Dee Ann Demby, left, and Sandy Ihlenfeld of the YMCA in Butler, take a break for a photo during their recent trip to Tanzania where they hiked Mount Kilimanjaro.

Two Butler women had different experiences during a recent trip to Africa that included climbing the 19,300-foot Mount Kilimanjaro and camping in Serengeti National Park.

For Sandy Ihlenfeld, executive director of the YMCA in Butler and an experienced hiker and world traveler, the trip was challenging but fun and exhilarating.

Dee Ann Demby, an instructor and trainer at the YMCA, relied on faith and determination to fight through severe muscle cramps in her legs to see the country of her ancestors. She summarized the two and a half week adventure as “returning to Africa.”

Speaking and showing slides of their trip to a gathering of women Saturday at the Women's Christmas Tea at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 420 N. Main St., Ihlenfeld and Demby said they had wanted to visit Africa for a long time.

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