Harborough family raise more than £500 for charity after climbing Mount Snowdon
A family from Market Harborough have raised more than £500 for the Help for Heroes charity after climbing to the top of Yr Wyddfa (also known as Mount Snowdon) in memory of one of their members who died suddenly.
Daniel, Sally, Harry and Darcey Connor, alongside Luke Gallacher, completed a 20km trek to the summit of the mountain - the highest peak in Wales - on Friday April 10, in memory of Russell Gallacher, who died suddenly last year at the age of 48.
Russell, originally from Leicestershire, joined the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards (QDG) in 1994 at just 17 years old.
He was later promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major (RMS) in 2015 and after commissioning and moving over to the Royal Yeomanry, was promoted to the rank of Major.
The idea for the challenge came from Darcey, 14, and Harry, 11, who told their parents Dan and Sally that they wanted to do something in memory of Russell, their parents’ cousin.
The family started the climb at 9am, going up via the Pyg Track and the Miners’ Path, which took a total of six hours, including breaks.
Reflecting on the experience, Dan said: "We stopped for a break at the summit and my wife Sally said ‘let’s stop here for a bit, I just know the air will clear soon’ and within a couple of minutes the cloud passed and the sun shone through - it was an amazing moment. Russ was definitely with us!
"We thank all those who have donated so far, it really made us all push on and instilled some extra determination in Harry!"
The family were joined by their Cocker Spaniel Benji during the walk, and at the time of writing have raised £515 for Help for Heroes, a charity which supports military veterans and families to ensure they get the help they need. To donate visit www.justgiving.com/page/connorsnowden2026