British Red Cross volunteers and students from a Moray martial art academy will today attempt to climb the UK’s three highest mountains in just 24 hours for charity.
The Three Bens Challenge will see the group – collectively named Red Rox – take on Ben Macdui, Braeriach and finally Ben Nevis.
Only six people will actually be climbing the three Bens, with the other volunteers providing support from the ground.
The group has so far raised more than £7,000 in donations, with which they plan to provide a service wheelchair to an Orkney community with limited resources and improve Red Cross services at a local level.
The inspiration for the wheelchair came to team leader and student nurse, Colin Cass, while on a placement in Orkney.
The 31-year-old from Elgin said: “I was up there for three months and that sparked the whole thing. I loved it.
“It was really enjoyable, so I wanted to give something back.
“If someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness here, you can get a wheelchair from the NHS in about a week or so, but in Stromness it takes about six weeks to order one.
“This chair will hopefully mean terminally ill patients can spend time out of their homes when they would otherwise be house bound.”
Support team manager, Sarah Rose, 23, said: “It’s the first time it’s been attempted in 24 hours without stopping.
“We start at 3.45am and we will, hopefully, finish at 3.45am.”
Lee Sansum, director of the Sansum Blackbelt Academy and medical response team member, said: “The Three Bens Challenge has enabled local Red Cross volunteers to work in partnership with fellow organisations in order to raise money for local causes.
“This year, the students and staff of Sansum Black Belt Academy have stepped forward to help this become a reality.
“I’ve taught kick-boxing up in Orkney and it’s a brilliant cause, so it will be great to see how it helps them.”