A MOUNTAINEER has set off on his latest charity challenge after being inspired by his days as a geography student.

Alan Hinkes, from Northallerton, is aiming to raise thousands of pounds for mountain rescue teams in the UK by climbing the highest peak in each of the 39 traditional English counties.

He plans to complete the task in seven days, after mapping out his route with the aid of his Ordnance Survey maps, which he credits with inspiring his love of geography and climbing while he was a student at Northallerton Grammar School.

Mr Hinkes, 56, was the first Briton to climb the summits of all 14 mountains in the world with peaks higher than 8,000 metres and while his latest expedition might be a little more modest, Mr Hinkes, has been planning the trip for more than 20 years.

He said: “I’m looking forward to visiting parts of the country that I otherwise would never see.

“Although some of the peaks will not be anything particularly difficult, especially in Norfolk and Lincolnshire, some of the climbs will be a little more serious.

“The most difficult will be Mickle Fell, in Yorkshire, which is well known for being gnarly, but also because it’s in the middle of a tank shelling range.”

Although Mr Hinkes will climb most of the peaks on his own he will sometimes be joined by mountain rescue teams.

To follow his progress, or to make a donation, visit pro-trek.co.uk or follow Mr Hinkes at twitter.com/alanhinkes