The two men on their final peak, Tal y Fan

The two men on their final peak, Tal y Fan

A man who survived being avalanched on Wales’s highest mountain has completed a marathon walk up the ‘Dragon’s Back’ to raise funds for the two teams that rescued him.

Matthew Myerscough and his friend Michael Murray summited all 190 Welsh mountains above 2,000ft in their 34-day traverse, which ended on Friday evening.

During their walk, which began in Swansea on 29 July, the pair ascended about 150,000ft – equivalent to climbing Everest five times.

The two men are within sight of hitting their £5,000 target for Llanberis and Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Teams, which were both involved in Mr Myerscough’s rescue in February 2014.

The walkers said their challenge was the fastest known continuous traverse of all the Welsh mountains on the nuttalls list.

They said: “This unique challenge was inspired following a mountaineering accident four years ago in which Matthew was carried 1,000 feet down Snowdon in an avalanche which left him buried in the snow.

“Llanberis and Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Teams stretchered Matthew down from steep ground to a helicopter which flew him to a nearby hospital.”

The two men spent months planning their challenge, which they successfully completed despite injury, bad weather, and challenging navigation. Highlights included exploring wild and remote areas of Wales, the generosity and support of local people, and wild camping in the mountains.

The walkers’ route took them past the site of Mr Myerscough’s rescue on Snowdon’s Pyg Track. On 15 February 2014, he was caught in the avalanche with his partner Alison Zander, being carried down the mountain, with Mr Myerscough being knocked unconscious. Ms Zander escaped serious injury.

He was dug out of the avalanche debris by mountain guide Michael Byrne, with friends John Price and John Heaps.

Rescue team members stretchered him down the mountainside to a Sea King helicopter from RAF Valley, with airlifted the injured walker to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor for treatment.

The two men reached their final summit, Tal y Fan on Friday and completed their walk at Conwy Castle after hiking 550 miles. The pair, who met at Durham University, now plan to tackle a 6,000m Himalayan peak in India.

Donations can be made via the Dragon’s Back Challenge JustGiving page.

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