AN eight-year-old Cumbrian has completed his first peak in north Africa as part of an incredible charity challenge in memory of his grandad.

Frankie McMillan, from west Cumbria, is currently in Morocco with his mum, mountain leader and rescue volunteer Basia McMillan, as he looks to set a world record on the second anniversary of his grandad's passing.

The mountain wonderkid has set himself the challenge of becoming the youngest person to complete the Three Peaks of the Atlas Mountains – the highest summits of the entire northern region of the African continent.

At the age of just seven he became the youngest Briton ever to summit the highest point of Mount Olympus, the famous Mountain of the Gods.

Then just a few weeks after turning eight he hiked for 15 days to Everest Base Camp.

Frankie on top of the Buidoudan peakFrankie on top of the Buidoudan peak (Image: Supplied) Frankie will be at a dizzying 4,167 metres (13,671 feet) for the second anniversary of his Grandad’s death from myeloma, a form of blood cancer. He says that being that much closer to Heaven will make it easier for him to blow Grandad a kiss. 

He is aiming to raise £2,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity that works in the areas of leukaemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

The charity has been close to Frankie’s heart right from the day he was born, as life-saving stem cells were harvested for the charity from Frankie’s own umbilical cord just minutes after he arrived in the world.

The Three Peaks are, in ascending order: Ras Quanoukrim (4.083), Timzguida (4.089m) and Toubkal (4.167m). In addition Frankie will climb Toubkal West (4.030m) and Buidoudan (3.680m). For context, Toubkal is nearly five times higher than Scafell Pike, England’s tallest mountain.

Frankie on day four of his time in MoroccoFrankie on day four of his time in Morocco (Image: Supplied) On October 29, Frankie completed the Buidoudan peak, and while he was no doubt sore and tired after the first challenge, he has plenty more climbing to do before the half-term holidays are done.

The youngster has already raised nearly £700 at the time of writing. You can donate via his JustGiving page here.

You can follow his progress through the Frankie Moves the Mountains Facebook page.