A STUDENT from Radcliffe says reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro was the "best and worst day of my life".

Nicola End, of Oakley Close, journeyed to Tanzania in September to tackle the world's tallest freestanding mountain after raising almost £3,000 for charity.

The 19-year-old took on the six-day trek in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF), and spent months training to prepare for the physical and mental challenge.

Nicola, who is studying at the University of Warwick, said: “It was very cold, that was the thing I really struggled with the most. I was lucky in that the altitude sickness tablets we had to take worked quite well for me, whereas they didn’t for other people.

“When I came off the mountain and stopped taking the tablets, that was when I was ill — that was almost worse than climbing the mountain.

“The first few days of climbing weren’t so bad, and I was feeling quite good about it, but in the middle of the fourth day it became a real struggle, when we had to get to the summit on only four hours’ sleep.

“It was the best and worst day of my life when we reached the summit. With the wind and the cold it can be really difficult to enjoy yourself. The physical challenge of getting up the mountain is one thing, but the weather conditions are something else entirely."

The former Manchester High School for Girls pupil made the climb with 40 of her fellow students, who then celebrated by going on safari and on holiday to Zanzibar.

She added: “Looking back, I really enjoyed the experience. We kept ourselves occupied most of the time just by talking to each other. A lot of it has become a bit of a blur, and some people were hallucinating up there.

“I used music to help power me through as well at the very end. There were so many moments when I was just in hysterical tears and all you want to do is get to the top. I just had to tell myself to rein it in and pull myself together.

“I was really emotional when we were getting close to the top, but once we made it the feeling was more relief than anything else.”