A TEAM of six, including three teenagers, reached the summit of Kilimanjaro and raised more then £3,000 for charity.

Nick Jenkins from Sorely, Richard McIntosh from Bantham, his two children Molly, 15, and Nancy, 13, Andrew Walwyn from Kingsbridge and his son Archie, 13, made up the team that climbed the highest mountain in Africa for charity.

They trained for months to prepare to climb the 5,895m mountain, trekking the South West Coast Path over and over, and finally set off for their adventure on Friday, October 23.

Although being located near the Equator in Tanzania, the top of Kilimanjaro is covered in glaciers and temperatures fall to -15 degrees Celsius, and the team struggled with unusually harsh conditions.

Few children even attempt the climb, and Molly, Nancy and Archie were the first teenagers their guides had taken up the mountain, despite having guided more than 180 groups between them.

Not only did the team have to climb the 5,895m to reach the summit, but they also had to contend with the low temperatures and high altitude. As the highest freestanding mountain in the world, Kilimanjaro’s biggest challenge was altitude sickness.

There is not enough oxygen and everyone suffered with extreme nausea, sickness and fatigue. Nearing the top, every single step requires a huge effort of strength and willpower. Only 46 per cent of people who attempt the climb actually make it to the top.

The climb took six days, with the team camping on the mountain for five nights. The final climb to the summit is really tough – leaving camp at midnight and climbing through the night to reach the summit at daybreak.

All the hard work pays off with the view of the sunrise from the top of Africa being ‘truly breathtaking’.

Richard McIntosh said: ‘I am truly proud of the whole team and especially the three teenagers, who have taken on an amazing challenge and shown that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.’

The students, two of whom attend Kingsbridge Community College, decided to raise money for two charities through the climb.

Archie has so far raised more than £1,100 for Help for Heroes. He chose this charity because he ‘believes they make a very real difference to soldiers that have incurred terrible injuries at war.’

If you would like to sponsor him, visit his JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/archie-walwyn.

Molly and Nancy have raised more than £2,000 for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, because the hospital has ‘given amazing help and support to the family in the past’.

To sponsor Holly and Nancy, you can visit their JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/mcintosh-Kilimanjaro-trek.

The whole trip was organised by a local Kingsbridge company Safari & Beach. Team member and company director Nick Jenkins specialises in tailor-made travel to East and Southern Africa.