A team of intrepid press photographers will be hoping to feel anything but peaky later this month when they attepmt to climb the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales – all within two days.

Leicester Mercury snappers Andy Baker, Alistair Langham and Emily Barber, and former Mercury lensman Darren Staples, who now works for Reuters, have vowed to conquer the Three Peaks to raise cash for the the breast care ward at Glenfield Hospital.

And the team is putting in some last minute preparation before setting out to climb Ben Nevis (4,406ft), Scafell Pike (3,205ft) and Snowdon (3,560ft) on June 17 and 18.

The team get their walking shoes at the ready

Deputy picture editor Andy, (38), said he and his colleagues had decided to get together and raise money after his wife, Cheslyn – who is also a journalist – was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.

He said: “Alistair’s sister, Ruth, has also undergone treatment and this is our way of saying thank you.

“All the staff at the hospital were great and made the whole thing bearable.”

Andy, Alistair, (35), Emily, (25), and Darren, (33), plan to tackle Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in turn, and – with no support crew – hope to complete the challenge in around 48 hours, rather than the usual 24.

Andy said: “It will be tough and we are going to earn every penny. I have done several peaks before, but never three in such short succession.

“We’re not going to be trying to break any records, we’re just hoping to get them under our belts and raise some money for the ward.”