Two directors at a leading law firm will tackle North Africa’s highest peak later this month to raise vital funds for a much-loved North Wales charity.
Ron Davison, Managing Director of Gamlins Law, and fellow director Dafydd Roberts are set to climb Mount Toubkal in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains in aid of the firm’s nominated charity partner St Kentigern Hospice.
The climb, expected to take five days and starting on Wednesday, May 21, will see the pair and ten fellow climbers bid to scale the 4,167m (13,671 ft) peak.
For Ron, it will be the second major challenge in a month with him having just run the London Marathon, also in aid of St Kentigern.
Ron said: “Until I started training for the marathon, I’d never even run a park run, so it was a pretty fast learning curve.
“It was an incredible experience running the marathon, but also massively demanding. The last six miles from mile 20 were hugely challenging with the effects of cramp and the hot weather taking their toll. It was really tough with runners alongside me fainting due to the heat.
“My goal was to try and run or at least jog the whole distance and I’m delighted I was able to achieve that. I’d hoped for a time nearer five hours but was just pleased to finish in 5 hours 47 minutes given the conditions and the cramp.
“It was also nice to be a part of the world record for the largest ever number of runners to finish a marathon. At the last count I’d raised over £1200 for St Kentigern with some donations in my local community still to be collected.”
Dafydd, meanwhile, has been busy preparing for Toubkal. During the last few weeks, he has climbed several mountains including Yr Wyddfa via Crib Goch, Nantlle Ridge in Eryri (Snowdonia) and Elidir Fawr. Along with Ron, he also undertook a 22km walk in the Clwydian Hills along Offa’s Dyke.
Last September, Dafydd and Ron successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa raising vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK and LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal sector.
Dafydd said: “We’re looking forward to getting out to Morocco and taking on the challenge of Toubkal. It should be a fascinating experience with the climb due to last five days and staying in small guest houses with the local Berber community as well as a night in a mountain refuge before the final push for the summit.
“While the weather in Marrakesh will be in the mid-30s Celsius, temperatures at the summit will be around -5 and snow.”
St Asaph-based St Kentigern is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care to patients with life limiting illness, and support to their families across its catchment area of Denbighshire, West Flintshire, and East Conwy. Clinical services are delivered free of charge to patients and their families.
The hospice, which includes a 12-bed inpatient unit, employs 95 staff, supported by a large team of volunteers. It costs over £4.4million a year to run.
Gamlins Law, which employs over 85 people, has its head office at Morfa Hall in Rhyl and further offices in Mold, Ruthin, Denbigh, Abergele and Holywell.
You can donate to Ron and Dafydd’s attempt to climb Mount Toubkal here – https://www.justgiving.com/page/dafydd-roberts-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=WA
