STOMPING THE hilly streets of Newport and Wormit during the May council elections was clearly not enough for newly-elected councillor Tim Brett.

He decided to top off his victory with an 18,500-ft climb up Mount Elbrus in Russia.

Speaking about his experience yesterday, Tim said, “It was exhilarating climbing to the top of Europe, and topped a fantastic year for me after the privilege of being elected to represent Wormit and Newport on the council.”

Tim, at 54, was the oldest member of a group from Scotland to reach the top of Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus region of southern Russia at 5642 metres high.

He continued, “We spent the first 10 days acclimatising, including three nights camping on an ice cap at 3500 metres with temperatures at night dropping to –6C.

“On the day of the final climb we set off at 5 am in head torches and began the long walk up a glacier using crampons and ice axes to the summit.

“We were fortunate to have good weather but at 5400 metres I was all in and didn’t think I could carry on.

“Our Russian guide Sasha persuaded me to keep going and we reached the summit at 1.45 pm.

“The views were magnificent—snow-topped peaks and glaciers all around.”

Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe and is one of the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each of the continents.

It is over four times the height of Ben Nevis at 1344 metres.

Tim, a member of the Grampian Mountaineering Club, has nearly completed his Munros and has also trekked in the Himalayas.