This autumn half term holiday, there will be little rest for two Hereford Cathedral School pupils, who are planning to complete a fundraising mission that will see them climb 15 Welsh mountains.
Deputy Head of School, Alex G (right), and Year 12 student, Archie F (left), have decided to tackle the Welsh 3000s Challenge – a feat that involves climbing all 15 of the 3000ft+ mountains in Wales – in a bid to raise funds for both the School’s Combined Cadet Force and the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation. The JTYAF supports young people from a wide range of youth organisations, providing them with scholarships and bursaries to support their personal development and the pursuit of their ambitions.
Alex has decided to take on this brutal challenge as part of the Junior Leader course that he is undertaking as part of his CCF activities.
Both Alex and Archie are fairly used to this type of expedition through their CCF and Duke of Edinburgh experiences. Both have already completed each of the walks that the challenge includes. They also spent time during the summer completing the individual walks together, to prepare for their adventure. (Alex is pictured below on Snowdon.)
The pair will be instructed by ex-Army Sergeant, Tom Dunn, who will be checking in with Alex and Archie at the various checkpoints on the route.
The pair’s passion for rowing with Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club has also been helping to keep them fit in preparation for this adventure. Their plan will see them cover 31 miles over tricky terrain, often in darkness and with minimal sleep.
As Head of the RAF section of the HCS CCF, Alex said he hopes that, in doing this challenge he will inspire to pupils lower down the School: “I think a lot of pupils, particularly the Year 9s, will be able to see how far it can take you, what you can achieve, just from throwing yourself into things. You’ve got all these opportunities if you’re lucky enough to be able to come to a school like this, why miss out?”
Please click here to help Alex and Archie reach their £500 fundraising target.
Good luck, Alex and Archie!
