The mum of a backpacker murdered in New Zealand has returned after scaling Everest amid the “worst weather in 12 years.”

Gillian Millane, mother of Grace Millane who was killed on a Tinder date in Auckland in December 2018, returned from a gruelling 12-day trek up Everest on Tuesday.

It took the Wickford mum eight days to reach the base camp, which sits at 17,598ft, and four days to get back down.

Top of the world - Gillian and her team Top of the world - Gillian and her team (Image: Love Grace) Ready to go - The team ready to scale Everest Ready to go - The team ready to scale Everest (Image: Love Grace)
The climb was done in support of the White Ribbon charity, which aims to end male violence against women.

Gillian also scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2023, raising more than £32,889 for the White Ribbon Charity, St Luke’s Hospice in Basildon and the young bereavement charity, Way.

Gillian said: “The weather was the worst they have had there for 12 years, there was snow up to my knees. It is the hardest thing I had ever done because it is all very emotional for me.”

Gillian also left a stone engraved with her daughter’s name at the top of the mountain, as well as a stone for her late husband David, who died from Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2020.

Stones - Stones left in memory of Grace and David Stones - Stones left in memory of Grace and David (Image: Love Grace) Gillian added: “David and Grace’s stones are up there and they are always with me.

“I had an amazing team behind me. We had all the weather, so much rain and snow, it was freezing, I was wet through to the skin.

“The altitude was very hard to deal with, we were sleeping in rooms with no heating, there were landslides and paths being washed away, sunburn, a sore nose, burnt lips and ears.

Summit - Gillian Millane Summit - Gillian Millane (Image: Love Grace)
“But other than all that I had a wonderful time and I am so glad I saw the top of world and hopefully helped someone else not lose their life.”

Gillian’s daughter, Grace Millane, was tragically murdered on December 2, 2018 in Auckland following a tinder date - with a 26-year-old man, Jesse Shane Kempson charged.

Following the murder, Gillian has thrown herself into fundraising, alongside the initiative Love Grace, founded by Grace’s cousin Hannah O’Callaghan, who put together bags with essential items for women fleeing domestic abuse.