Student Nina Saunders sets off on an adventure of lifetime in Mongolia today.
Nina, from Newhaven, is leading a group of six climbers on the Heart of Asia Expedition 2002.
The 28-year-old is studying for a PhD at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, but is taking time out to lead the climb.
The group expect to reach their base camp in a remote area of the country in seven days. The camp is on the borders of Mongolia, Russia and China.
Nina, a former pupil of Tideway School, Newhaven, and Brighton and Hove Sixth Form College, said the Tavanbogd region of the Altai mountains presented the team with a true wilderness experience.
She said: "Our four-week trip will be exploratory. We hope to summit some previously unclimbed peaks and ascend some new routes in the area."
The expedition is 90 per cent self-funded but the group has also received some small grants.
The team is also looking forward to experiencing the Mongolian way of life.
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