Seren Price, from Wales, tackled the 4000m climb up Mount Toubkal in Morocco with dad Glyn – to raise money for a hospital that saved her life when she was a baby
A six-year-old girl who climbed North Africa’s tallest mountain said she managed to reach the summit after just “a week” of training.
It makes Seren Price, from, Carmarthenshire, Wales, the youngest girl to climb Mount Toubkal in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, says her father Glyn. Sharing the heartwarming reason behind the challenge, the youngster said she braved the 4,000m climb to raise money for the hospital that saved her life when she was a baby.
Seren said: “When I was a baby, I had a big lump on my neck and they helped me.” She and dad Glyn were joined by their guide as they made the gruelling eight-hour walk in 40C temperatures to Mount Toubkal base camp, where they stayed the night, before heading off on their ascent early the next morning.
After a tough hike through slippery, narrow paths, the duo reached the summit the following day. Their biggest challenge was the scorching heat, but Glyn said once they had arrived at the top, it was “brilliant.” Asked how long she had trained for in the lead up to the challenge, Seren replied “a week”, before Glyn giggled and interrupted, adding: “I think it was a little more than a week.”
He said it had taken at least a year of training, including late night walks up Pen y Fan in Wales’ Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. And despite all the training required, the pair don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Next, they want to tackle the highest mountain in western Europe, Mont Blanc, to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
The hospital saved Seren’s life when she was young, Glyn said, as she underwent surgery after being born prematurely and suffering a haemangioma affecting her airwaves. In 2022, the six-year-old beat yet another record, becoming the youngest person to complete the UK’s three peaks challenge in less than 48 hours.
Speaking about her plans to climb Mont Blanc next year, Seren said she was excited to be “seeing the snow”. Glyn, a teacher and avid mountaineer, said “I have a boy and I’ve tried to take him up the mountains, he’s not interested – but Seren loves it.
Asked what she loves most about climbing, Seren replied: “I like spending time with my dad, and seeing the nice things when I’m at the top of the mountain.”