ITC Hydraulic Services Ltd Co-Founder and Executive Chairwoman Tracy Clark has completed her toughest challenge to date, spending a night sleeping outdoors on Bennachie’s Mither Tap to raise funds and awareness for VSA.
Tracy was joined by her future son-in-law James and her 9-year-old grandson Jayce for the Big Bennachie Sleep Out, a fundraising challenge in support of VSA, a charity dedicated to supporting people and families across the North East of Scotland.
The challenge saw them spend the night at the summit of Mither Tap on Bennachie, which stands at 518 metres (1,699 feet) above sea level, facing challenging conditions including 20 mph winds and temperatures dropping to just 4°C.
What made the challenge even more surprising was how different the conditions were compared to what Tracy had expected. The evening started beautifully, with temperatures around 21°C and hardly a breath of wind lower down the hill. However, as they climbed higher, it quickly became clear that Bennachie’s summit had a weather system of its own. The exposed peak brought strong winds, mist, cold temperatures and conditions that were a world away from the calm evening they had started with.
Reflecting on the experience, Tracy said: “I think I was a little naive about just how challenging this would be. When we started the evening, it was a beautiful night, around 21°C with no wind, so it was hard to imagine what awaited us at the summit. Bennachie really does have its own weather system, and once we reached Mither Tap, the conditions changed completely. The wind, cold and exposure made it a very different experience from what I had expected.”
Perched high above Aberdeenshire, the exposed summit provided little shelter from the elements, making this one of the most demanding fundraising challenges Tracy has undertaken.
Tracy continued: “This was without doubt the toughest challenge I have taken on to date. I have completed a number of fundraising challenges over the years, but sleeping out on Bennachie in those conditions was a completely different experience. The cold, wind and lack of sleep really tested us, but knowing we were doing it to support such an important charity kept us going.”
Despite the difficult conditions, Tracy, James and Jayce showed incredible determination and resilience, completing the challenge and raising £1030.00 so far for VSA.
A special mention must go to Jayce, who at just 9 years old took on a challenge that would test even many adults. Camping overnight on an exposed mountain summit, facing strong winds, temperatures of only 4°C and very little sleep, Jayce showed incredible courage, resilience and determination throughout the night.
Tracy added: “I was incredibly proud of Jayce. At just nine years old, he took on something that was physically and mentally challenging, but he never complained and showed amazing determination and he just had a ball. Watching him embrace the challenge and keep going when conditions became tough was incredibly special. It was also fantastic to share the experience with James, and it created memories we will never forget.”
“As a business owner, I know how important it is to support the communities around us. VSA does incredible work helping people and families across the North East, and I hope this challenge helps raise awareness as well as much-needed funds.”
ITC Hydraulic Services Ltd would like to thank everyone who has supported Tracy’s Big Bennachie Sleep Out and contributed to the fundraising campaign. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, with donations continuing to make a valuable difference to VSA.
Donations can still be made via:
vsa.org.uk/bennachie