MOUNT Kilimanjaro’s snowy summit has inspired film and literature for decades but only few have ever reached it in person.

Now Rodborough-based wildlife conservation expert Ian Redmond has joined that elite group of adventurers.

Ian, who recently turned 60, was part of a UK team of four known as Climb for Change, who scaled the 19,341 feet to the top of the mountain last month to draw attention to the effect that global climate change is having on cultural heritage sites.

The climb was organised by the Plant A Tree Today Foundation, and Ian was also raising money for the Stroud-based Ape Alliance as well as the Born Free Foundation, Wild Futures, the Gorilla Organisation and the Orangutans Foundation.

So far the team have raised almost £10,000, however there is still time to make a donation.

After a seven day hike the team reached the summit on Sunday, August 3.

“On the final day of the climb we had to leave our camp at midnight in order to reach the summit at dawn.

“It was very strange trying as you had to keep your head down looking at the floor as it was impossible to see anything in front of you.

“But on reaching the top and that moment when you look up the view is absolutely breathtaking.”

Ian’s main aim in climbing Kilimanjaro was not only to highlight the dangers of climate change but to show how without animal conservation, rapid and destructive climate change is all the more likely to occur.

“People don’t always understand how wildlife protection and climate change are conected but habitat protection is of vital importance to our eco-system,” added Ian, who at the age of 50 ran the London Marathon.

“Maybe for my 70th birthday I will relax on a beach somewhere.”

To donate go to justgiving.com/teams/PATTclimb.