TWO Huddersfield climbers are preparing to scale the Matterhorn.

Richard Yorke, 39, manager of Huddersfield Sports Centre's climbing wall, and Mark Westerman, 34, will be heading for the Alps early next month.

They will be attempting the distinctive 4,477m mountain via its historic Italian Ridge.

Richard, a father of two who lives in Huddersfield, wants the adventure to be an early birthday present to himself: "I want to climb it for my 40th birthday. I want to climb it before it's too late!

"I went out there with the intention to climb it 10 years ago, but unfortunately never did."

Mark, a computer consultant who lives at Penistone, had very different reasons for going: "It seemed like a good idea at the time!"

Although they have never climbed together, both have conquered a number of 4,000m Alpine peaks.

Mark has been climbing for seven years and Richard for eighteen.

The pair fly out to Milan on Saturday July 26 and will be staying in camp sites around Northern Italy.

The Matterhorn sits on the border between Switzerland and Italy.

Mark said: "It has been the best summer in living memory so there won't be much snow."