Launched yesterday at the Gherkin in the City of London, the Wings of Kilimanjaro project is a record-breaking and ambitious humanitarian effort which will see some 200 adventurers from across the globe attempt a gruelling climb to the roof of Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro – before paragliding back to earth to raise $1 million for charity.
The challenge is the vision of intrepid Australian paragliding pilot Adrian McRae, who has already secured support from participants in over 60 countries from Peru to Russia. The project is a huge undertaking with a team of more than 1,000 porters, guides and crew supporting the team, who will leave for the mountain on 29 January 2013.
The three charities chosen by the project team, One Foundation, Plant with Purpose and World Serve International all work in Tanzania (East Africa) to address the severe problems of poverty in rural communities, deforestation and humanitarian issues including clean drinking water, HIV, nutrition and sanitation. Thanks to the efforts of the City of London Police Commissioner Adrian Leppard, the Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2013 charities will also benefit as half of the money that Commissioner Leppard raises will go to charities chosen by the Lord Mayor of London. There will also be a Wings of Kilimanjaro float in the Lord Mayor’s Show procession which is taking place on Saturday 10 November.
Among those taking part in WOK is British mountaineer/paraglider Squash Falconer, and we’ll be talking to Squash in the December edition of Trek & Mountain (on sale 29th November) about the Kili attempt and also her other climbing/paragliding adventures.
RELATED LINKS
www.wingsofkilimanjaro.com