Leaders Ryan, Jonnie and Tommy spent the weekend in Scotland as they climbed the UK's highest mountain during a charity fundraising event.
The challenge was organised by local charity Friends of VisPa to raise funds for eye clinics in Kenya, which will perform life changing cataract and glaucoma operations in vulnerable communities.
A group of thirty left Northern Ireland on Friday morning on the Larne to Cairnryan ferry, before travelling north through the picturesque landscape of the West Highlands of Scotland to reach the Glen Nevis Caravan & Camping Park at the base of Ben Nevis. After setting up camp the group had dinner in the nearby town of Fort William, before settling down to sleep ahead of the next day’s exertions.
We were joined by six more supporters of the charity as we assembled at the start of the Mountain Track on Saturday morning. After a group photo we set off on the 16km round trip to the 1345m summit and back. We followed the well constructed but rocky path which zig zags its way up the side of the mountain, passing beside Loch Meall an t-Suidhe and the cascading waters of the Red Burn. The drizzling rain and foggy conditions obscured our view, and created a mysterious atmosphere as we negotiated the scree and boulders on the final approach to the summit.
The chilly summit plateau was a hive of activity, as climbers celebrated their ascent and queued for photos at the prominent trig point. After getting our own group photo, and a quick bite to eat, we began our descent. Thankfully the weather brightened at lower altitudes, with sunny blue skies emerging through the clouds. This offered our first clear view of the route we had followed, and break-taking panoramas of the surrounding glens, mountains and lochs.
On Sunday we travelled back to Cairnryan and returned home to Northern Ireland. It was a wonderful weekend of adventure, with all thirty six participants overcoming the challenging conditions to reach the summit. It was also a successful fundraiser for the charity, as we exceeded our £3000 target.
If you would like to support the work of Friends of VisPa please visit their JustGiving page.
