TWO adventurers have raised more than £5,000 for charity by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Geography teacher Michael Malone and quantity surveyor Jason Dixon climbed the 50-mile Rongai route up the African mountain.

They took six days to reach the 19,265ft summit and camped with locals from Tanzania overnight.

Mr Malone, 61, from Blackhill, near Consett, lost 11lbs during the trip, which took eight days.

The temperature was more than 30C at the bottom but -27C at the top.

Mr Malone is the deputy leader of Derwentside District Council and raised money for St Mary's RC Church, in Blackhill, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2007.

He said: "It was very energy-sapping and I remember feeling a profound weakness.

"We were extremely well looked after, but it was very tiring. It did not really hit us until the last 5,000ft. It was incredibly difficult in terms of effort to keep going."

He gave Newcastle United shirts to porters and their children for helping to carry their kit.

Mr Dixon, from Hetton, who works for the Esh Group in County Durham, is donating the money he raised to St Cuthbert's Care. He said: "I was offered the chance to go and I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After I'd committed myself, the training took over and I became more determined than ever. It was a natural progression to nominate a charity, and since The Esh Group already has close links with St Cuthbert's Care, it was the obvious choice."