4:40pm Tuesday 31st August 2010
By Hannah Bargery
A WIDNES businessman is taking his family on ‘one last adventure together’ as they prepare to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.
The Donnell-Jones family, who live in Warrington, will be starting the six-day trek on Saturday up the highest mountain in Africa for the Fairview Windows Foundation.
David Donnell-Jones, Fairview Windows managing director, based on Ditton Road, said: “My two daughters are moving out and it was a bit of a crazy idea but we wanted to have one last family adventure.
“It’s something we could all do on the same level together and there was no particular skill involved.
“It doesn’t really matter how fit you are, the thing that will stop us from getting to the top is altitude sickness.”
David and his wife Jeanie, daughters Abbey, aged 21, and Hattie, aged 18, have been training for the gruelling 19,000 foot climb by walking up Mount Snowdon.
After completing the challenge, Abbey is travelling to Canada to work for a year and Hattie will be starting at Sheffield University.
David added: “I told my two daughters about Kilimanjaro and at the end of my presentation I had them in tears.
“They couldn’t wait to do it but they didn’t know what Kilimanjaro was!
“When reality set in I think they were pretty shocked but it should be a real adventure and will take us out of our comfort zone.”
The former Iron Man challenge competitor is no stranger to tough challenges having completed a marathon in the North Pole.
Readers can follow the family’s progress through the Fairview Windows website. The charity supports Warrington and Halton community groups.
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