Climbing Mont Blanc for Orangutans

Alex Staniforth, a budding and motivated 16 year old from the UK, is planning to climb Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc, 4810m, this summer to raise funds for Orangutan conservation and Cancer Research.

Alex says that he chose Orangutan conservation due to his love of this amazing primate and because " I believe that there is a beautiful and diverse, natural world out there, and it is our responsibility to protect it. We need to take action to quickly reverse this mindless damage before it is too late and I think that I need to be part of the solution".

At the tender age of nine Alex was already fundraising for good causes, raising £270 for the Boxing Day tsunami relief fund by selling a book of his own poems. Last year he raised over £1700 for REACT and Breakthrough Breast Cancer by becoming the youngest person in history to climb the UK's three highest peaks solo in under 24 hours.

He has chosen to donate to the Red Endangered Animal Connection Trust (REACT) and Cancer Research UK, a 50/50 split. REACT are partners with Henry Vilas Zoo, working together every year to work on Orangutan conservation and welfare in Malaysia and Indonesia.

REACT Director, Guillaume Feldman, commented that "It is fantastic to have such an active young man going to such extraordinary efforts to make the world a better place. This type of fundraising is a great way to raise money and to let people know of the problems facing orangutans".

Having raised $2,800 already, Alex is currently short of a further $1,600 to cover the remaining trip costs. He needs to pay the rest of a specialist Mont Blanc course fee, cover flights, insurance and other costs, and is anxious of the trip going ahead without. Once he has secured these costs, he plans on raising £4,810 for orangutan education for local people and tree planting for wild orangutans, and cancer; £1 for every meter he climbs. If anyone wants to support Alex on his climb, he is currently looking for help with the event costs. Please contact him directly on climber-stani@hotmail.co.uk for more information.