Phil has a mountain to climb in order to complete challenge
HOTEL handyman Phil Adshead is repeating his marathon charity challenge of last year when he climbed Ben Nevis five times in 24 hours.
Only this time, Phil is aiming to go one better and make it to the top six times within the same timescale.
Several other adventurers – all with slightly different game plans – will join him in the climb of the UK’s highest mountain, all raising cash for charity.
Those doing the 24 hour challenge plan to set out at 3am on May 10 finishing by 3am the following day, while the others will set off time to suit their individual schedules.
Phil, who works at Forss House Hotel, is once again raising cash for Thor House, Thurso, a combined day care and respite centre for people with learning disabilities. Newcomer to the event, Lorna Stanger, from Thurso, is also raising cash for Thor House, along with Macmillan Cancer Support and Lochaber Mountain Rescue. She intends to keep going for 24 hours, making as many ascents and descents as possible, on a slightly different route.
Callum Mackay, from Melness and Scott Penman, from Bettyhill, both veterans of last year’s event, plan to make it to the top, once, but by the longer Carn Mor Deargarete route, while raising cash for Lochaber Mountain Rescue.
Freja King-MacGregor, who hails from Caithness but now lives in Kiltarlity is another first timer, who has set herself the challenge of getting to the top once. She is also raising cash for Macmillan Cancer Support. Climbers James Jorgensen, and his partner Jennifer Ironside, from Thurso, accompanied by their six-year-old Labrador, appropriately named Nevis, are also planning one ascent, in aid of Cancer Research and Vasculitis UK.
Providing back-up, on the mountain will be support climbers, Sheila Finlayson, Steve Hicks, Neil Simmonds and Mark Muczarlez. Also climbing are Nicola Turnbull and Craig Scotland while the base camp crew are Tamara Hicks, Kirstin Ryder, Jack MacNaughton and Annie Hall, who took part in last year’s challenge.
For the second successive year, the challenge is being sponsored by Forss House Hotel, who are helping with the cost of getting the team to Fort William and back.
Last year’s efforts raised £2450, and this year’s participants are hoping their prodigous joint effort will bring in even more cash for their chosen charities. Anyone interested in sponsoring any of the climbers can do so by logging on to: www.bennevis24.co.uk