THREE Tavistock men have trekked and climbed through tough terrain, battled with illnesses and faced a physically and mentally demanding challenge to raise more than £10,000 for Help for Heroes.

Rob Wheeler and friend Richard Bridle, painstakingly climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in December to raise money for the military charity, while Rob's son Dan trekked across the Sahara Desert in November.

The original plan was for father and son to climb Kilimanjaro, but the arrangements were changed as Dan was deployed to Afghanistan at the time the climb was due to take place, so friend Richard stepped in.

Self-employed carpenter Rob said things did not run as smoothly as they had hoped.

He said: 'It took five days to go up and a day- and-a-half to get down.

'We reached the summit but on the way down Richard wasn't feeling well and he collapsed.

'We had to be rushed off the mountain because he had fluid on his lungs, and he wasn't the only one — even our tour leader got it.'

The trek across the Sahara Desert did not go as planned for Dan either.

Rob said: 'Dan started doing the Sahara trek, but about 50 per cent of his group got dysentery so they had to stop. He'll be re-doing it in October.'

Rob said climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was physically and mentally demanding.

'It was the most difficult thing I think I have ever had to do in my life,' said Rob.

'I had to reach my limit and beyond to get to the top.

'I don't think I will do it again but it felt great being able to raise that much money.'

There were 28 people in Rob and Richard's group, from all over the UK, who climbed Kilimanjaro for different reasons but all to raise money for Help for Heroes.

Together they raised more than £100,000 for the charity.

Rob said: 'I am a self-employed carpenter so the money I raised was mainly through my customers.

'I want to say a big thank you to all my customers who donated, and to everyone who donated on my website.