Doncaster pals on top of the world in memory of teenage cancer victim

Expedition to Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Eve Merton Trust
Back: (l-r) John Bramley and Sean Davies
Front: (l-r) Kev Roberts, John Rotherham, Mick Shaw and John McCormack — Expedition to Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Eve Merton Trust Back: (l-r) John Bramley and Sean Davies Front: (l-r) Kev Roberts, John Rotherham, Mick Shaw and John McCormack

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This is the moment a group of Doncaster friends took the memory of a teenager close to the top of the world.

Seven friends from Conisbrough, Denby and Thurnscoe climbed to the summit of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895m above sea level, after deciding to make the journey in memory of Curtis Allen, from Wath, who died last November aged just 16.

Making the journey were John McCormack, aged 45, John Rotherham, aged 57, Colin Smith, aged 39, Kev Roberts, aged 30, and Sean Davies, aged 47, all from Conisbrough, Mick Shaw, aged 46, from Thurnscoe, and John Bramley aged 35, of Denaby.

They displayed a banner at the summit carrying the words "Curtis: YNWA", in memory of the teenager, an avid Liverpool FC supporter, a team whose fans are famous for singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

Climbing Kilimanjaro for teenager who died after leukaemia battle

John said: "All seven of us made it up to the top, although we suffered from altitude sickness. Some of us where physically sick, or exhausted.

"At the bottom it was red hot, but it was minus 15C at the top."

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is said to have last erupted between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago.

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