A CHESTER woman has returned from Nepal having taken part in an expedition to climb a mountain in the Himalayas that had never been climbed before.

Rhiannon Thomson, a marketing director from Hoole, Chester, was part of the expedition team who set out to attempt to climb Nar Phu Peak (5930m) in the Kangla Himal range, north of the Annapurnas in Nepal.

The six person team, led by Brymbo charity challenge and expedition company Expedition Wise Ltd, spent 12 days in November trekking to the base camp, where they were to be met with incredibly challenging conditions due to the level of snow following the storm that had hit the region in October.

The 16 hour summit day was exhausting as the team ascended numerous steep slopes and snow walls before finally arriving at the summit where they were welcomed by incredible views of the Himalayas.

Rhiannon, 32, who also climbed Kilimanjaro in aid of local charity Save the Family in 2011, said: “It was a much more technical climb than previously anticipated and it was very tough going. As the mountain had never been climbed before we were limited to how much information was available and therefore determining a safe ascent route can only be done whilst you are at the location.

“It was very long day with the ground temperature a freezing -25 degrees, decreasing rapidly as the wind picked up, creating a chill factor of -45. There were many times where we thought we would not be able to continue due to the snow conditions and a collapsed crevice just 100m from the top. Fortunately we were able to overcome this due to the hard work of our fantastic Sherpas who fixed ropes so we could ascend safely over a snow bridge and all make it to the summit.”

Rhiannon, who also runs The Spinney Adventurers Club an adventure club in Chester for children aged five-11 years old, added: ‘I’ve always dreamt of climbing an un-climbed peak, standing where no man or woman has stood before, but I always assumed that such adventures were for famous mountaineers with big expedition budgets. This is not only a great achievement but is also a dream come true for me.

“I am very keen on inspiring the younger generation through adventure in the great outdoors and look forward to sharing my experience of climbing an un-climbed peak with the children at the next Spinney Adventurers Club, as a way of showing them that dreams can come true and sometimes it is the paths less trodden that lead to the most incredible experiences.”

Following the successful expedition, Expedition Wise are hosting a film premiere on Saturday, February 7, 7pm, at the Community Church, Wrexham where attendees can watch the film of the Nar Phu Peak Expedition and meet Rhiannon and the expedition team.

For more information please email info@expeditionwise.com. All proceeds from the night go to Nightingale House Hospice.