Scunthorpe steelworker feels on top of the world after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity
A SCUNTHORPE steelworker swapped metal for mettle as he endured an "energy sapping" climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Steven Bishop, 25, of Messingham, scaled the 5,895 metres of the mountain, raising £1,571.26 for the Willow Foundation.
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CLIMB: Steven Bishop, 25, from Messingham, who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
The charity, which organises special days for poorly people, helped Steven's friend Paul Wood during his battle with leukaemia.
Describing the climb as "brilliant" Steven said he had to face difficult conditions along the way.
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"It was very demanding, especially on summit night," he said. "The reason for this was the altitude.
"Throughout the climb I was suffering from headaches and nausea.
"But on summit night when we got above 5,000 meters, this turned into screaming headaches and vomiting quite a lot.
"It also snowed on our summit night so walking on the snow was even more energy sapping.
"It was literally take about 10 steps, be sick, get you breath back, compose yourself and go again."
The trip consisted of seven days of trekking.
From base camp, at 4,750 metres, to the summit, 5,895, took around seven hours.
The trip was one of highs and lows for Steven but he said he was delighted he had achieved his target of raising £1,000 for the charity.
He said: "I think the low point for me was on summit night when it was still dark and we were above 5,000 metres.
"I was just feeling awful, with absolutely no energy, running on empty and knowing there was still a hell of long way to go until hitting the summit.
"The high point was obviously reaching the summit, although it didn't really sink in until the next day.
"All in all though, it was a fantastic experience and I would love to do some more high altitude summits.
"I managed to raise over £1,000 for the Willow Foundation, which I am really pleased about as £1,000 was my target."
Steven thanked everyone who had sponsored and supported him along the way.
He reserved special praise for the Horn Inn pub in Messingham for its contribution.
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