A PARK ranger swapped the leafy woodlands of Tottington for the mountainous heights of Tanzania — all in the name of charity.

Former Turton High School pupil Anna Cocker has just returned from an expedition which saw her reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Miss Cocker set herself the challenge of a lifetime to raise money for Bolton Hospice after her mum was cared for there shortly before she lost her battle with cancer.

The 27-year-old is hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for the hospice in memory of her mother Rose Cocker who died six years ago. Miss Cocker, of Tottington, said: “I’ve wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for years and I decided this year I would do it.

“When I was thinking of a cause I thought of the hospice straight away because its a local charity and a good cause.

“I covered the cost of the trip myself and everything I get in sponsorship will be donated straight to the hospice.”

She began the seven-day climb to the summit on Saturday, February 5, and it took her just one day to get back down.

Miss Cocker said: “It was a lot harder than I expected and I got some altitude sickness but luckily it wasn’t too severe.

“It was really cold at the top, minus 15 degrees and we started at 30 degrees, so it was quite a change.”

Mrs Cocker, who lived in Bromley Cross, Bolton, was just 54 years old when she died.

She had been diagnosed with breast cancer seven years earlier. The disease spread and eventually took her life.

Miss Cocker said: “She went to Bolton Hospice and they really looked after her but there wasn’t anything they could do.

“The nurses were fantastic.” To sponsor Miss Cocker, visit justgiving.com/Anna-Cocker1.