£7,000 raised in memory of man who died on mountain
NEARLY £7,000 has been raised in six days for a mountain rescue team in memory of man who died in Snowdonia.
Iwan Huws, 34, of Y Llofft Flawd, Rhosgadfan and previously from Llwyn Onn, Clogwyn Melyn, Pen-y-groes, was found on Tryfan mountain after going missing while walking on January 14.
He was found the next day after mountain rescue teams searched for him through the night in treacherous conditions.
His partner Elin Gwyn set up a JustGiving page to raise money for the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation (OVMRO).
After being shared nearly 1,000 times on social media, the page has raised nearly £7,000 after six days of being launched, smashing the original target of £500. At the time of writing, 337 people had donated to the page.
Writing on her page, Ms Gwyn said: “The team’s efforts as they searched for Iwan was inspirational, and although the result wasn’t what we had hoped for, as a family we are very grateful for their dedication. Iwan was an incredible person, a musician, and an adventurer that had travelled the world. He hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the Annapurna Trek in the Himalayas, and he cycled from Amsterdam to Basel with a tent on his back.”
Ms Gwyn said: “He was always looking for the next adventure. It’s a heavy blow to lose him on his favourite mountain in Snowdonia, doing what he loved. Iwan greatly admired the mountain rescue volunteers and had hoped to join them once he’d completed his mountain leader training. Every single one of them are heroes.”
Donors left messages of support and condolence on the JustGiving page. One wrote: “A worthy cause to squeeze a little good from such a sad event.”
Another said: “Iwan, your strength and determination on the Inca trail was beyond inspirational! It was a pleasure to walk with you buddy.”
At the time of writing, the JustGiving page had reached £6,885 – well above its original £500 target.