A team of Donegal climbers have smashed a record by scaling 26 mountain peaks across the 32 counties in super-fast time.
The group beat the record which was set in 2006 after finishing their grueling journey by reaching the summit of Mount Errigal last night.
The team from the Dunlewey, Dunfanaghy and Falcarragh areas started their climb in Mayo at 5 a.m. on Monday and travelled through the 32 counties taking in 26 peaks in a record time of 87 hours and 50 minutes.
They managed to beat the previous record of 98 hours and 45 minutes hours set in 2006.
Climbers Martin Rochford, Seamus Cannon, Paddy Mc Geady, Michael Mc Geady and Kevin Kiely and driver Manus Mooney decided to undertake the challenge to raise funds for Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin.
Their most gruelling climb was Ireland’s highest peak at Carrauntuohill in Kerry on Monday that took them three hours and was just one of five mountains that day.
On Wednesday they scaled ten peaks starting in Dublin after 8 a.m. and finishing in Armagh at 3 a.m Thursday morning.
Yesterday they climbed peaks in Counties Louth, Down, Antrim, Tyrone, Derry before finishing at Mount Errigal (751m) in County Donegal just before darkness fell where family and friends gathered to greet them.
Overall they climbed mountain heights totaling 9,738 metres and their actual overall climbing distance from the base of their first mountain in Kerry on Monday to the base on Errigal on Thursday night was 129 kilometres.
For the duration of the four days they also clocked road distance of over 2,000kms.
A spokesman for the group said they were delighted to have smashed the record and raised much-needed funds for Our Lady’s Hospital.
“It was tough at times but there was great spirit amongst the lads. Even better was the fact that there were no injuries apart from a few blisters and aches and pains.
“Needless to say the lads enjoyed a few long baths when they got home,” he said.
PICTURES BY KIND PERMISSION OF EOIN MCGARVEY
Ends
Tags: