Stokesby walker's Kilimanjaro trek

For years she has been bragging to her friends about how her father scaled Mount Kilimanjaro without modern climbing equipment.

Now Rachel Fabb is preparing to follow in the Norfolk farmer's footsteps by walking 5,895m up the African mountain.

As well as being inspired by her father's 1971 exploits, Miss Fabb will be egged on by her parish council chairman mother and a family friend as they join her on the arduous charity trek in seven layers of clothing.

Miss Fabb, 35, will be joined by her mother Vivienne Fabb, of Stokesby and Frances Arbuthnot, from Norwich, when they fly out for the eight-day walk to raise money for bowel cancer research.

Stokesby farmer Patrick Fabb died in 1983 from bowel cancer and had climbed the mountain as part of a trip to discuss pea farming.

In memory of him and Mrs Arbuthnot's mother, the trio of mountain walkers hope to raise at least �2,100 for the Centre of Academic Surgery at the Royal London Hospital. Miss Fabb, who works in London as a fashion stylist, said: “My friends have heard me banging on about my father climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for years and finally, instead of talking about it, I thought why don't I just do it?

“We just do not know what is in store for us on Mount Kilimanjaro - I am going between total excitement and being completely daunted.”

For the walk, Mrs Fabb, 61, the chairman of Stokesby parish council, has been walking up Gas Hill in Norwich and trekking across the Downs.

Her daughter had jokingly tried to persuade her to join in the walk by saying there was a five star spa hotel offering free wine at the top.

Mrs Arbuthnot, who joined the Fabbs because her mother Muriel Williamson died from bowel cancer, said that, surprisingly, she had been sleeping well despite wondering why on earth she had signed up for the mountain hike.

To sponsor the three Mount Kilimanjaro walkers, visit www.justgiving.com/fabb-arbuthnot-kilimanjaro