6th June 2009
Llanigon YFC Twin Peaks Challenge
Llanigon Young Farmers were looking for a challenge to raise money for their club funds and also for charity. Everyone was in favour of a sponsored walk and as a lot of our members had not climbed Snowdon or Pen-y-Fan these were the chosen Peaks. The last weekend in August was the date and so throughout the summer members climbed the Blackmountains instead of having their usual meetings in training for the challenge.
The weekend challenge involved climbing Snowdon, 1085m, on the Saturday and climbing Pen-Y-Fan, 886m, on the Sunday.
24 members and past members, ranging from 8 to 50+years old, travelled up to Betws-y-Coed where they stayed overnight at Swallow Falls before taking the challenge of Snowdon at 8am from Llanberis. After a wet and miserable summer members were fortunate enough to wake up to a dry and bright day, perfect for walking. Snowdon was climbed in the brilliant time of two and quarter hours by some of the members, others trailing a little but all made it to the top. Thick mist at the top so could not view the progress of the new summit building and definitely no refreshments. I think everyone will return to climb Snowdon when the new summit building has been completed.
Sunday brought a drizzly day, but members carried on regardless. Members met at Storey Arms where we were also joined by parents and Brecknock's County Organiser, Claire Price and County Chairman, Joanne Evans for the last leg of the challenge, to climb Pen-y-Fan.
All together a great weekend, socially and rewarding for such a small Club; the members raised £3000, which is to be split between the club and the Welsh Air Ambulance.
Llanigon YFC received support from local businesses for which they are very thankful, most notably from NFU Mutual, Ivor Duggan & Sons, ALZEIM Ltd, Hay Veterinary Group, R.M Jones, Hay & Brecon Farmers and Clive Price & Son. The club would also like to thank everyone else who sponsored and supported them and made the weekend a great success.
Our next big challenge you may ask? Maybe Scafell Pike 977m, the Cumbrian Mountains and on to Ben Nevis, the Cairngorms 1344m.
Mount Kilimanjaro 5895m and then Everest 8848m if funds would allow- in your wildest dreams says Club Treasurer, Owen Watkins!
Anyone wish to sponsor us?
JENNI VAUGHAN
