Mount Kilimanjaro is a legendary peak and has filled climbers with awe, wonder and exhaustion almost since the beginning of the time. But it’s nothing compared to the legend of 77-year-old Ann Windh. She became the oldest woman in the world to ever climb the monstrous mountain when she completed the feat in October.
It’s a far cry from her home in Bronte, Ontario, but the retired - though hardly retiring - woman insists that’s exactly the point. It’s that rarified atmosphere that keeps her coming back for another peak at Mother Nature. “What an awesome feeling to sit on top of the mountain, right on top of the world,” she agrees. “You can see the glacier and the sad feeling knowing that in a few years it won’t be there any more.”
But the way she’s going, Ann likely will be. She can’t forget the magnificent trip or the training it took to play this real life version of Reach For The Top. “19,340 feet. It was a five-day hike up and a day and a half going down. It was listed as a six-day trip. I peaked on October the 11th … That’s when I was on top of the mountain and I arrived there about 10 in the morning.”
For Windh, it was a case of mind over matter - and age never entered into the equation. “I wanted to do Kilimanjaro years ago. I thought, no, it’s too much. I’m too old for that. And now I thought, well, I won’t know if I can do it unless I try it.”
Does she have any tips for those who literally want to follow in her footsteps? “Do a lot of squats and hike the stairs,” she suggests. “Gymnastics and exercise right from the time I could walk. This is part of me. I have to work out.”
Windh is a woman who sings her own lifesong. And it just might be that old Motown classic, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Because for her, they’re not just lyrics - they’re her way of life.
