A Co Armagh woman embarking on a fundraising trip to climb the highest point in north Africa has said that the recent cold weather has helped prepare her for the plummeting temperatures she’ll face on expedition.
Carolyn McKinney will be heading to Morocco in February to climb the Toubkal Mountain in order to raise much-needed money for Armagh Special Olympics Swimming Club.
At a peak of 4,167m, she could face temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius – far from the heat at surface level, but not too dissimilar to the cold she recently faced in the Mourne mountains.
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The mum-of-two used the cold weather to her advantage as she undertook the ‘Mourne 500′ challenge – climbing all peaks in the mountain range over 500m.
Setting off at 1.30am, she aimed to be at Sileve Donard for daylight but after seeing frozen snow and temperatures reached -7 with a wind chill of -12, she called it off early.
Ms McKinney said the hike “was a good opportunity to test my gear for the summit climb” with a recent forecast saying “the summit of Toubkal is -15 but feels like -24″.
“I’m used to hiking in snow and myself and my two sons go yearly for a snow day hike – all about preparation and correct gear," she said.
“I’ll hopefully do the challenge next week if the snow’s away.”
An experienced hiker who became the first woman to complete Ireland’s ‘County High Point’ challenge – climbing 26 mountains across the 32 counties in just 69 hours and 25 mins – Ms McKinney is embarking on the trip to raise money for Armagh Special Olympics Swimming Club.
Rising costs have meant that the club, which provides year-round swimming training and competitions for people with special needs, requires help to pay for pool hire and new equipment.
Ms McKinney’s son, 10-year-old Oscar, has been a member for four years and she says it has given him the chance to ‘heighten his sense of achievements’ as well as make new friends.
“If the club had to close due to rising costs, it would be devastating for the members,” she said.
“The parents of the children and adults who come to our club have stated how grateful they are on more than one occasion and we would all be devastated if it were to close.
“They have described it as a lifeline for their children who benefit greatly from being part of a club.”
Having previously raised funds for the club, Ms McKinney’s latest efforts will see her climb the Toubkal Mountain in Morocco across two days.
Undertaking the climb with 29 other hikers from Ireland, she said she was feeling fine ahead of her self-funded trip.
“There has been a big snow dump, so we have to bring our crampons and ice axes,” she said.
“It should be fun and great to experience [a] different culture and my first 4000m-plus climb. I have covered over 7000m in a day, but that was multiple mountains.”
Special Olympics Ireland have supported her efforts and said: “Armagh Special Olympics Swimming Club is a lifeline for its athletes and their families, but it can’t operate without equipment, pool hire and transport.”
Donations can be made to Carolyn’s fundraiser here.
