THE DEPARTING headteacher of St Peters School in Lympstone is preparing for a 500 mile walk up one of the tallest mountains in the world. Rob Williams, who is leaving the school to take up a new academic role in Hampshire, will try scale the Rocky mountai

THE DEPARTING headteacher of St Peters School in Lympstone is preparing for a 500 mile walk up one of the tallest mountains in the world.

Rob Williams, who is leaving the school to take up a new academic role in Hampshire, will try scale the Rocky mountains in North America next month to raise funds for Leukaemia Research.

Mr Williams' brother, Peter, suffered from the illness and died two years ago.

He said: "It will take us seven days to do and we'll climb an average of three thousand metres each day."

Mr Williams, who has worked at St Peters for ten years, five as head teacher, joked: "You have to have a screw loose to do this kind of thing.

"You just want to finish and enjoy the views."

But, he added: "I'm actually looking forward to it and quite addicted to the training at the moment. I do about 50 miles each week in preparation.

"I'm trying to raise money for charity with a friend, Mark Groome, who used to be the deputy head at the primary school."

Mr Williams, who took part in an ironman contest in Switzerland last year and raised �2500, will take part in the walk as part of an event called the Trans Rocky Challenge.

Noel Neeson will take over from Mr Williams as head teacher as St Peters.

Mr Neeson will move from Warwickshire to start the job in September.