A CHESTER woman braved high altitudes and steep inclines to scale Africa’s highest mountain – and raised more than £4,000 for charity.

Rhiannon Thomson, from Hoole, embarked on the challenge of a lifetime when she completed a gruelling ten-day trek up Mount Kilimanjaro last month.

The 28-year old marketing director of The Spinney Day Nursery trained for a year to prepare for the 19,000 ft climb in Tanzania, which she did in aid of Save the Family, a charity she has always admired.

Rhiannon, who admits she has always been an outdoors person, said it felt ‘fantastic’ to reach the summit of the mountain, though it was the toughest thing she has ever done.

“There were difficult times when I really wanted to stop, like when we had to keep going all through the night, constantly uphill,” she recalled.

“We couldn’t see a thing and it was really tough but what kept me going was thinking of the charity and how much effort I had put into training for it. It just wasn’t an option to stop.”

Despite the tough parts, Rhiannon had the support of the other climbers in the group as they all battled climate changes and mixed terrain.

“There was such a sense of teamwork and support, I have made such good friends,” she added.

“When you spend every waking hour with these people, you do really miss them when you are apart, right now I’m pining for them!”

And even though she has successfully raised thousands of pounds for Save the Family, Rhiannon isn’t stopping there, and is already planning her next fundraiser – an African theme night most likely to be held later this year at the Doubletree-by- Hilton hotel, as a thank you to all her sponsors.

A spokesperson for Save the Family, said the charity are ‘delighted’ with Rhiannon’s accomplishment.

“This is a fantastic achievement and we are truly grateful to Rhiannon for her efforts and dedication in raising money for us by doing this incredible challenge,” he added.