A FORMER Shuttle reporter is aiming to climb every mountain in England and Wales in just six months.

James Forrest will walk more than 1,000 miles, wild camp for 100 nights and ascend five times the height of Everest in his bid to summit all 446 peaks over 2,000ft in the two countries.

He will raise money for the British Mountaineering Council’s Mend Our Mountains campaign, which funds upland path repairs on mountains across the UK.

Mr Forrest, who worked at the Kidderminster Shuttle in 2014, before moving to our sister paper, the Worcester News, said: “I am incredibly excited, if not a little nervous, about the task ahead.

“I love the freedom, escapism and sense of adventure of heading out into the hills, sleeping under the stars and giving myself a challenge, so I’m sure I will absolutely love it.

“But I have never done anything on this scale before and I know the going will get tough, both physically and mentally, especially as I'm aiming for the fastest ever time to complete the peak-bagging feat.

“I’m confident I’ll get through it, however, and I’m looking forward to the adventure of a lifetime."

The 33-year-old, formerly of Malvern, now lives in Cockermouth, in Cumbria.

He will climb 256 mountains in England and 190 in Wales, visiting numerous national parks including the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons.

He will complete the walks in his spare time while holding down a three-day-a-week job with the Lake District National Park.

“I have always aspired to be an adventurer and to escape the monotony of the 9 to 5 grind”, added Mr Forrest, who now writes for travel and outdoors magazines.

“I want to live life to the fullest, to explore our beautiful countryside and to achieve something out-of-the-ordinary – and this is my chance to do that.”

Mr Forrest hopes the challenge, which started on Thursday (March 16), will raise £4,460 - £10 for every peak climbed – for the BMC, a cause that is close to his heart.

To donate visit justgiving.com/challenge446 or to follow progress of the challenge visit jamesmforrest.com