LONG-awaited celebrations took place early on Sunday morning as Pembrokeshire couple Mark Bond and Jo Broughton completed their challenge of reaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. The strenuous ascent of South East Asia's highest mountain took place in aid of Withybush Hospital's Ward 10 in memory of Mark's mother, Pauline Bond, who was treated there throughout her illness. In reaching their 4,095-metre target, Mark, of Haverfordwest, and Jo, of Broad Haven, also exceeded their £1,000 fund-raising target, thanks to the kindness of all who sponsored them. The two-day trek took the couple from humid rainforest, to inhospitable conditions above the clouds with a rest at an unheated hut at 3,000-metres, before starting a nighttime climb at 2 am to the bitter cold summit for sunrise. Said Jo, who works as Folly Farm's PR and marketing supervisor: "We both suffered from the high altitude, but we were lucky as our symptoms subsided as we neared the summit, whereas some of the other climbers had to turn back. "It was difficult climbing in the dark, but after seeing what we'd climbed by daylight on the way down I thought it was probably for the best - if I'd seen what was ahead of us I think I would have turned back! "Although it was freezing cold, there was no rain, and the clear sky provided a breathtaking view as the sun rose over the surrounding mountains and the distant South China Sea." Mark and Jo consider themselves lucky to have even got as far as the foot of the mountain, as their round-the-world adventures have so far seen them survive a terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka, avoiding the dreadful tsunami by a matter of hours in Thailand, and a 10-day stay in hospital after Mark got the bends while diving, followed by a strain of dengue fever! Mark said: "When I was in hospital in Thailand my entire trip looked like ending and I really couldn't see myself making it to Borneo, let alone getting to the top of Kinabalu, but once I'd made it to the foot of the mountain there was no way I wasn't going to do it. "It's definitely one of the best things I've ever done and one of my proudest achievements. I'm really happy to have done it in memory of my mum, and the huge support we received from friends and colleagues back home in Pembrokeshire was a huge incentive "The inspirational views combined with our exhaustion made reaching the summit very emotional and something we'll always remember." Mark and Jo would like to thank everyone who so kindly sponsored them, making all their efforts worthwhile. Thanks go especially to their main sponsors, Folly Farm, for their generosity. Mark and Jo are still collecting money, so if anyone would like to donate please contact [email protected]">[email protected] or send a cheque for Withybush Ward 10 to 29 Holbrook Road, Broad Haven.
