The WaterAid 200 challenge aimed to place a team of climbers on top of every one of 200 nominated mountains across the UK and Ireland between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 16^th June 2012. 

That was the plan, but come the day torrential rain turned paths into waterfalls and transformed burns into raging torrents so the organisers allowed teams to postpone their challenge until the following day when thankfully Mother Nature was in a rather kinder mood.

Photo : the ACWA team, left to right: Roger Andrew, Les Barrett, Neil Smith, Daniel Leahy, MD Peter Ripley.

 The ACWA team which included Roger Andrew, Les Barrett and his wife Lorna, Neil Smith, Daniel Leahy and MD Peter Ripley chose to climb ‘Merrick’ which, at 843m (2766ft) was officially classified by WaterAid as “difficult”. The highest mountain in the southern uplands of Scotland Merrick is part of a five mountain chain known as the “Awful Hand” so clearly this climb was never going to be a ‘walk in the park’!

Setting off early, the team initially followed a forest trail before reaching an upland meadow from where they tackled a steep climb before heading up over boggy moorland to reach the summit of ‘Benyelary’ which at 719m is the 4^th highest of the Awful Hand range.  The intrepid group then circled a steep corrie before ascending further to successfully conquer Merrick.

The team raised a creditable sum for Water Aid which this year will go towards funding the Charity’s life saving work in Nepal where many people live in poverty without vital safe water and sanitation. Speaking after the climb Peter Ripley said,” The weather made our Challenge a tough one but we were determined to make it knowing every step we took will help others climb out of poverty. I’d like to express my sincere thanks to all who took part in the fund raising and to those who donated so generously.

www.acwa.co.uk