Travel Village Group manager hikes Snowdon blindfolded for charity

Travel Village Group content manager Jess Clayton has walked up Snowdon while blindfolded as part of an ongoing fundraising challenge for Guide Dogs.

Staff at the agency group are supporting a campaign by Callum Stoneman, the son of one of the group’s homeworkers Tracy, to raise £10,000 for the charity after the death of his guide dog and lifelong companion Iggy.

So far the amount raised is just over £4,600 – just half the targeted total.

Already the team, including Callum and Tracy, have taken part in a blindfolded walk along the Blackpool Promenade, while Clayton’s separate Mount Snowdown challenge took place earlier this week.

Clayton, a keen hiker, was accompanied by Guide Dogs UK trainer Yvonne Robinson as a guide for the 7.5km hike, which is known to be tricky with different surfaces, obstacles and hazards along the way.

Fresh snow had also fallen on the summit overnight while the team, which included support from partner Tracy Leeming and friend Ross Gellatly, also faced a drop in temperatures to around minus 8C.

Clayton said the day had been “emotionally and physically exhausting”.

She said: “This has given me a greater understanding and appreciation of what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes. It was scary, exhilarating, humbling, and massively rewarding, in essence, everything a challenge should be.”