AN ADDINGHAM man battled wind and snow to make it to the top of the highest mountain in Africa to help raise over £140,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Prolific fundraiser, Nick Hodgson, who last year walked up to 19,000 feet in the Indian Himalayas and before that the Inca Trail in Peru and the Great Wall of China, said: "This is without doubt the toughest physical and mental challenge I have ever done. The toughest aspect was the altitude and lack of oxygen – it affects everyone differently and I was fine until the last ascent when I was gasping for air.

"But anyone suffering from cancer faces tougher challenges every day so its great to know we can all do something to help."

The 53-year-old joined a team of 30 trekkers for the seven-day challenge to raise money for Macmillan. Nearly all of them made it to the top, despite the incredibly tough conditions, which included 20mph winds and snow.

Nick said: "We started in rainforest at about 1900 m above sea level, progressed through scrubland, bare rocky terrain and then through snow and ice at the top at 5865m.

"Each day we were woken at 6am for breakfast, usually porridge and tea and then walked for around six to eight hours with a quick stop for lunch."

Nick can still be sponsored at justgiving.com/Nicholas-Hodgson-Kili2015