A MARY Tavy resident is taking on the challenge of a lifetime to raise money for Scope.

Tom Skelton, 24, has set himself the ambitious task of raising £3,000 for the charity ? which is one of the largest disability charities in the UK working for people with cerebral palsy ? by the middle of November.

For his primary fundraising event Tom is travelling to Chamonix in the French Alps, where he will attempt to climb Mont Blanc, which at 4,810 metres is the highest mountain in Western Europe.

Tom will spend one week in Chamonix undertaking a two-day acclimatisation trek followed by a day?s rest and then the summit attempt on Thursday and Friday July 22 and 23.

The climb takes in excess of 24 hours, necessitating an overnight stop high on the mountain. Mont Blanc is permanently covered in snow and ice above 3,000 metres and Tom will have to negotiate windswept ridges and glacial crevasses using crampons and ice axes if he is to be successful.

Tom said: ?This is easily one of the biggest challenges of my life and I am taking it very seriously.

? I understand the size of the task at hand and am training hard to ensure that I give myself the best chance of reaching the top. I do not want to let my sponsors down.?

If you can help Tom reach his target please contact him on 07919 253229.