AN ADVENTURER put his best foot forward as he trekked up Britain’s highest mountain in memory of a friend.

Kelvin Wey from Weymouth took on the enormous challenge of getting to the top of Ben Nevis despite having limited hill walking experience.

The 36-year-old was accompanied by his brother Rob, 32, who lives in Somerset. They completed the trek in seven-and-a-half hours, getting back to the safety of their camp before a storm blew in.

Kelvin, who works as a machinist at PGT Ceewrite on Portland, took on the challenge to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. He did it in memory of his friend, Matt Newman, who died suddenly last year aged 42.

He reckons he has raised around £700 for the charity. Further donations can be made via his JustGiving page.

Kelvin said: “It was a grey day when my best friend Matt was taken from us. Matt helped a lot of good people find their feet. He lived life to the fullest. On a grey day, Matt would shine brighter than the sun.

“Matt always did things with high expectations and to a high standard. I want to show the world that no matter how high, you can still keep going.”

Keen cyclist Kelvin went to watch a mountain bike championship in the Highlands last year, camping on his own and going on long walks.

He said: “Matt was really impressed that I did that on my own. After he died, which was a big shock, I thought I would do something to challenge myself even more and to do it in his memory.”

Kelvin said the climb was ‘very hard’ but they pushed on and were amazed at their achievement at the end. The pair were caught in a hailstorm on the way up, struggled with the altitude, and Kelvin’s said his legs seized up afterwards and he couldn’t walk for days.

Nevertheless, he said the climb was ‘worth every moment’.

He has got the mountain bug now and is determined to take on more challenges in the coming months, including trekking up Snowdon next month.

“You can do it if you put your mind to it,” Kelvin said.