{"id":16925,"date":"2017-09-21T10:14:14","date_gmt":"2017-09-21T10:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/?p=16925"},"modified":"2017-09-21T10:17:02","modified_gmt":"2017-09-21T10:17:02","slug":"hikers-light-up-ben-lomond-on-fundraising-walk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/hikers-light-up-ben-lomond-on-fundraising-walk\/","title":{"rendered":"Hikers light up Ben Lomond on fundraising walk"},"content":{"rendered":"

The summit of Ben Lomond was illuminated on the evening of Saturday 16 September as dozens of hikers ascended the 974m peak in aid of the National Trust for Scotland and Lomond Mountain Rescue.<\/p>\n

Seventy-five intrepid walkers \u2013 and one canine companion \u2013 took part in the Ben Lomond Torchlight Challenge, completing the twilight hike and raising \u00a35000 (so far) for the two charities. <\/p>\n

Under the expert guidance of National Trust for Scotland ranger staff and Mountain Rescue volunteers, the walkers reached the summit at 9pm, with torches and flames sending a signal out to the surrounding area. The challenge of descending by torchlight then began, with hikers successfully completing the walk around midnight.<\/p>\n

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Photo © Graham Niven, Niven Photography www.nivenphotography.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Sixty per cent of the funds raised will be spent by the National Trust for Scotland at Ben Lomond on mountain conservation and footpath repair, and 40 per cent will be used by the Lomond Mountain Rescue to maintain its vital equipment and meet annual running costs.<\/p>\n

Alasdair Eckersall, the Trust\u2019s Property Manager at Ben Lomond<\/a> and organiser of the event, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our fourth year of running this event at Ben Lomond and is by far our biggest Torchlight Challenge so far, both in terms of number of hikers and amount raised. Ben Lomond\u2019s name derives from a phrase meaning \u2018beacon hill\u2019, so in organising this experience we hope to have paid a bit of homage to this history whilst raising vital funds for the two causes.<\/p>\n

\u201cFootpath repair costs us over \u00a315,000 a year just at Ben Lomond, so donations are vital if we are to continue our work of protecting this landscape. We are delighted with the success of this year\u2019s event and would like to thank everyone who took part for their fundraising efforts and enthusiasm on the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Dodson, Team Leader for the Lomond Mountain Rescue, added:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great to be a part of Saturday\u2019s event and as always we are very pleased to partner with the National Trust for Scotland at Ben Lomond. Our team, made up entirely of volunteers, relies on fundraising events like these and the generosity of individuals to help deliver our service on the mountains. Thank you to everyone involved and we look forward to next year\u2019s event.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to Saturday\u2019s event at Ben Lomond, fifty hikers tackled Goat Fell<\/a> in a simultaneous event on the Isle of Arran<\/a>. The signals from each group \u2013 55 miles apart \u2013 were spotted by both sets of hikers, and Goat Fell\u2019s event has so far raised an additional \u00a33,000.<\/p>\n

Ben Lomond has been in the care of Scotland\u2019s largest conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The summit of Ben Lomond was illuminated on the evening of Saturday 16 September as dozens of hikers ascended the 974m peak in aid of the National Trust for Scotland and Lomond Mountain Rescue. Seventy-five intrepid walkers \u2013 and one canine companion \u2013 took part in the Ben Lomond Torchlight Challenge, completing the twilight hike and raising \u00a35000 (so far) for the two charities. Under the expert guidance of National Trust for Scotland ranger staff and Mountain Rescue volunteers, the walkers reached the summit at 9pm, with torches and flames sending a signal out to the surrounding area. The challenge…<\/span> <\/p>\n

Read more ›<\/div>\n

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