A BOLTON student will leave his text books behind him when he heads for the icy mountains of Nepal.

Part-time soldier Glen Wood, 20, will join 200 other Joint Services members on one of the largest expeditions of its kind ever to be staged.

The group fly to Nepal in September in a bid to walk 18 treacherous peaks. And if it is successful, it will be the first time the feat has ever been achieved.

Glen, who is studying Psychology and War and Peace studies at the Bolton Institute, is training hard to prepare for the tough task ahead. He plans to climb two of the 18 peaks and is now making two visits a day to a Bolton gym, with the aim of putting on nearly two stones in weight before his trip.

He said: "This will be the first major expedition I have been on. The plan is to create a special guide written from first hand knowledge about the peaks we will be climbing.

"Before I go I will have to put on about two stones because of the lack of oxygen in the air over there.

"It means your body has to work doubly hard and I will probably come back looking like a shadow of my former self."

The expedition team also plans to help create a special health network for Nepalese children using the Internet.

Glen, of Bankfield Street, Deane, added: "Nepal is a Third World country and the army feels it is very important to put something back into the community."

But before the officer cadet - a member of Manchester and Salford Universities Officers' Training Corps - can jet off to the Himalayan foothills, he desperately needs to raise sponsorship.

His trip will cost £3,000, including flights, specialised kit and even payment for Sherpas and guides. So far he has raised £300.

Anyone who can help should write to Glen Wood, 13 Bankfield Street, Deane, Bolton, BL3 5ND.

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