Hairdresser climbs kilimanjaro for habb
Ben Dellicompagni of The Francesco Group, based in Stafford and the Midlands, has overcome killer mosquitoes, altitude sickness and sub-zero temperatures in a bid to raise an impressive £5,614 for the Hair and Beauty Benevolent.
Following in the footsteps of celebrites including Girls Aloud duo Cheryl Cole and Kimberley Walsh as well as Gary Barlow and Ronan Keating, Ben climbed to the 5681 metre summit of Kilimanjaro, the largest free standing mountain in the world.
"I successfully reached the summit at Gilmans Point. Physically and mentally it has been the hardest thing I have ever done! says Ben. "I walked, climbed and walked back again for a continuous 17 hours.
"I was physically and emotionally drained like never before, but in such a good way, and I can't say how proud I am of what I've done! The mountain lives up to everything, it is immense covering five climates, including desert and glacial.
"The climb we did took us up a spree in the side of Kilimanjaro and I have never hiked anything so steep. Coming down we were literally skiing the slope, jumping down the side back to base camp at 4,700m."
