Austin Girl Becomes Youngest To Scale Mount Kilimanjaro

AUSTIN, TX — At just 7 years old, Austin resident Montannah Kenney has reached impressive heights in following her hobby. The girl recently became the youngest girl ever to scale Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa at an astounding 19,341-feet.

Reaching the peak of the mountain is challenging for even the most seasoned climbers, making the girl's feat that much more impressive. As if ascending the mountain weren't enough of an accomplishment, those who do reach the peak can stay up there for 20 minutes, tops, given the bone-chilling cold and dangerously low oxygen levels.

In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, Montannah said she climbed the mountain with her mom in honor of her late father — letting him know she reached the summit in a best way she knew how: “I blew kisses at dad so he knew I was there,” she told the newspaper.

Montannah's father died just a week before her third birthday after suffering from PTSD, her mother noted. The girl's mother, Hollie Kenney, told the newspaper the young climber likely doesn't fully comprehend the magnitude of her achievement in successfully scaling the treacherous mountain.

Montannah with her late father who died as she was just about to turn 3 years old

The two prepared for the climb by taking four- to five-hour weekend hikes along walking trails near their Steiner Ranch home, according to the report. As for the climb itself, it took 6 1/2 days from base to peak with another day-and-a-half just to get down, the newspaper reported.

“It taught her how to really just stay on her toes with tired legs,” Kenney told the newspaper in describing the training, “which is exactly what you want to do on the mountain.”

The mother-and-daughter team prepared carefully for the ascent, stocking up on needed gear — clothing for 80-degree days and frigid, below-freezing temperatures; a pair of trekking poles; waterproof hiking boots; and the like — before setting off from the base of the mountain on March 10.

“There were points I thought we wouldn’t make it,” Kenney acknowledged in the Statesman interview. “Beyond the first day, it rained every single day. Everything we owned was wet. By day five, we were putting on wet clothes to go out in the freezing weather.”

The night before climbing the storied mountain, the pair rose at 10:45 p.m. for breakfast before starting their trek amid cold rain and snow. Kenney said the slippery surface made it difficult to gain traction, and it took more than 7 hours just to travel the first three miles.

After their successful climb, the two celebrated in Tanzania, Kenney told reporters. They visited beaches and craters there and even took in a safari along the Serengeti plains.

Before Montannah's successful climb, the youngest girl ever to scale the mountain was 7-year-old Roxy Getter of Florida, who climbed the mountain in July. Two 7-year-old boys also have reached the summit.

Kenney has since launched a GoFundMe account toward a goal of raising $30,000 for research and costs related to climbing the mountain for those unable to afford the journey. At last check, the drive had raised just over $4,000 of its goal.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

Photos via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner