Posted on 10th Aug 2012 @ 11:39 AM

A "Climb for Cancer" is not your usual charity walk.

This one up Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, will be done by three Matakana mates over about five days from August 9.

They are raising funds for equipment to help treat children with cancer, like Mike Benson's friends' 6-year-old from Kerikeri.

Mike Benson, Glyn Ltd Managing Director, has been on the mountain before. He was in Tanzania 10 years ago and walked one route for a day.

Now he's heading back with two friends to complete the climb and raise money for new equipment at Auckland's Starship children's hospital.

Mike, who has four children, says his heart went out to his close friends and their son Darcy Wilson, who is undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma.

It's a cancerous tumour that attacks children's nervous system tissue.

Mike was already booked in with two Matakana friends to hike up the 5895-metre high mountain and has decided to call for sponsors and donations to help them raise $10,000 for the equipment.

The three dads, who have nine children between them, are paying their own way and will plant a specially designed flag for Darcy on the mountain top.

“Reaching the top and waving the flag symbolises the hundreds of steps children with cancer and their families take, for hope, for life,” Mike says.

He isn't normally a big hiker but wanted to do something extraordinary to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Due to the wonders of modern technology and the outstanding generousity of a great NZ company and Glyn's customer called Spidertracks www.spidertracks.com you will be able to track Mike and his team's progress on their way to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro.

The public page is here, starting on Monday 13th August. Also this link will give all of their points.

And finally their tour guides Team Kilimanjaro also offer some basic tracking functions and updates. Click on the 'Track a Kilimanjaro climber now >>>' link located at the upper right hand side on this webpage and their climbing name will be MIBE3 on the left side column.

If you would like to make a donation to Climb for Cancer, you may do so here.