‘Conquer the castle’ to build a school

Tuesday 04 October 2016

Islanders have been invited to 'conquer the castle' in a weekend-long 'Climbathon' - and all in aid of earthquake-torn Nepal.

Organised by the Gurkha Welfare Trust Jersey (GWTJ), Climbathon 2016 will see both teams and brave individuals scale the heights of Mont Orgueil Castle on Saturday and Sunday 15 and 16 October in order to raise £30,000 for a new school in the devastated country.

Based in Shree Adarshar, the school will serve seven local villages - all of which have been without an educational facility for four years. Following the 2012 earthquake, the school became unusable, later becoming completely flattened by last year’s disaster.

This will be the second of the GWTJ’s efforts to rebuild Nepal’s schools. Working with the Jersey Overseas Aid Committee and the GWT’s UK branch, the GWTJ has already rebuilt a 500-pupil strong school in West Nepal. This project, however, will see the charity tackle remote East Nepal - an area more difficult to access.

All funds raised for the school will be matched by the Jersey Overseas Aid Committee, while the Gurkha Welfare Trust UK will coordinate the ground building efforts.

With the permission of Jersey Heritage, the Climbathon will allow teams of seven to 10 to attempt climbs ranging from Les Platons to Mount Everest, with the organisers carefully having calculated how many ascents from the Lower Ward to the ramparts of the fortress will be required to reach each peak. 

Frank Falle, leading the Climbathon challenge, said: “The Climbathon has not been created for the faint hearted. With thanks to Jersey Heritage, we are able to offer the public a chance to participate in a physical event which allows them to reach heights they could normally only dream of – but without the danger.  All in all, we hope that everyone has a great day raising money for a good cause and giving back to those who are less fortunate than us."

Although there will be some spaces on the day, keen climbers are advised to buy tickets in advance, as they may face a wait for the first available slot. For those less inclined to climb, donations can be made on the GWTJ’s GoFundMe page.

 Tickets can be bought here. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.