TWO charity climbers risked their lives to scale England's four highest mountains in atrocious weather condition.

And both say they would do it again - in better weather.

Jeweller Mike Howarth, of Rushford Grove, Astley Bridge, and bank official Mike Stuttard, 35, of Ranworth Close, Sharples, spent the weekend tackling the four peaks of Skiddaw, Scafell, Scafell Peak and Helvellyn in the Lake District to raise money for Bolton Hospice.

They faced gale force eight winds which gusted to nine and visibility was reduced to just 50 feet.

Visibility was so bad during the 50 mile trek, that the pals, who were joined by five brave souls from Burnley, ended up tackling the same mountain twice.

Mr Howarth, 33, who runs R&J Howarth in Market Street, Little Lever, said: "I don't think we could have picked a worse weekend. But we were committed to doing it so we went ahead.

"The wind on the peaks was strong enough to blow a small child off and we literally walked sideways to keep ourselves on two feet. However, we were blown over a couple of times."

The weather also meant that the party got lost on a number of occasions.

"It was frustrating when we realised that we had climbed Scafell Pike twice," Mr Howarth admitted.

But after 50 miles over 27 hours the party completed the arduous trek.

"We're all pretty experienced walkers and apart from sore toes we felt surprisingly fit at the end of it," said Mr Howarth.

Mr Howarth has been raising money for Bolton Hospice for nearly four months and this weekend is holding a charity raffle at a caravan site in the Lakes. He hopes to raise at least £2,000.

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