TWO North-East students will not be sitting down to a traditional lunch on Christmas Day - instead they hope to be celebrating at the summit of South America's highest mountain.

Students Philip Lofthouse and John Moffett, of Sunderland University, set off next month for a three-week adventure in Argentina, where they will attempt to conquer the 7,000-metre peak of Aconcagua.

Their task is all the more difficult as the experienced mountaineers are doing the climb without guides.

Although Philip reached the summit of Aconcagua in 1999, it was with a large group.

This time the 22-year-old, from Whitburn, near Sunderland, will only have the help of John, 20, from Washington.

But, before they even catch sight of the towering mountain, the pair have a testing journey.

On December 7, they leave Newcastle for Gatwick, to catch a flight to Santiago, via Madrid.

From Santiago, they travel by bus to Mendoza, before boarding another bus bound for the town of Penitentes.

From there, they take a taxi to a village 2450m up in the Andes, called Punta de Vacas.

The geology students then trek to Pampa de Lenas, followed by Casa de Piedra, 3200m above sea level.

Late on December 12 - six days after leaving Newcastle - Philip and John will arrive at base camp at Aconcagua, after another day-long trek.

They will push for the summit early on Christmas Day. Philip says: "It's not your normal Christmas Day, but it will certainly be a memorable one."