A mother-of-two from Great Chesterford has raised more than £6,000 for local charities by scaling the heights of Mount Kilimanjiro.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Unlike many climbers, Adele managed to reach the summit without suffering from altitude sickness.Unlike many climbers, Adele managed to reach the summit without suffering from altitude sickness. (Image: Archant)

Adele Tapping, 51, climbed 5,895m to reach the summit, raising funds for two charities close to her heart – Home-Start Uttlesford, where she has worked as a trustee and treasurer for the last five years, and East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH).

With her group of 25, and an additional 97 porters and guides, Adele reached the peak at 6.40am on October 16, having walked through the night with a head torch..

“I felt euphoric,” said Adele, who lives with husband Steve and children Chris and Lindie.

“I’d been training for over a year – it was a very difficult climb. I was very lucky that I didn’t get any altitude sickness. It was a great experience and it was amazing that we climbed it.”

She added: “It was much harder than I had imagined. I’d never done much climbing before. But I was with a great bunch of people and the leaders were amazing.”

Adele said the five-day climb had been on her “bucket list” when she was 40, but it was only after she turned 50 that she decided she wanted to make this dream a reality.

“When I reached 50 last year I was disappointed that I had not done anything out of the ordinary,” said Adele, who worked towards the goal with the help of a personal trainer.

From the outset Adele aimed to raise money for Home-Start Uttlesford, which helps families with young children to cope through difficult circumstances, but soon discovered the amazing work of EACH, after her trainer, Mark Nicol, had a daughter who died a few days later from severe heart problems.

“Chloe spent the last few days of her life at their hospice and the family received support during and long after this,” she said.

Adele added: “Thank you to everyone who has supported this. If anyone wants to find out more or donate they can visit www.uk.virginmoneygiving/AdeleTapping or alternatively send a cheque made payable to Home-Start Uttlesford, Council Offices, London Road, CB11 4ER.”