DUNFERMLINE couple David and Kelsa Miller conquered Mount Kilimanjaro – despite his fear of heights.

The intrepid pair hope to have raised more than £4,000 for charity in an adventure which also saw David help save the life of a fellow climber.

They had originally just meant to do go on the trip for “fun” but then decided to raise funds for Capability Scotland in recognition of the help it has given his brother Andrew, who has cerebral palsy.

“Kelsa saw it in a brochure about 18 months ago and said she fancied doing something different for a change,” David said.

“She came home and I was supposed to say no but I said yes so we started buying all the equipment as we had never been into walking.”

After training, which included walks in the Ochils and lots of running, the couple, of Lawrence Street, set off to Tanzania to climb Africa’s biggest mountain which, at its summit, is over 19,341 feet (5895 metres) above sea level. 

Despite suffering from headaches, nose bleeds and sickness caused by the altitude in the first couple of days, they persevered and started to enjoy the expedition.

“The second-last day was the summit and we started the final climb at about half past 12 at night so we started in the dark and that was quite hard as it was cold and our water froze on the way up so we didn’t have anything to drink,” David recalled.

“We got up there just in time for sunset which was nice. It is quite an achievement to have done it.”

The couple had opted to use oxygen for some of the climb to help cope with the altitude and, on the last day, David’s supply could well have saved a fellow climber’s life.

“I had my oxygen taken off me coming down because a man had collapsed on the way up in a different group,” he explained.

“The man who got my oxygen was dragged downhill by the porters who said he would probably have died had he not got my oxygen so it was lucky that we had chosen to take it.”