More than 265 hikers are set to summit 130 of Scotland’s highest mountains on Saturday June 4 as part of All the Archie’s in one day challenge in aid of children’s charity The Archie Foundation.
The major fundraising event is being led by Tayside Children’s Hospital anaesthetist Dr Paul Fettes who has coordinated to have at least one person at the summit of each of the 130 Archie mountains – Scotland’s highest mountains, on the same day.
Dr Paul Fettes, who is based at the Ninewells site in Dundee and is also a member of The Archie Foundation’s Tayside Fundraising Committee, led a relay covering all mountains in the range in 15 days in 2015 and raised £40,000 for the charity in the process, but is now onto his next challenge for the local cause.
Paul said: “We have been truly overwhelmed with the support for our once in a lifetime challenge, with 265 individuals signed up. We now have all 130 Archie’s claimed by hikers and hopes to smash our goal of having a person on each mountain in one day.
“The Archies are the mountains in Scotland over 1000m in height and with 100m drop on all sides. Munros (mountains in Scotland over 3000ft) are perhaps better known, but the maps have been metric for several decades now. I firmly believe that if Sir Hugh Munro were alive today then he would come up with the Archies!”
The Archies’ namesake charity, The Archie Foundation, provides support and services for sick babies, children and their families in Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and Aberdeen Neonatal Unit, Highland Children’s Unit and Tayside Children’s Hospital, as well as providing vital support for bereaved children and their families through Archie’s Child Bereavement Service in Grampian, which has seen a 150% increase in referrals to date this year.
Chris Duke, Community Fundraising Officer for The Archie Foundation said: “This is an incredible challenge to get involved with, and we are in awe of how many have chosen to support us and take part, we are so grateful. Funds raised for this challenge will go towards our continued support of Tayside Children’s Hospital and help us to expand our services and support in the region”
Dr Fettes added: “We have many hikers tackling two or more Archies, with one individual Nick Record taking on seven! As a group, we have raised £11,000 so far and I really hope that on the day we will receive even more donations and raise an incredible amount for an incredible charity. We are going to paint the Scottish skyline with people.”
- All Archie mountains have a hiker assigned to it.
- The event is more than carbon neutral, as the hikers are planting trees throughout the hike.
- One hiker is signed up to take on seven of the Archie’s on Saturday.
- Pauls’s mum, Mary Fettes is hiking Meal Nan Tarmachan, she will be 79 next month.
- Quadruple amputee Jamie Andrew is tackling three of the Archie’s.
- NHS Tayside Medical Director, Pamela Johnston is also taking part in the challenge.
To donate to the All the Archie’s Challenge text ALLTHEARCHIES to 70085 to donate £10.
Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message. For full T&C’s please go to - https://archie.org/on-top-of-scotland-all-the-archies-in-one-day/