A MOUNTAINEERING grandfather has been giving talks on his breathtaking and terrifying experiences while climbing the “seven summits” around the world.

Mark Pinnock, 51, from Leigh, conquered all seven summits at the first attempt - Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, the Carstensz Pyramid and Vinson - over the course of five years.

Despite having scaled the largest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, Mark found camping in snowy surroundings on Denali, in Alaska, just as tough, as well as having to be self sufficient.

The father-of-four, who also has 11 grandchildren, got the buzz to climb after becoming a keen marathon runner.

He said: “There’s a big wide world out there, there is more to what you see outside your bedroom window. I often wondered why I was doing these climbs, but there was never a question of giving up. I knew when I started each climb at the bottom, I was going to reach the top and come back down again.

“If your mind isn’t in tune it’s not going to happen, it’s all about your attitude.”