NEGOTIATING crocodile-infested waters and climbing a 13,438ft-high mountain were among the challenges faced by a Keighley adventurer during her latest gruelling charity expedition.

Gutsy Georgie Chester spent a fortnight trekking through the Borneo rainforest, with a group of about a dozen intrepid explorers.

And the 30-year-old’s energy-sapping efforts have raised more than £4,000 for Manorlands, the Sue Ryder hospice in Oxenhope.

Georgie is no stranger to tackling tough terrain.

Two years ago she completed a Himalayan trek, also in aid of Manorlands, but she said this challenge was the most testing yet - as it included the mountain ascent and she is scared of heights.

“First we trekked through the Crocker Range rainforest to reach the foot of Mount Kinabalu – the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia – then spent a full day climbing up to a hut which would be our base for the final ascent to the summit,” she said.

“We didn’t get much sleep there because we had to set off at 2am to reach the summit in time to see the sunrise.

“A lot of it was roped sections and I was glad it was dark so I couldn’t see the sheer drops.

“It took us about three hours to get to the top and it was hard going because I’ve never climbed at that altitude before, but it was worth it when we got to the summit and saw the sunrise. It’s something I’ll never forget.

“In some ways it was even harder going down. It all seemed steeper and more slippery and I could see the drops.

“It was a big relief to walk through a gate at the foot of the mountain with a sign over it that read ‘Welcome back successful climbers’”

After conquering the mountain, Georgie headed out on a river safari during which she spotted orang-utans and encountered crocodiles, which circled her boat.

During the run-up to the expedition, she staged a series of fundraising activities including a masquerade ball, 12-hour treadmill challenge, supermarket collections, a comedy and cake evening, an auction and raffles and she had stalls at 1940s and 1960s weekends.

She also set-up an online fundraising page, at justgiving.com/gigi-chester, where donations can still be made.

More events were held at Acorn Stairlifts in Steeton, where Georgia is the European audit manager.

Looking to the future, Georgie will soon be leaving Acorn to join the RAF and has other adventurous ambitions.

“When I was a child I wanted to be an astronaut and explore new worlds,” she said.

“It looks like that isn’t going to happen so I’ll settle for exploring the heck out of this planet instead.

“I’d love to do Everest basecamp and I’ve also seen an expedition advertised to the North Pole.”