April 2002Jean's Snowdon Challenge
Jean Holmwood is a great friend of TTL. In March 2001 she set herself the challenge of walking up Snowdon, and asked me to guide her. Remarkable? Maybe not for most rough, tough mountain people. But Jean suffers from a phobic fear of heights, and to reach the summit would not only fulfill a lifelong ambition but would be a triumph of will and determination.
Jean decided to use the walk to raise money for the Ogwen and Llanberis Mountain Rescue teams, and at the last count the sum was in excess of GBP1000. Thank you to everyone who supported us.
At 14:30 on 15th April 2002, Jean stood proudly on the summit or Yr Wyddfa. Through great determination, and just a little help from me and friends Wayne and Carrie Gosden, she'd made it. The weather was great - mild with a light breeze - and the clarity of the air made the experience all the more special. It took us six hours to reach, but Jean had bravely coped with both the physical exertion and her fears.
There are several very compelling reasons why I agreed to help Jean reach the top of Snowdon, not the least of which being that we have been friends for a long time:
- Jean said how much this walk was a special challenge for her. Overcoming an overwhelming fear is something all of us have to face sometime in our lives, and the thought of helping someone to do just that was very motivating.
- An additional reward for Jean was a real experience of a high mountain, something I hold passionately and try to bring out in my photography. Such experiences can be life changing - Jean said that she could not believe looking up at a snow-laden Yr Wyddfa summit three days later that she had actually stood there.
- I had been on this mountain many times, and it is easy for me to take it for granted that I will always be physically able to climb it, or any other, just whenever I fancy. One day I might also need a guiding hand.
- I might just need to call on the rescue services at some time too, and many people every year do have so much to thank them for. Supporting Mountain Rescue therefore gets my wholehearted approval.
Think about your own big fear:
Imagine yourself in the midst of it
Imagine overcoming it sufficiently to always be able to say "I did that!".
Links and Resources
Read more about the activities of the Ogwen Valley, and Llanberis mountain rescue teams. Further information about the activities of the Mountain Rescue teams in the UK is available from:-
Page 1 of 1: Previous1 Next
