After scaling the 4,413 feet up the UK’s highest peak, the trio spent over 11 hours building their huge igloo – working through the night and finishing at 4.24am.
Three pals have built “the UK’s highest igloo” following a tough climb up Ben Nevis.
Stewart Thomson came up with the idea while hiking in the Mourne Mountains, in Northern Ireland. While on the hike, Stewart wondered what it would be like to build an igloo up there in the snow – and so he set about a plan.
Following a trial run on the summit of Slieve Donard, Stewart and his two friends Paul Cox and Donnacha Kimber mac Fhionlaoich – who are all from Northern Ireland – headed across to Scotland in April.
After scaling the 4,413 feet up the UK’s highest peak, the trio spent over 11 hours building their huge igloo – working through the night and finishing at 4.24am.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Stewart said: “After building an igloo on Slieve Donard I felt that we could build one somewhere higher and thought why not do Ben Nevis so it would be the highest in the UK.
“Although the additional height, 495 metres, proved to be a bigger challenge than we originally thought as we were carrying up our equipment as well and it really took it out of us with the climb itself taking five hours. The snow was also a bit different than the snow on Donard felt icer and heavier.
“If it wasn’t for these special sleds my mum made for us out of parachute material to move the snow blocks around I don’t think we would have had the energy to complete the igloo. In the end the three of us finished it in 11 hours and 38 minutes at 4.20am in the morning!”
The trio got some much-needed kip in the cosy igloo before inviting seven other hikers in to join them the following morning.
Stewart said: “Inside the igloo is actually very peaceful because the snow insulates all the sound and we slept through until 11am the next day.
“In the morning we got talking to hikers who were arriving and coming over to look at the igloo and we managed to get 10 people inside it at one point.
“We think this is the highest igloo that has been documented in the UK and it has been a great way for us to challenge ourselves, which is something that we all enjoy doing.”
To follow Stewart on his adventures, follow his Instagram page, here.
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