Manchester and Sheffield’s Wilderness Medicine Societies spent their weekend partaking in a gruelling 40-mile hike to raise money for the Edale Mountain Rescue Team (EMRT).
Around 40 students trekked across the Peak District, from Manchester to Sheffield, raising over £3,000.
According to the President of Sheffield’s Wilderness Medicine Society, Meg Wallace, 21, the hike honoured a decades-old tradition originating from the “dog-bite walk” for charity which originally raised funds for rabies charities.
Miss Wallace said: “Edale Mountain Rescue is a charity very close to our hearts. They are completely volunteer based and always on call to help keep people safe in the hills.
“We’ve built a lovely friendship with EMRT across the years, and it only feels right to give back as much as we can. We know they’ll have our walkers backs in any time of need.”
The EMRT is a registered, fully volunteer-run charity, and with over 4,394 rescues since 1956, it is one of the busiest mountain rescue teams in the country.
The team has provided a 24/7 rescue service for almost 70 years, and relies on donations to ensure they are fully prepared to provide essential rescue services across the Peak District.
The annual charity hike, which last year raised almost £8,000, will be used to keep the EMRT fully equipped and their volunteers well-trained for emergencies.
Miss Wallace said: “Having been a (hopefully) friendlier version of a drill sergeant for 70km, I really felt a second wind at Redmires, Sheffield.
“Forcing the entire group to get up and dance to ‘Hot n Cold’ by Katy Perry, and watching about 40 rain-drenched and blistered people jump and shout ‘someone call the doctor’ was all the motivation we needed for the final push.”
The participating students were praised by the EMRT, which commended their continued dedication to raise funds for the organisation.
Kate Galliford, 22, one of the hike’s organisers said: “As a society of outdoorsy people and majority medics, we have always used this walk to fundraise for Edale Mountain Rescue! It’s a service that is definitely taken for granted.”
When asked how she felt having completed the hike, Miss Galliford said: “I’m relieved that it all went (more or less) to plan! I’m very proud of all our walkers, particularly the ones who had never done anything like this before.”
Miss Wallace also praised the students’ perseverance during the hike.
She said: “I’m extremely impressed by every single walker because this is not an easy feat! This is my circus, and these are my monkeys and I couldn’t be more proud!”
To find out more about the EMRT visit: https://edalemrt.co.uk/ Or to donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/team/cross-peaks-challenge
