Climber's family roped into Alps summit 'first'

The children of a Lake District-based adventurer have made history by reaching the top of an Alpine summit.

Leo Houlding, his wife, Jessica, daughter Freya and son Jackson spent three days on Piz Badile, on the border of Switzerland and Italy.

Freya, seven, climbed the 11,000ft (3,350m) peak herself, becoming the youngest person to do so unaided.

Three-year-old Jackson, who was carried in his mother's backpack, is believed to be the youngest to get to the top.

Mr Houlding described the 1,000m (3,300ft) final ascent as one of the best climbs of its standard in the world.

"The climbing is never too difficult, but it's very continuous," he said.

"It's proper rock-climbing, you're using your hands the whole way and 1,000m is a long way, especially when your legs are only half a metre long."

Mrs Houlding said: "To ordinary people it might seem quite a dangerous pursuit, but my main concern was that the kids had fun.

"My husband is extraordinary in terms of his capabilities, he's a professional,

"I certainly wouldn't advise an ordinary family to do this outing."

Mr Houlding added: "Going into the mountains involves risk, every day involves risk, but part of the reason we chose that mountain is because the objective risks, the risks you can't control, are relatively few.

"When you're climbing the big part of the skill is knowing how to make it safe."