A SCHOOL governor is hoping to put her camping experience to the test when she joins a Nepalese mountain trek.

Chris Hunt will sleep on a wooden bed and her only luxury will be a cup of tea in the morning.

The 62-year-old, of Forge Place, Fritwell, is due to fly to Nepal in March to take part in a six-day trek through the Annapurna region.

She will be walking up mountains for up to seven hours a day and risk altitude sickness to reach a peak of 3,210m at Poon Hill.

The grandmother-of-two hopes the challenge will net £4,300 for Banbury-based Dogs for the Disabled, a charity that trains dogs to help disabled people.

And children at Fritwell Primary School got her fundraising off to a flying start. Pupils all paid £1 to go to school without their uniform and raised £151.

Mrs Hunt said: “I’m excited about the trek, but every now and then I wake up in the middle of the night and panic and think I can’t do it.”

In order to prepare for the trek Mrs Hunt has stepped up her fitness regime, including walking, gym work and pilates.

Mrs Hunt, whose husband Paul is the team rector for the Cherwell Valley benefice, first got involved with the charity when she worked for the Banbury branch of the Coventry Building Society.

It was the society’s charity of the year, and since Mrs Hunt retired she has helped out by taking in eight dogs who needed a temporary home at various times.

Then a chance look at the charity’s newsletter led mother-of-two Mrs Hunt to sign up for the Nepal trek along with 40 other people from across the country.

Friends and family have been doing their bit to help raise cash or sponsor Mrs Hunt, and her former employer also donated £250 to her appeal.

Dogs for Disabled trains puppies to do tasks such as pick up pens, open doors, help a person undress and even unload the washing machine.

Spokesman Nick Barker said: “By raising funds through this challenging event Chris and others like her will be making sure more disabled people have the opportunity of living more independently and having a very special companion.”

To sponsor Mrs Hunt, see justgiving.com/ChrisHuntD4D or contact her at The Vicarage, 44 Forge Place, Fritwell, OX27 7QQ.