IT may have took five years of saving and training but a Redditch woman has finally climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

Debbie Roberts was joined by her husband Steve, step son Jason and friends for the trek, to raise money and awareness of Lupus, an illness of the immune system.

Mrs Roberts, senior financial administrator at Holyoakes Field First School, said: “A good friend has Lupus so we wanted to raise awareness of it.

“We decided a good way to do this would be to climb Kilimanjaro after seeing it on our honeymoon.

“We saved for five years, buying equipment and walking up mountains in Wales for practice.”

The group walked for six days in extreme temperatures often for eight or nine hours per day and more than 15 hours without a break on the final ascent.

The trek wasn’t without difficulties however.

Her husband became ill, her step son suffered extreme altitude sickness, one her friends lost four toe nails while the other had severe burns to their face.

Mrs Roberts said: “I had altitude sickness at the top but escaped relatively unscathed.

“It was a wonderful experience though despite these difficulties. My husband, who never made the summit, wants to go back in a couple of years and try again.”

To date, more than £700 has been raised.

For information about Lupus, visit lupusuk.org.uk.