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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Oldest person to reach the top of Mt Kilimanjaro -
George Solt sets world record
Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania -- George
Solt, an 82-year-old resident of Maidenhead in the UK,
reached the top of Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m), Africa’s highest
mountain in northern Tanzania, in memory
of his wife, Jen - setting the new world  record
for the Oldest
person to reach the top of Mt Kilimanjaro.
(enlarge
photo)
The old man, a retired chemical engineer,
reached Uhuru peak, the highest point on Africa’s rooftop
at 5,896 metres above sea level.
The money
raised from the climb will go towards the hospice
that looked after his wife in later life: the Willen Hospice,
near Milton Keynes.
“It is now confirmed Mr George Solt
has fulfilled his dream of becoming the oldest person to reach
the top of Mt Kilimanjaro,” an official of the organisers
said on phone.
Summits Africa, an Arusha-based tour firm
that organised the expedition, said Mr Solt spent eight days
to reach the highest point on Mt Kilimanjaro alongside members
of his family and some aides.
After spending eight days on the rather
harsh, chilly and windy weather on the mountain, the team
will descend through the Mweka gate.
Mr Solt, who was accompanied by five
members of his family including three of his grand children,
said in Arusha last week that he had undertaken the expedition
in memory
of his wife who died last year.
"She came from a mountaineering family
and was still climbing at 80. We climbed in the Alps for years,
often following routes pioneered by her Victorian ancestors,
but she suffered from altitude sickness." says Mr Solt.
The trip to scale Africa’s famous mountain
was also accomplished with the support of Action Challenge,
a UK-based charity event organiser.
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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