A TEAM of intrepid cyclists from Worcester have raised £1,000 for charity after cycling up two of the UK’s toughest hill climbs.
In aid of St Richard’s Hospice, the group of Open GI employees travelled to the Lake District to take on a gruelling climbs of Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass.
The team’s ‘33%ers Cycle Climb’ challenge, which included 3,200 feet of climbing with the ascent hitting a gradient of 33 per cent in places, has raised more than £1,000 to help the local charity care for patients with life-limiting illnesses and support their loved ones.
Having faced the challenge head on and reached the summits one after the other, the brave group turned their wheels and circled back to complete the two passes in reverse, finishing up back at their starting point.
Darren Mansell, infrastructure architect at Open GI, said: “We wanted to take on a cycling challenge that was quite arduous and required lots of effort.
“We looked for the most challenging climbs in the UK only to find that the top two, Hardknott and Wrynose Passes in the Lake District, are right next to each other and so this seemed the obvious choice.
“On the day we caused some slight consternation by blocking the pass for an hour when the minibus got stuck but we were finally rescued by a kind driver with a Jeep and tow rope who happened to be nearby.
“St Richard’s is close to all of us as a local charity which provides an essential service for many, many local people. We appreciate that we are able to do things like this so we can raise money for St Richard’s to help people who currently can’t,” he added.
Visit www.justgiving.com/33percenters to donate.
