A WAR hero who had to pull out of a mountain climb following a leg injury is not giving up.

Ex-Para Terry Byrne was due to climb the highest peak on the planet as part of his challenge to become the first disabled adventurer to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.

The grand slam involves trekking to the North and South poles and reaching the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

Terry climbed Mount Pumori in Nepal to 6,500 metres and the father-of-two, from Colchester, was set to tackle Mount Everest.

However, after injuring his right leg on the way down Pumori, he suffered nerve damage and had to abandon the Everest climb.

The former Parachute Regiment soldier was injured in Afghanistan in 2008 after standing on an improvised explosive device. His right leg was amputated below the knee.

Terry, 34, said: “I was in Pumori for about two months as we needed to acclimatise. At night it was about minus ten degrees.

“Pumori is extremely tough, there are overhangs thousands of metres up. Everest is easier as it’s nowhere near as technical.”

Terry, who was climbing with friend Martin Hewitt, started feeling pain in his right leg at the start of May.

He said: “When I was coming down Pumori I was abseiling on a 70 degree steep, my right leg went into the snow and my knee popped out.

“I couldn’t wear my prosthetic leg and the pain has been keeping me awake.”

He went to A&E for an X-ray and has been referred to a nerve and muscle specialist.

During recovery he will spend time with wife, Katie, and sons Oliver, who is eight-months-old, and Harry, eight. He is determined to climb Everest when his leg has healed.

He said: “My aim was always Everest and I felt ready for that. I’m still in the team, I can go back another time if I want to.”

He plans to climb Carstensz Pyramid in Australia next year.