An intrepid group of bathroom fitters have raised thousands of pounds by carrying a bath to the summit of the UK’s highest mountain.
Staff at the Bathroom Company in Perth came up with idea of scaling Ben Nevis in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support because many of them know someone who has had the disease.
The eight-strong group, which included the company’s managing director Lawrence Haddow, raised more than £4,000 for the charity.
They spent almost six hours on the 4,409ft mountainside, spending twice as long going up as coming down.
Following the climb, Lawrence said: “I’m so proud of the team. They worked really hard. It was much, much harder than I imagined but the team was great and the support of the other people on the mountain was amazing.
“The group rotated carrying the bath, in teams of two with a couple of reserves.”
“It’s something a bit different and was great for team-building but we did this mainly because, as a company, we know many people who have been affected by cancer and we wanted to give something back.”
He added the team had earlier considered taking a more traditional cast iron bath to the summit but were very glad that they opted for a lighter alternative. Lawrence said “We set off at 9am, taking just three and a half hours to get to the summit.
The rocky terrain we covered included a section of snow, where we even tried sledging back down.”
The big-hearted team was encouraged by the hundreds of other people on the mountain, many of whom were also raising money for good causes.
Lawrence said the bath caused a deal of hilarity, with many people asking for a lift to the top. The group did agree to give one lady, who was climbing with her family, a quick lift.
After reaching the summit at 12.30pm, the team celebrated with bubbly. They then made their way back down the mountain in just two hours, where they enjoyed a well-earned drink and a good meal.
Lawrence joked: “Earlier this year we were awarded best UK Bathroom Retailer 2014 now we can say we’re the highest too”.
Ben Nevis is not only popular with traditional climbers but those looking to take on an unusual challenge.
In 2010 hairdresser Jolene Clark, from Dundee made the ascent sporting only a bikini and a pair of hiking boots.
In 1911 a Model T Ford was driven to the summit as a publicity stunt and in 2001 a group of Glasgow University medical students pushed a bed to the top.