AN ADVENTURER climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest 13.2 times to raise money for a mental health charity has climbed the highest point in Monmouthshire.

Alex Staniforth, 22, is climbing the highest points in all 100 counties of the UK in a bid to raise £20,000 for Young Minds UK, having already raised more than £15,000.

Mr Staniforth, a writer and public speaker, began the Climb the UK challenge on May 13 in his home county of Cheshire to coincide with Mental Health Week.

Having climbed the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, he is due to complete the venture on Sunday, July 23 on Moel Famau in North Wales.

And on Monday, he climbed Chwarel Y Fan - the highest point in Monmouthshire.

Mr Staniforth, who has attempted to climb Mount Everest twice, will travel the equivalent of Everest 13.2 times - 4,782 miles cycling, 484 miles by foot and five miles kayaking.

He said: “Mental illness is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with – far more difficult than climbing Everest.

“It’s fantastic that people like Prince Harry are speaking out about mental health, to show that mental illness can affect everyone, all over the UK.

“But we need to do something about it. Everyone has their own mountain to climb and my big message is that if you’re suffering from mental health issues, please speak out, tell someone you trust, visit the Young Minds website and seek help – it’s not a sign of weakness.

“Talking about it is a sign of strength.”

Mr Staniforth - has suffered from mental health issues since he was a boy - is appealing to schools throughout the country to get involved in whatever way they can – by raising money for Young Minds UK, and by talking about mental health.

He has already attempted to reach the peak of Everest twice, only to be thwarted by avalanches, the second of which two years ago killed three of his colleagues.

The tragic events were recorded in his book Icefall, which tells the story of the devastating loss of his friends in an avalanche in Nepal in 2015. Visit justgiving.com/climbtheuk to donate.