Couple aim high for fundraising venture (From Western Telegraph)

Couple aim high for fundraising venture

Long-awaited celebrations took place early on Sunday morning as Haverfordwest's Mark Bond and Broad Haven's Jo Broughton completed their challenge of reaching the 4,095-metre summit of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo.

The strenuous ascent of South East Asia's highest mountain will raise over £1,000 for Withybush Hospital's ward ten in memory of Mark's mother, Pauline Bond, who was treated there throughout her illness

The two-day trek took the couple from humid rainforest, to inhospitable conditions above the clouds with a rest at an unheated hut at 3000 metres, before starting a 2am climb to the summit.

Said Jo: "We both suffered from the high altitude but we were lucky as our symptoms subsided whereas some of the other climbers had to turn back.

"Although it was freezing cold, there was no rain, and the clear sky provided a breathtaking view as the sun rose over the surrounding mountains."

Mark and Jo feel lucky to have even reached as far as the foot of the mountain, as their round-the-world adventures have so far seen them survive a terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka, avoiding the tsunami by hours in Thailand, and Mark's ten-day stay in hospital after getting the bends while diving, followed by a strain of dengue fever!

Said Mark:"This is one of my proudest achievements. I'm really happy to have done it in memory of my mum, and the support we received from friends and colleagues back home in Pembrokeshire was a huge incentive The inspirational views combined with our exhaustion made reaching the summit very emotional."

Mark and Jo, whose main sponsors are Folly Farm, are still collecting money and anyone would like to donate can contact mark_and_jo@yahoo.co.uk or send a cheque for Withybush ward ten to 29 Holbrook Road, Broad Haven, SA62 3HZ.