Isle of Man firefighters tackle six peaks charity challenge
- Published
The firefighters scaled Scafell Pike in England on the first day of their challenge
Four Manx firefighters have completed "an exhausting" challenge to tackle six of the highest peaks in the British Isles for charity.
The group from Isle of Man Fire and Rescue faced freezing conditions, gale force winds and a ferry cancellation over the six-day challenge.
But firefighter Marc Caley said they would "do it all again in a heartbeat".
The team have raised more than £2,000 for The Fire Fighters Charity and Isle Listen.
The colleagues set out to take on Scafell Pike in England, Ben Nevis in Scotland, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, Carauntoohil in Ireland, Snowdon in Wales and Snaefell on the Isle of Man on 2 October.
Mr Caley said the challenge, with teammates Amber Carridge, Elliot Moore and Sam Quilleash, was "full gas" from start to finish as they were either trekking or travelling, and sometimes only managed three hours of sleep.
The team had to wrestle with their flags in the wind at the Slieve Donard summit
On day four at Carauntoohil in Ireland, the team said they were forced to make the "incredibly difficult" decision to abandon their summit attempt due to the weather and head back down the mountain after climbing 2,700ft (823m).
Ms Carridge said: "With an hour to go, you couldn't see your hand in front of face. It just wasn't safe."
The team hiked up Snaefell on the Isle of Man in full firefighting kit
The group ended their self-funded challenge on the Isle of Man by walking from Laxey Beach to Snaefell in full firefighting kit.
Ms Carridge said the team were "emotional" reaching the summit, as it was the only peak with a clear view, which had "topped off a tough and exhausting week".
In total, they hiked 51miles (82km), drove 1375miles (2,210km) between peaks and scaled 18,700ft (5,700m).
The crew said they were "overwhelmed by the support from Manx community" and the donations they received throughout had "really kept them going", Ms Carridge said.
"We're absolutely delighted with the money raised for two very, very worthy causes", she added.
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