet and then returned to steal her egg and passion fruit for good measure.

Anyone interested in reading Charlie’s on-line trip diary or donating cash to the cause is asked to visit www.justgiving.com/charlie-martin-kilimanjaro.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)