Montannah Kenney of Austin, Texas, at the age of 7, became the youngest female to climb Kilimanjaro because she wanted to be closer to her Daddy in heaven.

Montannah, after overhearing her mother asking her friends if they would climb Kilimanjaro, she insisted on doing it with her.

Along with her mother, Hollie Kenney, she climbed Africa’s tallest mountain in memory of her dad, who died one week after her third birthday. Montannah explained by doing this; she wanted to be closer to her Daddy and believing that she will be able to see him. At the same time, so wanted to do fun things with her mother.

Climbers must be at least ten years old, and a special permit should be obtained to enable Montannah to climb Kilimanjaro before her tenth birthday. The original date was set for 2019, but it was established that a girl at the age of eight summited Kilimanjaro in July 2017. Montannah had to climb Kilimanjaro in March 2018 during her spring break, two months before her eighth birthday, to break the world record.

Hollie, who is a former professional triathlete, decided to coach her daughter. Practicing spelling and mathematics, Montannah trained four to eight-hour hikes on weekends, and during school weeks, she did shorter walks. To make it fun, they listened to music and invited friends to join in the hikes.

This brave little girl facing high altitudes, snow, and rain with wet clothes and hair ascended Kilimanjaro 19,341 feet in only six days.

On 16 March 2018, the Kenney’s summited Kilimanjaro with the support of 20 staff and the lead guide.

According to Hollie, their philosophy in life is to be somebody and to do things with their lives.

According to Wikipedia – Kilimanjaro is a massive stratovolcano and is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo, the highest; Mawenzi at 5,149 meters (16,893 ft); and Shira, the shortest at 4,005 meters (13,140 ft).] Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, while Kibo is dormant and could erupt again.

What a fantastic mother and daughter combination!

Some Interesting facts about Kilimanjaro

Other Kilimanjaro achievements to be recognized: –

• Fastest ascent male runner Karl Egloff ran the 5895m in 4 hours and 56 minutes on 13 August 2014.

• Fastest female ascent and descent runner Kristina Schou Madsen in 6 hours, 52 minutes and 54 seconds on 23 February 2018

• In 2008 Keats Boyd from Los Angeles became the youngest person to reach the top of Kilimanjaro but in 2018 Cash Callahan also aged 7 reached the summit

• On 20 July 2017, Dr. Fred Distelhorst, a retired orthodontist from Vail, Colorado, became at 88, the oldest person ever to climb Kilimanjaro