MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

PE Ladies Bucket List Moment

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Sisters Kilimanjaro
Sisters-in-law Sandy & Lynn Zoetmulder with niece Mary-Anne Stott leave for Kilimanjaro on Saturday afternoon.

Three local Port Elizabeth ladies will be setting off on Saturday afternoon on a six day hike to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain. Sisters-in-law Lynn & Sandy Zoetmulder will join their niece Mary-Anne Stott on a trip of a lifetime after months of preparation.

For each it will certainly be an adventure which they’ve always wanted to do and a moment in their life which has brought them all closer together as a family. Training over the last couple of months has included weekly trips to Lady Slipper and as many outings as possible with the Voetsak hiking club. Whenever the weather turned cold and miserable Sandy and Mary-Anne could be seen walking up and down Target Kloof in Walmer in all their hiking kit. The three also teamed up with two other friends and formed a running team which took part in the monthly Town Lodge Business Night Relay at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“This is definitely one of those bucket list moments and we can’t wait to land in Tanzania on Sunday morning and start the hike,” said local restaurant owner Sandy Zoetmulder. “About nine months ago Mary-Anne mentioned that she was keen to climb Mount Kilimanjaro after having already completed two Ironman races and Lynn and I jumped at the opportunity to join her without even knowing whether something like this was possible for me.” Sandy was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia about 4 years ago and having undergone double hip reconstruction within 12 months, Sandy, a mother of two, didn’t believe she’d be in a position to consider an adventure of this nature.

The group leave Port Elizabeth at lunch-time on Saturday, arriving in Moshi, Tanzania on Sunday morning before entering the Machame Gate on Monday morning for the 6 day hike up the Machame Route which is rated as the most scenic and interesting route options on Mount Kilimanjaro. The route traverses along a river valley on the southern slopes of the mountain offering better acclimatization than some of the other routes. With everything going to plan, the girls will set-off around midnight on Thursday for the final ascent to Uhuru peak at 5,895m which they would hope to reach by daybreak on Friday morning. They will arrive back in Port Elizabeth next Sunday evening.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.