A DORSET schoolgirl reached great heights to raise almost £5,000 for charity.

Ella Mountbatten, 17, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, enduring gale-force winds and temperatures of minus 15 degrees over the six-day trek.

The Sherborne Girls pupil said: “It was exhilarating to make it to the top and touch the sign, and thrilling that I was the first person in our group of 27 climbers to reach Uhuru Peak at 5,895m.

“I can now say I climbed to the top of the highest free-standing mountain the world.”

Ella completed the trek alongside her father, cousin and friend in aid of Regain, a charity which aims to improve the independence of British men and women who have become tetraplegic as a result of a sports or leisure injury.