Sore knees and even snow failed to stop four staff from the Leicester Mercury completing the Three Peaks challenge.

Reporter Oliver Wright and photographers Alistair Langham, Alex Hannam and Andy Baker spent just over 24 hours scaling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon.

The team, joined by five fellow climbers, are hoping to raise around £3,000 for three local charities.

They started their epic voyage on Friday afternoon with a confident climb up Ben Nevis in conditions which became increasingly cloudy and cold over the final 45 minutes.

The team complete Ben Nevis: (back row) Alistair Langham (far left), Oliver Wright (grey hat), Alex Hannam (with poles) and Andy Baker (front centre)

Back in the safety of the minibus, the intrepid explorers enjoyed some Irish stew as they headed south for Cumbria to tackle Scafell Pike, arriving at daybreak on Saturday.

Sadly, a creaky knee gave way half way up the mountain leaving the team a man down.

Undeterred, they pressed ahead, battling mental and physical tiredness before successfully ascending the Pike and making their way on to Wales.

Perhaps the most inevitable obstacle awaited them in Wales, as the climbers had to endure Bank Holiday traffic before reaching their starting point to climb Snowdon.

Despite losing another two climbers, the Mercury mountaineers battled through to ascend Wales’ highest peak and enjoy champagne and spectacular views.

The whole expedition took in 3,407 metres of climbing, over 23 miles of walking and 400 miles of driving.

Deputy picture editor Andy Baker said: “This is a gruelling yet satisfying challenge. Everyone who took part gave it their best shot.

“We had all trained for the event and were confident about what lay ahead.

“It is a tremendous sense of achievement to have completed it and raised so much money for our chosen charities.

“We’re all a bit battered at the moment but I’m sure we’ll do it again in the future.”

To sponsor the Mercury team’s efforts, visit their online fund-raising page.