MOST wives wouldn’t send their husbands up a 19,341ft mountain for a landmark birthday present. But Mary Schoen from Stow surprised her spouse Mike by enlisting him to climb African giant Kilimanjaro to mark his 60th. Luckily, the gift to scale the world’s highest free-standing mountain was a passport to paradise for her other half.

Seasoned climber Mr Schoen had dreamed of conquering the colossus for half his life. Setting off with a spring in his step, he aims to raise £2,500 for the British Heart Foundation.

“This has been a 30-year ambition which, hopefully, will come true,” said Mr Schoen. “On my 59th birthday Mary gave me the package that she had signed me up, paid the deposit and told me to ‘get fit’,” he said. “Around 50,000 people attempt to reach the peak every year and there’s only a 70 per cent success rate. But I’m very confident - I’ve got to be.”

Mr Schoen aims to join a team of some 15 people taking one of eight different routes, the Lemosho, up Africa’s highest peak.

This ascent was made famous by the Comic Relief Red Nose Day team, who mounted the largest ever charity challenge to the summit in 2009. Nine celebrities including DJ Chris Moyles, singer Cheryl Cole and tv presenter Fearne Cotton, took on the epic ascent which was broadcast by the BBC.

“The aim is to arrive at the summit Uhure, which means freedom in Swahili, at sunrise having got up at midnight,” Mr Schoen explained.

“If it’s clear you should be able to see the curvature of the earth. The Lemosho route is longer, but it gives you time to acclimatise and gives you less risk of getting Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You go up 500m and then come back down to sleep, then you go up higher the next day. You also have to drink 3-5 litres of water a day.”

But Mr Schoen, a catering equipment service engineer and keen photographer, is no stranger to pushing through the pain barrier.

He spent his 50th birthday in Namche Bazaar, a former trading village on route to Everest Base Camp, with Mary. Acclimatising was a major factor. “It’s extreme as you’re experiencing 50 per cent less oxygen levels than normal,” he said. “You have to walk much more slowly and it’s hard work. It was very cold, we were sleeping in minus 12 degrees at night. But the highlight was the scenery. It’s completely barren, no trees or water, it’s like being on the moon.”

As part of his tough preparation Mr Schoen's climbing Ben Nevis for the first time.

Then he will tackle Snowdon at night. There’s also walks along Cornwall’s SW coastal path, as well as Pembrokeshire and the Lake District.

The Schoens discovered their love of hill-walking and trekking 17 years ago after buying Springer Spaniel Molly. “She needed a lot of exercise and we went to the Lake District first,” said Mr Schoen. “We’ve now been to the Himalayas three times and the Alps twice. Mrs Schoen, who was a midwife, did various treks to South America and a Brazil trek, for Breast Cancer Care.”

This time, Mrs Schoen will monitor her partner’s progress from the Cotswolds after illness has stopped her going to high altitudes. Mr Schoen is trekking the 56kms with Action Challenge and will spend five days going up, two coming down.

To sponsor his feat please visit www.justgiving.com/mikeschoen58.