MADE THE PACE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 1 October 1927, Page 5

MADE THE PACE

LONDON GIRL MOUNTAINEER CLIMBS AFRICA'S RICHEST PEAKS. GRIT GUTS HER THERE (British Official Wireless.) (Received 1. 10-50 a.m.) Rugby, September 80. An account has just reached London of how Miss Sheila MaeDonald, aged M years, a London girl, climbed the great African mountain. Kilimanjaro. This la the hrst time the feat has been accomplished by a woman Kill manjaro has two peaks. Kibe and Mawenzi the former being 19,7 U feet high, and Mawenzi about 2000 feet 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 oartp arrived at Mombasa on July 21stw and started for KThmanjaro on the 25th. He describes the sreat cultiea of the ascent of Mawenzi bhd huge rock walls that had to be climb ed, and then how thev found a re» markable and quite distinct natural rock staircase about two feet wide* which, with only occasional breaks, leads almost to the top of a steep gorge. The party went back the wav the* had ascended, and two days latea began the ascent of Kibo. Thev could find no shelter the first nicht until “our intrepid ladv companion** found a cave, where a short rest wae enjoyed in comfort. Some more miles were covered the next morning, but when thev had reached the height of 19.000 feet. Major Browne was overcome by ohv*» steal exhaustion, and was unable to continue. Miss MacDonald was undaunted and pleaded to be allowed to finish the ascent.

I decided to carry on,” sam Mr West, but it was Miss MacDonald who set the pace when we started off agam It was a hard climb for a girl but ghe stuck to it with wonderful grit, and eventually reached the summit.

Kilimanjaro, an isolated mountain mass situated in what formerly wm German East Africa, consists of two extinct volcanic peaks. Kibo and Mawenzi.. Kibo has a permanent ice cap. but Mawenm. at the worst, is onlv covered bv snow patches. Kilimanjaro was dicovered bv Johannes Rebmann in 1848. following on native reports of a great snowclad peak. Rebmann’s account of his discoverer was at first disbelieved. The first ascent to the summit wae made in 1889 bv Dr. Hans Merer.