MATT Snook and his best friend John Thornton dreamed of climbing mountains together.

As teenagers they climbed the Purbecks and peaks of southern England.

They also dreamed of joining the Royal Marines.

In March 2008, Lieutenant John “JT” Thornton, aged 22 and from Ferndown, was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan.

Now Matt, wearing his old friend’s climbing harness, plans to raise £50,000 by taking part in the first expedition to the summit of Mount Everest for Help For Heroes.

The 24-year-old from Bearwood in Bournemouth will split the money with The John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation.

On some measures, Mt Everest has a casualty rate higher than that experienced by frontline troops in Afghanistan.

For every 100 people who reach the summit, around eight die on the mountain.

“As John said, ‘it’s better to live a year as a lion than a decade as a donkey’,” said Matt.

“It’s almost the risk that makes it worthwhile. It’s something we strove for when we were kids.”

To conquer the 8,848m high mountain, Matt will have to be fit, sharpen up his climbing skills – and get used to the high altitudes.

In January he will go to the 7,000m Argentinian peak Mt Aconcagua, the highest in South America.

Matt and John met at Ferndown Air Training Corps and started rock climbing aged around 14 and 15.

Matt, a former Poole Grammar School pupil, said: “It massively affected my thoughts when I heard John had died, because it was about the time I had volunteered to go on operations in Afghanistan.

“All sort of thoughts came through my head. I had to take a long time out speaking to the people who meant the most to me.

“What it came down to was this was something I’d wanted to do since I was a little boy.

“We both had that shared passion – and it almost gave me the strength to go and do it.

“I thought, ‘If John’s gone that way, there’s no greater way to go’.”

Matt completed his own tough tour of Afghanistan in April with 45 Commando, who are based in Arbroath. Nine members of the battalion-sized unit were killed.

The expedition aims to reach the summit in mid-May and Matt hopes public donations and corporate sponsorship will raise the money.

Matt said it was an “absolute honour” to get approval for Help For Heroes though memories of his friend will be utmost in his mind.

“The climb, for me, is for John. It’s him I will be thinking about when I am there.”

l To donate and for more information on sponsorship visit everestforheroes.co.uk and www.jtyaf.org. Matt will also be blogging at bournemouthecho.co.uk.