ipswich: Forget the easy life – when Robert Fella turned 64 he decided to become a challenge junkie.

Mr Fella, of Norwich Road, who is now 70, has today checked another challenge off his list after reaching the Mount Everest Base Camp.

After tackling the Milford Track in New Zealand, he then went to Peru to complete the Inca Trail.

At 68 he ventured to the dizzy heights of Mount Kilimanjaro, but a short while after returning from Tanzania the adventurous fundraiser had itchy feet.

The walking enthusiast told The Evening Star that on turning 64 he decided it was time to embark on a selection of adventures.

He said: “Most of the things I’ve done are things that I wanted to do my whole life.

“When I turned 64, I thought it was time to finally do it all.

“So, the first thing I did was the Milford Track in New Zealand. Two years later I did the Inca Trail, which was incredible. Then it was Kilimanjaro, which was followed by Mount Everest.

“I guess I realised that you have to take things by the horns and do it – Everest was a trip which I wouldn’t have missed for the world.”

The father-of-two, who owns Mooncycles in Norwich Road, embarked on the challenge with his son’s friend, Keir Levell.

The duo took on the challenge in March and spent 21 days in Nepal – arriving in Kathmandu on March 15.

The pair then flew on to Lukla, where the challenge began. The next gruelling 15 days were spent trekking to the Everest base camp and back – a distance of more than 150km.

After completing the colossal task, Mr Fella donated more than �600 to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) – a charity he described as “incredibly worthy”.

The money was raised with support from friends and family.

Mr Fella said the hardest part of the trip was the extreme weather conditions.

“It was very difficult, mainly due to the weather we experienced. There would be sun during the day and at night there would be ice on the end of out tents. The sheer amount of climbs and descents also made it difficult.

“There is an incredible sense of pride and achievement every time I finish an adventure like this – even though hundreds of people do things like this, I still have that exciting feeling.”

The pair are now searching for their next fun-filled trip.

Anyone who would like to donate money to Mr Fella’s cause should contact him at Mooncycles on 01473 464611. For more information about EACH visit www.each.org.uk

n What is your greatest achievement? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk