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Sarah Guerin.
THERE is no mountain high enough for a thrill-seeking woman from Tralee, who plans on climbing an impressive eight mountains this year including Kilimanjaro in Africa.
Sarah Guerin is taking part in Concern Worldwide’s annual mountain challenge, ‘Climb4Concern’, which sees adventurers climb some of the highest mountains in Ireland and the UK while helping to raise funds for people living in extreme poverty.
She has already climbed the three highest peaks in the UK: Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis with Concern last year and will climb the highest peaks of every province in Ireland this year with her first trek starting in Co. Mayo next month.
“I took part in the UK mountain challenges for Climb4Concern last year and loved it so much I’ve decided to go all out and do all the challenges this year,” she said.
“The feeling when you get to the top is overwhelming and the strangers you meet at the start of your journey are your friends by the end of it. You feel united and that you have achieved something. It also feels good to be doing it for charity. When you are getting it tough on the steep parts, you think about all those people worse off than yourself and how you are helping them, it definitely pushes you along,” she continued.
Sarah and her eight friends are planning to climb Mweelrea near Westport, which is the highest mountain in Connacht, on April 16, and will then go on to climb The Three Glens in Co. Wicklow on May 21. She will stay at home for Carraauntoohil on July 9, before returning to the UK to climb the three highest peaks again.
She won’t stop there as she will then take on the gargantuan task of climbing the 5,895 metre (5.9km) high Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on October 22.
Sarah is encouraging people to sign up for Mweelrea to experience an ‘unforgettable weekend’ while raising funds along the way.
Over €200,000 has been raised by participants in Climb4Concern since the challenge began in 2011 with crucial funds going to help people living in extreme poverty or who have been affected by conflicts and natural disasters in counties like Syria, South Sudan, Chad, Haiti and Niger.
Anyone interested in taking part in Climb4Concern is advised to contact Siobhan O’Connor at 01417802 or at siobhan.oconnor@concern.net or to see what challenges are taking place, log on to showyouconcern.net.
