A TEAM of seven Hampshire mums have raised more than £100,000 by scaling the height of Everest in just four days – all in aid of tackling brain tumours.

The mums, who all have children at Twyford School, braved temperatures as low as -30C to ski 8,848 metres uphill during some of the worst conditions the Swiss Alps has seen.

The team included Tanya Ritchie, from Braishfield, whose five-year-old son Toby, has a low grade brain tumour. Tanya, along with six other mums formed Toby’s Team and took on the epic challenge to raise funds for vital research into childhood brain tumours.

So far the group has raised more than £104,000 through the Everest in the Alps challenge, but Tanya said there are still a few more things lined up to raise money.

Tanya said: “Twyford School has been utterly amazing in their kindness and intelligent practical help with Toby (and his brothers) and it was at Twyford where, having just moved from London five years ago, Toby fell ill during this first term at the school in Reception.

“So, with the help of his teachers and the school staff, lots of people have played a role in keeping an eye on Toby for the last five years, at first helping him come to school for short periods while on 18 months of chemo, to now helping him not get too tired and making sure he can take part in as much school life as possible.

“This has been the best medicine for a little boy who just wants to get on with life, but can’t do it the same way as his friends.”

Tanya added: “The challenge has ruled our lives for months now.

The training, the fundraising, covering the cost of kit and the trip. Thank God we were prepared. It has been a serious consideration and an extraordinary thing to attempt for all seven of us.

“We have worked hard and are very proud of ourselves and each other. Our determination to make a difference saw us through.”

Toby’s Team were tested to the limit during the challenge as they climbed more than 2,500m every day to reach their target, burning off the equivalent calories of running several back-to-back marathons on each of the four days.

The team is made up of Tanya, NHS physiotherapists Tiggy Corben and Emily Bray, Twyford school teachers Philippa McNeil and Sarah O’Gorman, local farmer Bebe Corbett and Lucy de Laszlo.

In 2015, Toby’s dad Rob and 13 of his friends and family travelled to the Swiss village of Verbier where they took on the very first Everest in the Alps.

This time, the team of mums joined six other teams, one (Smith & Williamson) that includes the Channel 4 presenter of Location, Location, Location, Phil Spencer.

Along the route, the team spent the nights in mountain huts. Funds raised by all the teams will go to The Everest Centre, financed by The Brain Tumour Charity with a global remit to research new treatments.

The centre will fund vital research projects that will help us understand more about low grade paediatric brain tumours and trial new treatments.

Globally over 26,000 children have a low grade paediatric brain tumour and every year in the UK another 300 children are diagnosed. The location of low grade tumours in the brain often make them only partially operable.

Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We are immensely proud and humbled to support everything that Rob, Tanya and their teams have done with Everest in the Alps.

“2015 saw an incredible success; the raising of vital funds that have led to the establishment of The Everest Centre, driving change for so many children affected, like Toby, with this devastating disease.

To find out more about Everest in the Alps www.everestinthealps.com.