Mountain challenge inspires women to overcome fears

Trek leader Zaynab Jogi believes the trip will be life-changing

A world record holder who has inspired a group of women to climb the highest peak in north Africa said she was "very proud" some had overcome a fear of hiking to take on the challenge.

Zaynab Jogi, from Blackburn, Lancashire, said she was "pushing them to the core" to prepare them for the women-only trek to ascend Mount Toubkal, which is 13,671ft (4,167m) high, in Morocco, in June for charity.

This will include climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, the UK's highest mountain.

Shima Patel, one of the six women taking part, said she "cannot wait" for the trip of a lifetime.

The group were joined by dozens of other women on a Pendle Hill training hike

Miss Jogi, also known as Zee, climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2021 where she took part in two Guinness World Records - the highest ever obstacle course and fitness class.

The trek is to raise funds for Z's Defence Academy, which the 35-year-old set up six years ago.

She said it was to make women in the community, including British Muslim women, "feel safer and empower them".

The charity now offers a host of classes from well-being and nutrition courses as well as self-defence.

She has already led the group, who are volunteers at the academy, on a climb up Pendle Hill in Lancashire and they were joined by dozens of other women supporting the hike.

'Pushing them'

Miss Jogi has planned training climbs up Scafell Pike in Cumbria and Yr Wyddfa, also known as Mount Snowdon, in Wales, then Ben Nevis before Mount Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains.

She said: "It’s their first ever international trek and their first ever mountain they’ll be climbing at a very high altitude.

“I’m really pushing them to the core and doing a lot of big mountains hopefully to get them fit enough to climb this mountain and summit successfully."

Miss Jogi said some women were reluctant at first but have overcome their fears.

"I think that people are quite scared of hiking but once they do it, they feel that achievement by climbing the summit it is an amazing feeling," she said.

"I'm very proud of them. They are very eager and trust and listen to me.

She said she believes the trip which will also include visits to local orphanages will be "life-changing".

"We will be supporting the orphanages by giving food, clothing and some love, too, before the trek," she said.

Shima Patel says the group was looking forward to doing other climbs after Mount Toubkal

Ms Patel continued: "It’s just amazing. We've got all walks of life, all ages, all sizes, but everybody just pulls together and helps each out and supports each other."

She said she is already aiming to do more climbs after Mount Toubkal.

"Hopefully we’ll be able to go on to Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest as well but we’re going to start slowly and surely with Mount Toubkal in Morocco," she said.