A care worker reached great fundraising heights when she trekked to Everest base camp in aid of Help for Heroes.

Lucy Peat, of Eaton Socon, raised more than £2,000 for the armed forces charity by completing the 13-day hike in the Himalayas.

The 33-year-old, who returned on Wednesday, November 26, said: “It was sunny during the day and hot but at night and in the morning it was minus 10 and frozen indoors. It was the coldest I’ve ever been.”

Former Ernulf pupil Lucy joined a group of 21 people on the Discover Adventure trip, which included three men who, despite the conditions, wore kilts.

“We walked for eight days to get there and five days to get back. You have to acclimatise on the way up and walk as high as you can and then back down again.

“Only two people couldn’t make it to the top bit. One person had to be helicoptered off with altitude sickness.

“The hardest bit for me was the internal flight was the internal flight into the world’s scariest airport. I do not like flying and when you fly out it’s on a slope and the runway ends and you’re just in the sky, on a rickety little plane that sounds like it’s powered by a motorbike engine.”

The cold and the dodgy flight were worth it, said Lucy, for the achievement of making the base camp, along with raising funds for Help for Heroes.

“I felt rough the day we set off for base camp but managed to get there. I was a great feeling to do it.”

Lucy, who works with people with autism, has now raised nearly £9,000 for the charity after being inspired by meeting service personnel who had been injured in conflict and learning more about how it has helped them.

She boosted funds further with a cake sale at the George and Dragon in Eaton Socon, helped by her pal Rosie Hodge. INFORMATION: To support Lucy’s fundraising, visit www.Bmycharity.com/EBC2014.