Rhyl friends climb three peaks in cancer charity fundraiser

Owen Hughes, Dylan Jones, Max Cruse and Sam Morris braved driving wind and rain as they climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in aid of Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people.

They then surpassed their £3,000 target on Friday, with the money going to the charity which offered financial and emotional support to their friend, Steven Jones, and his family.

Steven was diagnosed with cancer in August 2020 at just 18 years old, and sadly passed away in June.

And while horrendous weather, traffic jams and satnav and minibus issues meant they completed it in 25 hours, rather than within the typical 24-hour time frame, Owen said that, given the cause they were supporting, there was no chance of them giving up.

Steven Jones, who recently passed away from cancer at the age of only 19

Owen, 19, said: “If it wasn’t for that (raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer), there was no way we were doing it. Especially on the drive to Snowdon, the rain was horrible, and that was the point when we knew we weren’t going to do it in time, but we just knew we had to do it.

“We all knew Steve from either school or college. I went to primary school, high school and college with him. He was brilliant; one of those people who you couldn’t say a bad word about. He was the nicest guy I’ve ever met.

“It was harder than I expected. The weather was horrible and didn’t help us either, but we knew we had to try and get it done.

“The last bit of Scafell Pike was the hardest part; we were pretty much dead on our feet. Our legs are still a little bit wobbly - on the way home, I felt sick and was shivering from the cold as well.”

Initially planning to face the peaks as a team of six, the group was reduced to four when one friend was forced to isolate due to COVID-19 and another, Cameron McAllister, suffered an injury during the first mountain, Ben Nevis.

Also joining them was Owen’s father, Gareth, who drove the minibus for them, but found himself unable to catch up on sleep while the others were out walking due to excitement and worry in equal measure.

“The nine-seater bus we initially hired was unavailable, so we were supplied with a huge 16-seater restricted to 60mph,” Gareth laughed.

“To begin the drive to Snowdon, we had 50 miles of fuel left and had to put my faith in the satnav as, between us, we didn't have any phone signal. ‘No problem,’ I thought, until the satnav sent us up Hardknott Pass, a steep, windy, single-track road unsuitable for the bus of the size we had.

“On one of the steep bends, the bus gave in and started wheel-spinning, so at that point I thought we were stuck - I had to do a 20-point turn to turn around and get us back moving again.

“We managed to get to a petrol station with the remaining miles showing single figures – plus, to make matters worse and add to the anxiety, the warning light on the dashboard had turned red, with the exhaust filter full!”

After completing Scafell Pike, the boys were up against it to finish within 24 hours, so Gareth suggested leaving the bus in St Asaph and driving them to the final mountain, Snowdon, in his car.

They narrowly missed out on their target, not helped by the weather taking another turn for the worse, but Gareth had nothing but admiration for the efforts of Owen and his friends.

(L-R) Max, Dylan, Owen, Cameron and Sam

“We swapped vehicles with the lads prepped and ready for the quick start. I managed to get them there (Snowdon) for 2.20pm but the weather and visibility had really turned and safety was the main concern,” Gareth added.

“They completed the challenge at 6.15pm, exactly one hour over the time.

“The boys’ grit and determination to complete this for Steven and Young Lives vs Cancer shone through. I am so proud of all of them, and am privileged to have been a part of this adventure with them. They have been an inspiration to us all.”

Gareth also passed on his thanks to Rhyl Hearts Junior Football Club, who four of the initial group of six played for as youngsters, and who kindly funded the cost of the minibus and fuel for the challenge.

Steven’s mother, Lucy, also added her appreciation of the efforts they went to and the amount of money raised, saying: “It means a lot to us, this charity, for what they did to help us, and we know this money is going to do a lot to help other people.”

Last year in North Wales, Young Lives vs Cancer helped 230 families find the strength to face cancer.

They gave out more than 100 financial grants totalling in excess of £22,000 to help families cope with the costs of cancer.

The Cancer Costs report from the charity found that families with a child on active treatment spend an extra £600 a month – often when parents are unable to work, too.

For more information, go to www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk.

You can also still add to the money Owen and his friends raised for the charity by donating at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/owen-hughes9.