Almost 17 years on, he has hit the headlines again — for an achievement that was once considered impossible.

The sixth year Kinross High School pupil has just returned from the Himalayas, where he became the second youngest person ever to get to the top of a mountain that the legendary Sir Edmund Hillary described as 'unclimbable.'

Battling against some of the harshest weather conditions in the world, Calum made the steep, technically-challenging ascent of Ama Dablam which, at 23,000 feet, is five times higher than Ben Nevis.

There were times when he didn't think he would make it because of exhaustion and a risk of avalanches, but says the feeling when he finally reached the summit was 'indescribable.'

And spurring him on was the prospect of raising thousands of pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity close to his family's heart.

Indeed, a great deal has happened to Calum and his family in the years since he first made his appearance on Christmas Day 1992 at Forth Park Hospital, earning himself pride of place on the front page of the Fife Herald.

In November 2006 his sister Esme, now 14, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and spent several months in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh undergoing surgery and gruelling chemotherapy.

Then, exactly a year later, Calum's dad Dave Morris was found to have throat cancer and subsequently had his voice box removed.

Despite all this, Esme has herself raised thousands for cancer charities and during the expedition Dave — who is director of the Ramblers' Association Scotland — became the first person in the world with a stoma to climb more than 15,000 feet.

To his dismay, Dave (63) was defeated by a chest infection caused by the high altitude at 20,000 feet, 2000 feet above Everest base camp.

From there, he watched anxiously as his 16-year-old son and a party of four other climbers and four sherpas battled against high winds and driving snow to make the final ascent of Ama Dablam, filling up with pride as Calum became the youngest person outside America ever to have reached the peak.

It was a chance meeting between Calum's mum Anne Macintyre and family friend Sandy Allan, a professional mountain guide, that gave Calum and Dave the idea to take on the challenge.

Sandy was planning an expedition to Ama Dablam called Team Ascent, and since it fell during the October school holidays, the opportunity was too much to resist.

Calum said: "It was a massive challenge. Aba Dablam is one of the world's most spectacular mountains but also one of the most difficult to climb.

"Before I set off I did alot of hill running, cross-country cycling and mountain biking to get my fitness levels up, and we trekked to Everest base camp to acclimatise.

"There were quite a few scary moments and by the third day I was so exhausted I didn't think I would make it up to camp three.

"There was a steep snow slope to contend with but I made it and we spent that night in tents on a ledge overhanging with ice and snow.

"The area is prone to avalanches and the very high winds made conditions even more treacherous.

"On the final leg of the climb we passed a party of Marines who were coming back down because they hadn't been able to make it to the top.

"The snow slopes were really bad and I didn't think I would make it.

"But Sandy Allan kept my spirits up and the feeling when I finally reached the top was unbelievable. I was on top of the world."

Calum has so far raised some £5800 towards his £6500 target, which will go towards building a unit at the Sick Kids for teenage cancer sufferers.

Anyone who would like to make a donation should visit www.justgiving.com/CalumMacintyre