UNIVERSITY student Eleanor Isaac hopes to raise £3,000 for the fight against cancer by climbing Africa's highest peak.

Eleanor, 20, who is studying human geography at Cardiff University, will climb nearly 6,000 metres to the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania along with 34 other students in aid of Worldwide Cancer Research.

In preparation, Eleanor, from Sheepscombe, is completing a 5km run every Saturday morning.

“I am also planning day trips with friends to the Brecon Beacons to get some long-distance walking in," said Eleanor, who attended Dean Close School in Cheltenham.

“We have a trip up Pen y Fan planned in order to familiarise ourselves with equipment. It’s 886m.

“This experience will be a shock to the system as the highest I've ever climbed to date is Mynydd Carningli in Pembrokeshire which stands at a mere 347m.”

Eleanor flies to Africa on August 25 for the seven day trek and plans to enjoy a short break relaxing in on the island of Zanzibar before flying home.

All the members of the team are funding their flights and accommodation themselves allowing 100 per cent of donations to go straight to the charity.

Eleanor has held bake sales, pub quizzes and numerous street collections and has already collected £1,000.

Worldwide Cancer Research funds projects to find treatments and potential cures for cancer.

“Although luckily none of my close connections have suffered from cancer I am very aware of the vast number of people affected and the amount of young people suffering,” she said.

“No one deserves to suffer such a terminal illness.

"The more types of cancer we can cure or treat means that, fewer people are suffering and the more lives are saved.”

While Eleanor is a bit nervous about acclimatising to the altitude she is determined to reach the top.

She is especially looking forward to the sixth day of the trek despite knowing that it will be demanding.

Along with the other members of the expedition Eleanor will set out at midnight to reach the summit Stella Point at 5.30am to admire the sunrise.

“To me this is an experience that no one will ever be able to explain in words," she said.

“It is something I believe you just have to experience for yourself.

“The real sense of achievement will sink in as I reach the roof of Africa to watch the beautiful landscape light up below me.

“Once the picturesque view and the sense of achievement has set in we will our base - Barafu Camp for a couple of hours sleep before we descend.”

To sponsor Eleanor go to her fundraising page at http://bit.ly/1SFyPrU