Builders merchant conquers Kilimanjaro

An employee at Lincoln builders merchants Jackson Building Centres has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, five years after his first attempt at the climb.

Keith Kearnes, who works in the Timber Warehouse at the Lincoln branch, climbed to the top of the world’s highest free standing, snow-capped mountain, Kilmanjaro in Tanzania, in eight days: six up and two down. Five and a half years ago he was beaten back by altitude sickness after 5,486m.

However he still managed to raise a huge £2,500 for the charity, Christian Partners in Africa, to build a much needed health centre in Milawi.

Kearnes trekked with another nine travellers from Iceland, Ireland, Edinburgh and London as well as his friend from Lincoln, all of whom braved temperatures down to as little as minus fifteen degrees at night.

Colin Bartleet, Marketing Manager at Jackson Building Centres said, “I can remember when Keith undertook the challenge those few years ago, and everyone at Jacksons was proud he had climbed so far and relieved he recovered safely from the high altitude symptoms. This time round though it has been great to see him pluck up the courage to try again and come through it unscathed. It is a tremendous feat and we are all extremely pleased he reached the peak.”

Kilimanjaro reaches to 5895m above sea level just 220km south of the equator and remains a considerable feat of human endurance as one of the highest mountains in the world that every day tourists can climb. The breathable oxygen at the top is less than half the amount than is common at sea level, and climbers cover at least eighty kilometres on nothing but their own two feet over the eight days it takes to reach the top and return.