A DYNAMIC Dudley councillor was just minutes away from being mountain rescued when bad weather scuppered his latest charity challenge.

Councillor Steve Waltho had been intent on climbing seven 4,000-foot peaks in the remotest parts of Scotland in just 24 hours - together with 17-year-old Halesowen College student Sam Joy who is best friends with the cllr’s youngest son Joe.

The plan was to scale Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak, and two others in the same range before driving 60 miles to the Caingorms for a four further ascents.

But as the weather took a turn for the worse the pair were forced to call their arduous fundraising feat a day when they were just over half way through.

Steve’s son Joe, a member of the back up team, started to worry when the light faded and three hours after the pair were expected to be back at the rendevouz point there was still no sign of them - so he called mountain rescuers for advice.

He said: “They asked us lots of questions then advised us to wait a little longer and after four hours we were literally minutes away from asking them to act when Sam managed to get a signal on his mobile and rang to say they were ok.

“It was a further three-and-a-half hours, just after midnight, when we picked them up and they looked a sorry sight but we were just relieved to see them.”

Cllr Waltho, a 56-year-old St Thomas’s ward councillor, said: "The descent in the dark was horrendous and we both fell several times. I twisted a knee and bent a finger damaging a tendon and Sam said he was hurting all over.”

Steve, aged 56, from Wordsley, added: “I was bitterly disappointed that after 15 hours we were exhausted and it was clear we couldn't finish the event but I wanted to try and give it our best shot since so many kind people had sponsored us - so there were incredulous looks when I suggested we rested for a while and then try to get as far as we could in the Cairngorm range.”

So after a few hours sleep and a 60-mile morning drive, the plucky duo later hobbled to the summit of Cairngorm but were once again defeated by rain, wind and poor visibility and decided to call off the rest of the challenge on safety grounds.

Steve, a shift team leader at Rhodia in Oldbury, thanked all those who pledged sponsorship money which will go to Leukaemia Care, the Georgina unit at Russells Hall Hospital (one of the Mayor’s charities), Dudley’s Action Heart and the West Midlands Lupus Group.

Despite having to admit defeat halfway through the challenge, he still hopes to raise around £2,000.

Normally quick to plan his next adventure while reflecting on the last, the energetic councillor said it will be some time before he embarks on another.

To boost Steve and Sam’s charity total call 07703 308463 or email steve.waltho@blueyonder.co.uk