NORTH Yorkshire climber Alan Hinkes has a lot to thank his daughter for.

He credits a photograph of her as being the reason behind his safe return from every mountain he set out to conquer.

And now Mr Hinkes, from Northallerton, has shown his gratitude in style – by naming a mountain after her.

Mount Fiona is 5,300ft and is north of the Himalayas, in Kazakhstan.

Mr Hinkes, the first Briton to conquer the 14 highest peaks in the world, takes a photograph of Fiona with him everywhere, posing with it at the summit of each mountain he climbs.

He said it keeps him focused and stops him from putting himself at risk and “dying selfishly”.

“I’ve always had a picture of her,” he said.

“I thought it was better than being jingoistic and putting a flag up.

“I thought it was nicer to have family there. It did focus my mind and made me think about dying or getting killed for selfish reasons.

“I thought she would like to have her daddy back in one piece.”

Mr Hinkes was given an opportunity to name a mountain on a recent trip abroad.

He was guiding an RAF expedition up four peaks which the group wanted to name after fallen pilots. Then, mission accomplished, he decided to climb one more.

On reaching the summit of the previously unconquered mountain, he asked a fellow climber what it should be called.

“Call it what you like,”

came the reply. So he did.

“Having a picture of Fiona helped keep me alive in those mountains,” said Mr Hinkes.

“I did back off a few times.

I have this mantra: No mountain is worth a life. Coming back is a success and a summit is a bonus.”

His mantra was tested in March, when he was caught in an avalanche in the Lake District. He was seconds from death but was saved by his quick thinking and experience.

In August, he climbed the 39 highest peaks in the English shire counties in a record-breaking seven days.

He is a champion of Mountain Search and Rescue, Water Aid and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

And over the weekend, despite an ankle injury that prevented him running, he supported the Great North Run by cycling from Sunderland to South Shields.