A SPORTS therapist has scaled more than half of the world's tallest mountain for an end of life hospice.

Annabel Moeser took on the challenging 42mile trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in aid of St Clare Hospice after being inspired by her clients' accounts of the care they had received.

The 28 year-old flew from London on March 7 and arrived in Katmandu a day later, then taking a propeller plane to Lukla airport.

Her 16-day adventure trek began on March 10 and she reached the 5,380m Everest Base Camp on Saturday March 17, ascending a further 120m to the summit of Kala Patthar peak to witness breath-taking views of the 8,848m mountain.

The Sawbridgeworth resident said: "The Everest Base Camp trek was one of the best but hardest journeys of my life. It was absolutely amazing to reach the foot of Everest and look up at the highest mountain in the world.

“After surviving Lukla, the world’s most dangerous airport we trekked for nine days to Everest Base Camp in a mixed temperature environment. Base camp was -20°C when we reached it.

“We went through lots of villages and it was amazing to see human beings living at that temperature and altitude without noticing it at all. They survive by selling supplies to the climbers as they go up. The Pringles and Dairy Milk chocolate bar were a lovely treat at 4,000 meters.

“Once we reached Everest Base Camp, it took a further five days to get back down to Lukla and catch the flight back to Kathmandu.

"Overall, the trek itself was very undulating and we had to cross numerous high suspended bridges to get across the valley. When we reached Everest Base Camp, we left some prayer flags with special messages, as a tribute to all the charities we were supporting over the two week trek.”

Miss Moeser raised almost £3,000 for St Clare Hospice – enough to fund approximately two weeks of care from its patient and family support team, who offer practical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual support to people who are living with a life-limiting illness, and their families.

She added: "I always hear such lovely things about St Clare Hospice from my patients. The care they offer at the Hospice is amazing.

"It’s an honour to support a local charity who are doing such great work in the community, all offered free of charge.

"As they have to raise most of their funding themselves, it’s so important that they receive help from their community so that they can continue to offer their vital services.”

St Clare is centred in and provides support across the Epping Forest district.

To support Miss Moeser and St Clare, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/annabel-everestbasecamp