A local father and son have successfully completed their charity climb to the summit of Ben Nevis. Eleven-year-old Ben McKay and his father Paul climbed the highest peak in Scotland on July 8 as they were raising money for a number of charities, including the Cancer Fund for Children. They chose Ben Nevis, simply because of the name. Shirley McKay explained that the journey took nine hours in total, five to go up and four to go down. Ben Nevis is 4,411 feet above sea level. She said they were delighted when they reached the top. “Ben shouted he was ‘on top of the world’ and both boys were relieved and felt very proud of themselves. “They said the descent was tougher and were starting to feel tired at that point! More pressure on the joints etc and a few tricky steps. “They needed plenty of sugary snacks and water in between to keep energy levels up. “Ben was fine. He loved it all. “However, Paul has an Achilles injury which is causing him a lot of discomfort. He’s been attending physio to try and get it sorted.” They have raised £7,500 so far and the donations are still coming in, which Shirley said was ‘amazing’. And there are already plans to do more climbs. Shirley said: “Yes Ben plans to climb Snowdon in Wales next year for the same charity, Cancer Fund for Children NI. “The Three Peaks are Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh). They’re in Scotland, England and Wales respectively and are the three tallest mountains in the UK. “He plans to complete all the highest mountains in the UK. “After that it’ll be Mount Everest Base camp which will be done over two weeks trekking with a guide. And who knows after that. “Ben loves the adrenaline rush and the challenge and the sense of accomplishment, so going forward I have no doubt he could follow in the footsteps of Noel Hanna, a legend who lived for the mountains.”
