A businessman has told how he and his son endured a gruelling 14-day trek near Mount Everest to raise money for charity.

John Acton, who owns a green burial site at Wrabness, decided to try to climb the Gokyo Ridge, which looks on to Mount Everest.

Together with nine others, he planned the trip and then his son Tim, who is in New Zealand, said he would go too.

Mr Acton hopes to raise about £3,000 for the St Helena Hospice and various other charities as a result of the challenge.

The team, which consisted of three sets of sons and fathers, trekked in four-foot snow to get to the top.

Mr Acton said: "It was a gruesome task, it snowed from the first day. Sometimes even the guides were getting lost.

"It was mentally and physically destroying. For the youngsters, it was no problem but for the older ones, the snow made it horrendous."

But once at the top, Mr Acton said the view was "unreal".

He said: "We linked a bit of pleasure with a bit of fundraising."

Mr Acton could soon be known as Mr Action as, in 2000, he went on a trek to the Himalayas and raised more than £5,000.

Then in 2001, he was part of a team that went to Katmandu and then to the Everest base camp. And there may be more future treks in the pipeline.

"We will recover first and talk about it around Easter time, by then we normally can only remember the good points!"

Tim Acton made headlines of his own when he was rescued in the Pacific Ocean last June after his catamaran was hit by a freak storm.

Published Monday, February 24, 2003

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