STAFF members from Abicare, a care provider for elderly and vulnerable people with a branch serving Pontypool and Usk, are attempt to cycle the equivalent height of Mount Everest as they raise money for good causes at home and abroad.

As part of their Everest Challenge 2018, the four cyclists will arrive in Abergavenny and the Usk Valley on September 20-21, adding up the miles as they attempt to ascend a total of 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) over three legs of their journey.

The team has just completed the first leg, in Wiltshire, and after a punishing two-day ride in Gwent next week, they will head to the French Alps and scale Mont Ventoux, a legendary peak on the Tour de France circuit.

Abicare hopes to raise £6,600 for charity, with the majority going to the UK food bank organisation, the Trussell Trust, and a portion going to Toilet Twinning, a project which provides sanitation and clean water services to communities in the developing world.

Three of the cyclists work for Abicare. They are Anne-Marie Perry (CEO), Matthew Salmon (finance director), and Jason Bell (IT manager).

The fourth person participating is Simon Thomas, a friend of the group.

If you would like to donate to the Everest Challenge campaign, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/AbicareEverestChallenge