King of the mountain (From Bournemouth Echo)

King of the mountain

8:00am Tuesday 24th November 2009

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“HORRENDOUS and humbling.”

A Mudeford man, who lost a leg in a powerboat accident, endured six gruelling days of climbing with injured army friends to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

John Sandford-Hart used crutches to pick his way up the slope of the African peak, then a specially designed sled to slide back down, all in aid of Help for Heroes.

The 43-year-old former TA soldier got involved because his Ringwood-based company Signworks carries out work for 4 Rifles, based at Bulford.

“It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life,” said Mr Sandford-Hart, who won himself a Guinness World Record for the speed of his one-legged ascent.

“I was climbing for 8-12 hours a day. I lost a stone in weight.”

The day before reaching the 5,896m summit they climbed until 4pm.

Then they slept for a few hours, got back up again at around 10pm, and set off into the night with helmet -mounted torches, to summit at daybreak.

Other people taking part in the journey included Natalie Fellows, carrying the ashes of her husband Lance Corporal Steven Fellows, who was killed serving with 45 Commando in Afghanistan.

On the final part of the journey down Mr Sandford-Hart let former soldier Craig Lundberg, who lost both his eyes in Iraq, steer the sledge while he shouted out directions.

“He couldn’t stop thanking me for letting him do it,” said Mr Sandford-Hart. “But I said to him it should be me thanking him.

“It was the little things like that that stuck in your memory.”

You can donate through thebandoffive.com/.

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