A TROOP of intrepid mountaineers climbed the three highest peaks in the country to raise money for a local charity.

Frankie Bullion, and Lesley and Peter Nairne, from Buckhurst Hill, and Jacqui Turner, from Loughton were among the 18-strong group who raised £11,500 for St Clare Hospice, in Hastingwood.

The expeditionaries scaled Fort William, in Scotland, Scafell Pike, in England, and Ben Nevis, in Wales, for their fund-raising task all within a 24-hour period.

Their feat amounted to 480 miles of driving and, 3,000 metres of climbing.

St Clare's head of communications, Giles Wright, said: “Although extremely tired at the end of the weekend, everyone had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“We are very proud of them for what they accomplished as it was such a tough challenge: rain and snow on Ben Nevis, complete darkness on Scafell Pike as they were doing the descent over midnight, and such an early morning start on Snowdon after only a snatched few hours sleep on the minibus.

“Thank you to the mountain guides Iain Milligan and Shaun McCance, and also to Adventure Café for organising such a fantastic trip.”