High hopes! Friends plan to conquer 48 peaks in 48 hours

TWO friends are planning the "Mount Everest" of UK charity challenges by climbing 48 Lake District peaks in 48 hours.

- Chris Riches

Laura-Jane Matthews, 37, and Gaby Marks, 28, will hike a 56-mile circular route with a total elevation of around 21,000ft to raise money for the air ambulance.

Setting off a week tomorrow they will bag Cumbrian peaks including Fairfield, Helvellyn, Great Gable, the Langdales and Scafell.

Gaby and L-J, who work at Go Outdoors and are regular hikers, have set themselves a target of raising £1,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service and mountain rescue teams.

L-J said: "I had been talking about wanting to do something this year to push myself, perhaps for a charity.

"I'd mentioned it to Gaby and we'd both found some organized sponsored hikes, but they didn't seem that would really push us".