AN all-action ex-Para who has raised more than half a million pounds for charity has set his sights on being the first Widnesian to conquer the world's highest mountain - Mount Everest.

Jason Adams, 34, of Grizedale, Widnes, has just returned from Everest where he raised £3,500 during a charity expedition in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

And after taking on some of the most daunting mountains in Nepal the Hough Green man wants to become the first person in Halton to reach the 8,850m summit of the mountain - a feat only 1,200 others have managed to accomplish.

Jason said: 'I have done a lot of things for charity in the past and after going to Everest I now want to be the first man in Widnes to reach the summit of the mountain.

'I want to put Widnes on the map and by going back up to Mount Everest I'll certainly do that. I have done the Everest Base Camp and now I want to get to the top.'

Mount Everest has never lost its magnetism for climbers and although Jason was one member of a 20-strong party he revealed that only seven actually got up the mountain.

He said: 'Only seven of us made it in the end. The other thirteen people could not hack it for one reason or another.

'It was minus 20 up there and people were going down left, right and centre. A load of people were sent down as they were suffering with serious health problems. Some went down with acute mountain sickness and others were retinal haemorrhaging simply because of the cold.'

The Everest Challenge took place in March over a 19-day period. Jason trekked through remote villages and some of the world's most beautiful scenery to an altitude of more than 5,500 metres and during his journey he met a small group of businessmen who wanted to recruit his services after learning about his charity heroics.

Jason said: 'I met some men who wanted me onboard as an agent to encourage more people to the area who can climb.

'A lot of the people there live hand to mouth and I wanted to do something for them to boost their trade. So now I'm hoping to drum up some business for them.'

The former Army man has already pencilled in a date for next year where he intends to go 'one better' than Mount Everest Base Camp after enjoying the trip of a lifetime.

He added: 'I wanted to do something totally different and challenging and this certainly fitted the bill. Everest Base Camp has to be one of the ultimate things to do in your life and it was such hard work, but I'm really proud of myself for having done it.'

Jason has travelled the world to locations including Belize, West Africa and India but he says the trip to Nepal surpassed anything he has done in the past.

He said: 'It was absolutely amazing. I have jumped out of planes and have done all kinds of crazy things but climbing to the camp was out of this world.'

The Widnesian has completed a host of charity expeditions to raise cash for Marie Curie Cancer after the charity helped his partner Kelly Morris, 28, and her ill father through the worst experience of their lives.

Jason said: 'Cancer affects one in three people so it is a cause that touches so many hearts. I was thrilled to be able to do something to support it.

'I would like to say a massive thank you to every single person who helped raise the money - I'm staggered by the support given to me including the team at Marie Curie as I know I could not have raised more than £3,000 on my own.

'I would like to recommend everyone out there to think about taking part in a challenge for Marie Curie Care.'