Prison Officer Janette Coleman is planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.
Jan, who has no previous experience of mountaineering, has been training hard during lunch breaks and when off duty with her pet boxer cross, Molly. She hopes to raise hundreds of pounds for two charities, Breast Cancer Awareness and the Manx Grand Prix Helicopter Fund.
She sets off from the Isle of Man on 13th February for what she describes as "the holiday of a lifetime" in Tanzania, including scaling the summit of 5,895 metre high Kilimanjaro in temperatures ranging from 30 degrees Celsius at base camp, down to minus 20 at the summit.
She explains, "Four years ago, I made a good friend while away training to be a prison officer and last year we decided we wanted to go on a holiday but we also wanted to do something a little bit different – so, Kilimanjaro here we come! Apparently, most people start off with maybe a few climbs in the Lake District or even climb something like Macchu Picchu first, but unfortunately we haven’t managed anything previously.
"My training includes going to the gym during my lunch break two or three times a week, using mainly the treadmill and the cardio machines. I’ve also been climbing the Baltic, a steep road in Kirk Michael up to Slieau Freoaghane and back via Brandywell to Kirk Michael.
"This has been done in thick Manx mist, gale force winds and on snow covered ground so hopefully this will be good preparation for the weather we are likely to encounter on the top of Kilimanjaro!
"The trip starts with a four day safari in the Serengeti then we have a five day climb up Kilimanjaro, completing the final ascent at night, by torchlight, leaving around midnight. We will plod very slowly in the darkness and cold on a switchback trail over loose volcanic scree to hopefully reach the summit some hours later.
"There’s only one day scheduled for the descent then we are going to Zanzibar, a small spice island, for a few days to chill out and recuperate on the beach."
Anyone who wishes to sponsor Jan is welcome to place contributions in a special charity account she has opened with Isle of Man Bank. The account is in the name of Mrs J Coleman, sort code 559107, account number 14050552. All sponsorship will be divided between the Breast Cancer Awareness and the Manx Grand Prix Helicopter Fund.
