SUMMIT TO BE PROUD OF
Colleagues had to be at their peak for this mountain fundraiser
Hiking up Snowdon can be tricky at the best of times. So, imagine doing it in the dark and rain, with a gusty wind for good measure.
That was the challenge faced by a team of intrepid colleagues who not only scaled the highest mountain in Wales, but they then went on to tackle the tallest peaks in England and Scotland in the space of 72 hours.
In doing so, ARL teammates Jane Bunyan, Rick Chang, Adrian Clark-Monks, Richard Grice, John Griffith-Jones, Eugene Homewood, Mohnish Mirchandani and Paul Titterton, raised more than £8,000 for the Railway Children.
The charity supports homeless and vulnerable young people in the UK, India and East Africa, and its annual Three Peaks Challenge by Rail is a twist on the traditional 24-hour version, with special charter trains taking participants from location to location.
Despite the longer timescale the challenge remains daunting, with a 10pm start for the Snowdon ascent calling for concentration and resilience. The team made sure they got in plenty of practice beforehand to prepare for the conditions and build up endurance.
“We are all fairly experienced hikers but a few of us made a trip to Snowdonia for a dress rehearsal, so that we were familiar with the conditions,” said Rick Chang, train service controller.
“The weather wasn’t kind to us throughout – the wet and wind certainly made things difficult at times, but we were all there to encourage each other and keep spirits up.”
With the first two peaks conquered, the team were on their way up Ben Nevis in Scotland when the weather finally become too dangerous, and the ascent was called off for safety reasons. The team have vowed to return to complete the task later this year.
Despite this disappointment, they were delighted to have raised so much.
“Raising money for such a good cause gives you a great sense of achievement. Being outside, surrounded by nature and looking at the views is also great for your mental health as well as your physical wellbeing.”
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