By Tom Barton

22 Aug, 2002

FEATURES; Pg. 12

A NORTH Wales teenager is aiming to be the youngest Briton ever to scale the world's highest mountain.

Nick Barrowclough, 18, from Rhyl, is campaigning to raise up to pounds 15,000 to allow him to make it to the summit of Everest.

But the race is on to secure himself a place on the gruelling 64-day expedition, which will make the attempt in 2004, and Nick needs to raise a pounds 1,600 deposit before the trip fills up.

The young mountaineer has been a climbing enthusiast for years, and has set his sights on the ultimate climb after learning the ropes on the peaks of Snowdonia.

'Through living in the area, I've had an interest in climbing - I was never into conventional sports like football - and it just developed through being so close to the hills.

'I was involved with a Llandrillo climbing club when I was at college, and try to get up to Snowdonia twice a week,' he said.

Nick, who is taking a year out before going to Manchester Metropolitan University in September 2003 to study geography, is asking local businesses to support his attempt.

'I'm hopefully going to raise the money through different sponsorship events, but I'm open to ideas for different ways of raising the funds.

'I'm targeting both local and national climbing companies, but of course I'd be really grateful for any support.'

The young climber, who will be 20 when he makes the attempt, is offering to put any sponsor's logo on the flag that he will fly from the peak's summit, and also on a banner at base camp.

He has also suggested that he would be willing to talk about his experiences to firms and their employees.

Up to 44 days of the twomonth trip will be spent on Everest's slopes, with time for preparation and acclimatisation to the height - base camp is at 5,400m, over five times the height of Snowdon. They will climb to over eight kilometres above sea level, travelling up the difficult north ridge attempted by pioneering explorers Mallory and Irvine.

In preparation for the trip, Nick is set to visit Nepal in October, when he will attempt three 6,000m mountains to test his resistence to altitude sickness.

He has previously completed the North Wales ultimate test, scaling all of its 3,000ft peaks in 24 hours.