Wigan lad to climb tallest mountain in North Africa in scorching heat for a very important cause

A Wigan man is taking on the daunting feat of climbing the tallest mountain in North Africa to raise as much money as possible after both his father and stepdad died from heart-related issues.

Liam Hutchings, 25, is no stranger to ventures that would scare most and has had some pretty significant accomplishments over the years.

Liam during The Three Peaks Challenge last year

placeholder image — Liam during The Three Peaks Challenge last year

Around three years ago, Liam’s stepdad Ian Anthony Harris passed away from a heart attack. Years before, Liam’s biological father, Peter Hutchings, lost his life to a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy when Liam was just eight years old.

Ian’s birthday was only one day after Liam’s (July 29) and so for the last few years, Liam has planned large scale adventures in his memory and raised money for The British Heart Foundation.

The BHF is a cardiovascular research charity in the United Kingdom. It funds medical research related to heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, and runs influencing work aimed at shaping public policy and raising awareness.

Liam said: “The first thing I did was abseil down the side of Anfield, he was a massive Liverpool fan and so am I. The year after that I did a skydive.”

Adding: “I did the National Three Peaks last year for the charity. It took me three days instead of 24 hours but I managed to make it to the top and bottom of all three of them. I raised £1,000 for that one.”

This year, Liam is taking on his biggest task yet by climbing Mount Toubkal which is the tallest mountain in North Africa and located in Morocco. It stands at an impressive elevation of 4,167 meters (13,671 feet).