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Donor List

Get to know: Choose ClimberMike ArmstrongMarc AshtonMax AshtonBen CaneKevin CherillaGreg DePintoBarb EdwardsTom EdwardsSoon FlynnTom HicksA.J. HovetKristy KevittTom Lewis, JrPatrick McFarlanAdam MesslerGrahame RichardsTanner RobinsonKristen Salcito-SandquistKirsti SampsonJohn SchiebeEric StelzerJim StelzerPam StelzerRyan StelzerCindy Wilhelmi

Kirsti Sampson

My mountaineering interest started in the Sixth Form with Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, closely followed by an Outward Bound course, and I was hooked.

After studying Electronic Engineering at university I seized an opportunity to work for a trekking company in the Karakoram Himalaya in Pakistan. As part of this I trekked up the Biafo glacier to Gondogoro La, at the base of K2 (17,000ft.) taking the long way home to the UK, traveling east for the next 12 months through the Far East, Australasia and North America.

Back at work in the UK, I was offered a job in State College, PA where I managed to plan more expeditions, my first was to Kilimanjaro in 94 via the Machame route.

1n 1998 I left engineering to start a new career training to be a pilot. I was sponsored by British Airways and sent to International Flying training School, in Michigan. 21 months later I was fully qualified and flying 757/767’s around Europe. Settled into my new career I started climbing again, the next year took me to Aconcagua (6966m) in South America, Mt Rainier USA, Ama Dablam (69xx) in Nepal. In 2004 I led my first expedition to Ecuador, Climbing Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. I spent a month in Scotland training for my next Himalayan expedition where I became the second British female to climb Pumori. (7169m)

Mountaineering was briefly interrupted by a training course to convert onto the 747. Now flying around the world, I continued with more trips to Ecuador, USA, the Alps, Chile, and of course Scotland, Snowdonia and the Lake District back at home in the UK. This led me to the greatest challenge yet, in June 2007 I summited Mt Everest a fantastic achievement I shared with Kevin, and one that I will never forget for the experiences gained and the lifelong friendships formed. For once I had got there under my own steam instead of looking out of the window dreaming!

I'm still mountaineering, I now take 13-18 years olds for expedition training as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, and I am working towards my Mountain Leader qualifications, and in between I'm flying 747's around the world looking out the window at new potential climbs.

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