A GROUP of former Solihull School students have scaled Mount Snowdon to raise more than £4,000 in memory of a friend who once climbed the peak with them.
Alex Diez-Jones was just 24 when he died suddenly in his sleep while on a dream six-month tour of South America in 2015.
In tribute to Alex, a group of 13 friends and former classmates made the same trip to Snowdonia they had all embarked on as pupils at Solihull School – including staying in the school’s mountain cottage just as they had done ten years before.
The group reached the summit of the highest mountain in Wales in under two hours and received more than 150 donations.
As a result, the friends doubled their initial fundraising target of £2,000, ultimately amassing £4,047 to be donated to Shelter, a charity which provides help to the homeless and with whom Alex did volunteering work before his death.
A spokesperson for the friends said: “We took the Pyg pass to the summit and we were shocked to reach it under two hours. We took a meandering route back down and spirits were high throughout the day.
“It gave us a great chance to remember Alex’s life and I think the huge amount we managed to raise just goes to show the impact Alex had on so many people.
“We were all delighted with the event and the support shown to us – there is already talk of what our next challenge could be.”
David EJJ Lloyd, headmaster of Solihull School, said: “The sum raised in Alex’s memory is a real testament for to both his legacy and the tremendous efforts of his friends.
“We were more than happy to offer the group use of our Snowdonia cottage and are glad the event was such as great success.”
There is still time to donate to the group’s fundraising mission.
Search ‘Climbing Snowdon for Alex’ at www.justgiving.com.
