A MUM and her kids are going to visit grandparents for the holidays and walking all 100 miles there as training for an Everest trek.

Helen Lord-Scott, and her sons Sam, 11, Ollie, eight, and George, three, are camping out as they make their way from Kidderminster to Nelson.

They set off on Sunday, heading north up the canal towpaths, and expect to arrive in Nelson tomorrow.

Helen, who attended Walton High School and Nelson College before leaving the area 12 years ago, is to trek to Mount Everest's base camp in February.

Sam suggested they take on the 140-mile journey to see grandparents Vera and David Crewe at their Hallam Road home as a form of training.

And, after wading through mud pushing George in his pushchair, and looking after her other two sons, Helen admitted she couldn't wait to get to her parents.

She said: "When you're ankle-deep in mud it's difficult.

"If I was walking on my own it wouldn't be too bad, but pushing a pram is really tough.

"I can't wait to get a hot bath and the hot meal that will be waiting for us on Saturday. I think if I can carry a rucksack and push a pram 140 miles that should stand me in good stead for next year."

She said Sam's proposal started off as a joke which started to sound more and more like a good idea.

Helen added: "I started looking into it and it was impossible to walk up the M6, so we decided to walk along all the towpaths instead.

" I think they've enjoyed it.

"The last hour of each day has been hard work when they're getting pretty tired, but they're quite happy plodding along most of the time."

Grandad David said: "They have got a target of about 20 miles a day, and the boys seem to be enjoying it. It is a bit worrying them walking all the way up a canal, but we are looking forward to seeing them."

Helen has to raise £3,500 for the charity trip to Everest, which is being run to help the Acorns Children's Hospice in Worcester.

Young Sam has already raised £400 by swimming 3,000 metres in a sponsored swim. They hope the walk will raise a further £700.