The Times: Brighton girl, 7, climbs the Alps on her holidays
The family were in Venice and decided at the last minute to climb range’s second-highest peak.
Ashleen Mandrick had been due to scale Mount Elbrus in Russia but that was called off because of the pandemic. She now hopes to climb the Matterhorn
As the youngest person to climb Kilimanjaro, seven-year-old Ashleen Mandrick may have earned a break but during the summer holidays she just carried on climbing, this time up the Alps.
Last month the British schoolgirl ascended 4,400 metres to the Colle del Parrot on Monte Rosa, located on Italy’s border with Switzerland, becoming what is thought to be the youngest person to climb the Alps’ second-highest mountain. She was joined on the adventure by her brother Nicolas, 12, and her mother Victoria, 46, a doctor.
Their original plans to reach Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus, were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Mandrick, who lives with the children in Brighton, said that the ascent was particularly challenging because of the rocky terrain and hidden crevasses.
Ashleen added: “It was really amazing. I loved the crevasses. They were so deep I couldn’t even see the bottom. I hoped we didn’t fall into one, it would have been difficult to get out. I loved the whole adventure. The view was amazing, especially Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in the sunset.”
Ashleen and her brother had full climbing gear, including crampons, ice axes, harnesses, ropes and helmets.
Unlike with Kilimanjaro, which she climbed last year, there are no official records regarding climbers for Monte Rosa. However, the climbers and Alpine guides said that Ashleen was the youngest person to scale it.
Dr Mandrick said: “All the climbers and Alpine guides we met on the glacier said that they had never ever seen such young children up there and wanted to know how Ashleen managed to get through the steep rocky parts and ladders in the rock walls, and how she managed to walk on the glacier with the crampons.
“It was a last-minute idea while on holiday in Venice so it was without any specific preparation for the climb. The children did a day of skiing and snowboarding in the Matterhorn glacier area and the following day they took on the challenge. They met many experienced mountaineers and guides on the way who were all amazed to see such young children at such high altitude on Monte Rosa and all congratulated them.
“Ashleen and Nicolas are going back to school this week but are full of ambitious and challenging climbing plans for the future. Ashleen’s dream is to climb the Matterhorn one day and to complete the Seven Summits Challenge, while Nicolas would love to climb Mont Blanc next summer.”
In addition to being the youngest person to scale 5,895m Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania unaided, Ashleen is also the youngest Briton to finish the gruelling Everest Base Camp trek, having completed it last December.
The youngest person to have scaled Everest is Jordan Remero, from California, who was just 13 when he reached the summit in 2010. He accomplished the feat with his father and three Sherpa guides.
He said that he had intended to do schoolwork during the ascent but had found it all but impossible at the advance base camp, which is at 5,600m.
At one point the two Americans and their guides were engulfed in an avalanche that killed a fellow climber and dragged them down the mountainside. After the climb Jordan said that the thing he was most looking forward to was a hot shower.
The full article: Brighton girl, 7, climbs the Alps on her holidays