A HILLWALKER braved treacherous winter conditions to climb all of the Munros in four months.

Steve Perry missed his daughter's second birthday and Christmas with family and friends to scale the 3000ft-plus Scottish mountains for charity.

Sixteen weeks and 1500 miles later, he conquered his 284th and final Munro on Friday - the last official day of the winter walking season.

Mr Perry, 34, of Todmorden, West Yorkshire, said yesterday that it had been worth it.

"It is a great relief to be finished and I am glad it is over, but I am delighted, " he said.

"The last month the weather was so bad. There was deep snow, icy ridges and whiteout conditions.

"One day I slipped on the ice and broke a rib, which was very painful when I had to put my backpack on."

He added that despite the arduous walking, there had been high as well as low points.

"When I got to the Cairngorms there was a week where the skies were blue because I was above the clouds and I could see the snow-capped peaks sticking through."

During his walk, Mr Perry's friends, including Lorraine McCall from Cumbernauld, who conquered all the Munros last summer, offered support.

"Lorraine dropped a lot of her food parcels off for me so I never had to leave the trail to go and buy food, " he said.

Mr Perry, who began the challenge on December 1, has raised around GBP3500 for Cancer Research UK.

The engineer said he found it difficult being away from his girlfriend, Sarah, and two-yearold daughter, Grace, but he kept in touch by phone.

"It was brilliant to get home because I had not seen them since the end of November."

He added that he had a "marathon" drinking celebration with friends after finishing his final and most northerly Munro, Ben Hope.

"It was one of the best nights I have ever had in Scotland, it was fantastic, " he said.