Blind lawyer and boss climb 24 peaks in 24 hours

Michael Smith (right) and Jack Stacey said the challenge was "tough" and "emotional"

A blind lawyer said he was "over the moon" after he and his boss completed a charity challenge of climbing 24 mountain peaks in the Lake District in 24 hours.

Michael Smith, from Finsbury Park, north London, was guided by his work colleague, Jack Stacy, over the Cumbrian peaks to raise near £140,000 for SeeAbility, the sight loss charity that has supported him.

The pair battled through rain and heavy fog over the weekend to the summits, including England's highest peak Scafell Pike.

They climbed nine mountains on Saturday and a further 15 on Sunday, covering around 28 miles and ascending a total of 12,000ft (about 3,660 metres).

Mr Smith had to rely on Mr Stacy's guidance and held on to his colleague's rucksack, arm or shoulder to hike for 12 hours each day.

Mr Smith, a lawyer at Revantage Real Estate and Mr Stacey, senior vice president of the firm, also created their own verbal command system to help Mr Smith him navigate difficult terrain.

"We're over the moon that we've done it," Mr Smith said.

"It was incredibly challenging and emotional at times. Jack had the hardest job in many ways as he had to plant his feet and then tell me where to plant mine, and he had to keep that up every step of the way."

Michael Smith had to hold on to boss Jack Stacey to be guided throughout the entire challenge

'Tough challenge'

Mr Smith, 33, lost 90% of his sight aged 19, due to the inherited condition Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).

He added: "When I lost the majority of my sight 13 years ago, I thought it's curtains for me, the career path in front of me pretty quickly disappeared, and I had to take a couple of years, with support of charities like SeeAbility, to relearn everything, learn a whole new language on the computer, as well as relearning basic things like how to make a cup of tea."

Mr Stacy said: "Michael and I knew this challenge was going to be tough, but we really had no idea quite how tough until we summited our first mountain after a two hour climb.

"I witnessed something amazing up there that I will never forget."

Mr Stacey, who is the charity's chairman, also had a personal motivation for the challenge, as his brother lost his sight as a baby.

He hopes the fundraiser has challenged "perceptions about what people with disabilities can do and with the right support, what may be possible" and thanked those who donated money.