This one’s for you, dad

Vicky at the summit of Pico Urriellu

Vicky overcomes an emotional mountain

SPRAWLING blue skies greeted climber Vicky Roberts as she reached the pinnacle of her most emotional and poignant mission to date.

As she scaled the vertical rock wall to the top of formidable 8,295ft Pico Urriellu in Northern Spain, there was only one person at the forefront of her mind — her father.

Former PE teacher Brian Roberts, from Grasscroft, was 61 when he died after slipping on ice while walking in the Lake District’s Langdale Valley last year.

Clinging to the rocks, scouting out her next move, Vicky could think of nothing but the man she describes as her best friend.

She said: “It is something that I’ll never forget, my dad would have been really proud.

“The climb could not have gone better. I was really feeling the pressure, but I enjoyed every minute.

“There are moments when you look down at a sheer drop and you think ‘what am I doing here?’ but I want to do it again now I’m home.”

The 31-year old nurse took on the challenge with Ken O’Connor, Al Collister and Kevin Nagle, three of her dad’s closest friends.

Physically and mentally challenging, it was the climb that she had always planned to do with her much-loved dad.

Smashing her fundraising target, Vicky has so far raised £1,600 for Oldham Mountain Rescue and £500 for the Langdale team who helped rescue her father. Vicky said: “I’ve never done anything that has meant this much, I feel so content.

Help Vicky boost her total at www.justgiving.com/vicky-roberts