THERE cannot be many ten-year-olds who gave up their school holidays to climb 15 mountains in aid of charity - but that's exactly what Bournemouth's Lola House did.

The year five pupil at Talbot Heath School became one of the youngest people to have completed the Welsh 3000 challenge, which involved 21.5 hours of climbing and walking, raising £1,500 for Forest Holme Hospice in Poole, which cared for her late Nanny.

Lola began by walking up Snowdon and camped close to the summit. The following morning she climbed 15 mountains in North Wales that all stand above 3,000 feet tall. She completed the challenge in 21.5 hours across two days and managed a total of 104,000 steps.

Her dad, Gary House, who accompanied Lola, said, “She was sore and had some aches but was absolutely buzzing from her experience. It was the hardest thing she’s ever done by far, but with grit and determination she managed it.”

However, the challenge wasn’t without some heart stopping moments, as Gary explains: “We had a very scary experience during heavy rain close to the summit of Mount Yr Elen, which was the 12th mountain. We could hear a storm nearing until eventually at 3,100ft high we found ourselves actually in the storm. The thunder and lightning was very scary and unbelievably a bolt of lightning hit the ground, just meters from us.

"I just froze, heart in my mouth, and when I turned to look at Lola, she was on the floor crying her eyes out. It was absolutely petrifying, especially as we had no shelter and could do nothing other than hit the summit as quickly as possible and descend. It was awful and something I will never forget. Lola was shaken but with only three mountains left the end was in sight and she did it!”

Forest Holme Hospice provides individually tailored and quality care to adults facing a life limiting illness. Specialist care at the hospice helps to provide support to local people across Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck.