SCALING the highest mountain peak in North America while running the risk of severe frostbite as temperatures drop as low as minus-40 degrees centigrade may be far from everyone’s idea of fun.

For a pair of Stevenston thrillseekers, however, there was no better way to spend their summer holiday.

Personal trainer David Munn, 31, and engineer Kris McMurran, 42, spent 11 days making their way up Denali in Alaska before summiting on Saturday, June 18.

As the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth, planning for the expedition began two years ago for the Three Towns pair, who had been training for the last 12 months in the Scottish Highlands and French Alps.

They took three days to descend back down to basecamp before texting their pilot who swiftly came to pick them up.

Reflecting on the successful trip, David told the Herald: “During those 11 days we had to carry 110kg worth of food and equipment between us, using a sledge each.

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“Both of us had good and bad days when it came to the physical challenge, at 6,000m you really start to struggle in terms of breathing but we were determined not to give in.

“Temperatures dropped as low as -40, one of us fell down a crevasse, the other got frostbite on two fingers and we also had half our food stolen by a few fat ravens. Thankfully other climbers helped us out.”

David is now halfway towards completing the mountaineering challenge of reaching all ‘Seven Summits’ - the highest mountains of each of the seven traditional continents - having already conquered Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Elbrus in Russia and Aconcagua in Argentina, while Denali was the first of what is hoped will be many climbs for Kris.

David added: “Denali was a much harder endeavour than previous mountains, from the crevasse and avalanche risk to the harsh Arctic weather that would change in seconds or the numerous places in which a slip or fall would be fatal.

“It was on another level to my previous ascents.

“If the opportunity to climb another of the seven summits crosses my path, then that’d be great.

“I would like to give an 8,000m mountain a go one day, maybe Cho Oyu [bordering China and Nepal], but that won’t be for a few years at least - I feel my partner deserves a break from the obsessive planning!”