Congleton firefighters to climb height of Olympus Mons to raise cash for charity

A team of firefighters from Congleton are gearing up to climb the height of Olympus Mons in order to raise cash for charity.

On Tuesday 14 July, the group of 12 firefighters will embark on a 12-hour endurance walk up and down Bosley Cloud, covering the same height of the highest mountain in the solar system - Olympus Mons.

Olympus Mons is a large shield volcano on Mars and is two and half times the height of the world’s largest mountain, Mount Everest.

All money raised will go to The Fire Fighters Charity, the UK’s leading provider of services that enhance the quality of life for serving and retired fire service personnel and their families.

James Groves, Watch Manager at Congleton Fire Station said: “There will be 12 of us who work at Congleton fire station or live in Congleton and work elsewhere for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service taking part in the challenge.

“It’s definitely going to be a gruelling challenge and we will have to ascend a total of 22 kilometres to achieve our goal.

“In order to do this, we will all have to climb Bosley Cloud around 34 times each and we are hoping to achieve this in just under 12 hours!

“We are extremely grateful for any donation we receive and if you cannot spare anything right now, please share our JustGiving page to spread the word.”

The team of firefighters have an initial fundraising target of £1,000.

Stuart Plaskett, who is the charity’s co-ordinator for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service added: “I would like to say a huge good luck to the 12 firefighters taking part in this out-of-this-world challenge for The Fire Fighters Charity.

“During this difficult time, we have had to rethink the way we raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity which has been providing a vital service for sick and injured firefighters and their families for 75 years.

“This event is one of many fundraisers that stations have come up with to help fund crucial assistance to serving and retired firefighters during the coronavirus pandemic.”

To donate to the Congleton firefighter’s Mars Mountain challenge, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/congleton-fire-station