A JOHNSTONE woman is setting her sights high as she raises money for a worthy cause...by heading to Mount Everest.
Jackie Dierikx will set off on a 17-day journey across the world as she flies from Edinburgh to Qatar and then on to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.
She will then take a small plane to the village of Lukla, in the shadow of the highest mountain above sea level.
From there, Jackie will travel 38 miles to the foot of Everest and trek a further 19,500 feet to Base Camp, which is the point at which experienced climbers begin their ascent to the 29,000ft summit.
After that, she will spend the night in a tent and, the next day, begin her descent and head back to Lukla.
Jackie, who runs the Howwood Village Store, is due to leave Scotland on March 8 and arrive home on March 25.
It is her latest fundraising venture for the Finding Your Feet charity, run by best pal Corinne Hutton, from Lochwinnoch, who is a quadruple amputee.
The charity supports those who have lost limbs.
Mum-of-three Jackie, 59, has already raised £2,000 through her Everest appeal and hopes to coin in another £2,000 over the coming weeks.
She told The Gazette: “The climb to Base Camp will take around ten days.
“There will be another 11 people from across the world taking part, raising money for their own charities.
“It’s the biggest thing I have done for charity and the toughest and I can’t wait to get there.”
In 2018, Jackie and Corinne climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, together.
As a result, Corinne became the first female quadruple amputee to reach the summit of Africa’s highest peak.
Jackie has previously raised money for Finding Your Feet by tackling a Kiltwalk, a fire eating course, the world’s fastest zip line and even a wing walk, which involved being strapped to the outside of a plane.
In doing so, she has coined in more than £25,000.
Jackie, who also runs the Coffee and Cream cafe in Howwood, plans to do the Inca trail, in Peru, next year and cross the Arctic Circle in 2025, all in aid of Finding Your Feet.
She added: “My aim is to do one exciting thing a year for charity – and you don’t get much more exciting than climbing Everest.”
To support Jackie’s efforts, donate online at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jacqueline-dierikx7.
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