WOMAN’S PLUCKY CLIMB

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 164, 1 October 1927, Page 9

WOMAN’S PLUCKY CLIMB

KILAMANJARO SCALED RECORD ACHIEVEMENT British Wireless-—Press Assn Copyright Reed. 10.58 a.m. RUGBY, Friday. An account has just reached London of how Miss Sheila Macdonald, a 22-year-old London girl, climbed the great African mountain Kilamanjaro. This is the first time the feat has been accomplished by a woman. Kilamanjaro has two peaks—Kibo and Mawenzi—the former being 19,720 feet high, and Mawenzi about 2,000 ieet lower. Miss Macdonald was accompanied by Mr. West, a member of the Alpine Club, and Major Lennox Browne, also a mountaineer of experience. Mr. West narrates that the party arrived at Morabasa on July 21, and started for Kilamanjaro on July 25. He describes the great difficulties of the ascent of Mawenzi, the huge rock walls that have to be climbed, and then how they found a remarkable and quite distinct natural rock staircase about two feet wide, which, with only occasional breaks, led almost to the top of a steop gorge. The party went hack the way they had ascended, and two days later began the ascent of Kibo. They could find no shelter on the first night, until “our intrepid lady companion” found a cave where a short rest was enjoyed in comfort. Some more miles were covered next morning. but when they had reached a height of 19,000 feet. Major Browne was overcome by physical exhaustion, and was unable to continue. Miss Macdonald was undaunted and pleaded to be allowed to finish the ascent. “I decided to carry on,” says Mr. West, “but it was Miss Macdonald who set the pace when we started off again. It was a hard climb for the girl, but she stuck to it with wonderful grit, and eventually we reached the summit.”— A. and N.Z.