A SPARKFORD school boy has gone to great heights to raise money for a wildlife charity.
Eight-year-old Max Storey battled tough conditions and altitude sickness as he climbed the highest mountain in North Africa, Mount Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains, making him one of the youngest to have completed the climb.
Max, a pupil at Hazlegrove School near Sparkford, was joined on the climb by his father James and his ten-year-old brother Freddie.
Freddie himself recently completed a 330-mile run across the Cornish coastline in the summer holidays.
Both boys set themselves colossal charity challenges to raise money for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust having recently moved from the area to Somerset.
Almost £2,500 has now been raised for charity following the completion of both challenges.
The boys’ father James Storey said he is “incredibly proud” of them both for completing the challenges.
Freddie, James and Max Storey
While Max has climbed Scafell Pike in Cumbria before, alongside other mountains in France and Africa, Mr Storey said the Mount Toubkal climb “pushed him to his limits.”
“He showed real grit and determination to make it to the top,” he said.
“The climb really pushed him to his limits but he has a steely determination inside him which was a huge help as he just goes quiet and plods on and on.
“To be one of the youngest people to climb it is a real feather in his cap.”
Mr Storey said they were faced with zero-degree temperatures at night throughout the two-day climb.
“Day one started in 25 degrees heat in shorts and t-shirts and after eight hours of hiking we arrived at our first night’s accommodation in a tent in the mountains,” he said.
“Night time temperatures were around zero degrees which meant we were sleeping in ski socks, ski trousers, a t-shirt, two rugby shirts, a ski jacket a woolly hat and tucked up in a four season sleeping bag.”
Max had to deal with extreme temperatures
The boys were told there were two non-negotiables for the day to beat altitude sickness – drinks lots of water and climb very slowly.
“At times point number two was frustrating,” Mr Storey said.
“There were many climbers who were passing us throughout the climb but after two to three hours of climbing it became apparent as to why our advice was sound.
“We counted 10 people coming down having failed to make it to the top due to altitude sickness so we knew our guide was onto a good thing.
“As daylight came we saw that we were now surrounded by snow and ice.
“We finally made it to the top, but Max was starting to show many signs of altitude sickness himself. This can affect anyone no matter how old or how fit.
“We had to get him down ASAP to alleviate these symptoms and after a nine-hour round climb we were back to our tents.
“We had a rest and some food and found ourselves settling in for the night in the late afternoon.
“Next morning was a three-hour hike back down. It was now that Max had the energy to realise and register what he had achieved and it was obvious he felt ten feet tall.”
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