A team of amputee soldiers from the UK who are preparing to climb Kilimanjaro have received a sponsorship boost from a Ruislip business.
The Charity, known as the Pilgrim Bandits, will be leaving the UK on 15th February for the nine-day challenge; they have received a £500 cash boost from Citygate Volkswagen to contribute towards the cost of the trip.
The five amputee soldiers on the expedition are doing so to raise money for Pilgrim Bandits and will be joined by Dragon’s Den star, Duncan Bannatyne.
They will be supported by 15 able bodied people and two medical staff, have been preparing for the challenge for the past five months with a mix of endurance training and climbing in the Snowdon area.
Richard Eagell, brand manager at Citygate Volkswagen, said:
“In committing to this gruelling trek, the climbers have all shown tremendous spirit and strength of character and we were so inspired by their determination that we wanted to lend our support.”
Met Police Sergeant Chris Naughton, a Reservist NCO with the local TA Regiment, The Rifles, added: “The amputees will be climbing without assistance and will be carrying their own kit and equipment which given their injuries, is a huge accomplishment. We are grateful to Citygate Volkswagen for their support and as a thank you, we will be taking a Citygate flag up the mountain for future climbers to see!”
Rising 19,340 feet above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. It lies 205 miles South of the equator and stands on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya and supports five major eco-zones: rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and glaciers.
The weather on Mount Kilimanjaro can vary from very hot to extremely cold within the same day. At the base of the mountain, the average temperature is around 21-27 degrees however, at the summit, Uhuru Point, night time temperatures can range between 0 and -30 degrees.
In 1889, German geographer Hans Meyer and Austrian mountain climber Ludwig Purtscheller were the first to climb Kilimanjaro. Today, about 15,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro each year, as a spiritual journey or as a personal challenge.
To learn more about the Pilgrim Bandits’ challenge, or to pledge support, visit www.pilgrimbandits.com