Pictured: Hamish Armytage

A mountain enthusiast today urged people embarking on charity challenges this year to make their safety a top priority.

Hamish Armytage, from Market Drayton, has launched his new company, Mountain Philosophy, to help fundraisers conquer British mountains including Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike safely.

He said people often did not realise the dangers of such mountains and the risks involved when they started organising such challenges.

The 56-year-old said he now hoped his company could help people, especially large groups, complete their challenge in the knowledge they had experts at hand.

Mr Armytage provides the transport to the location from Shropshire and then provides the appropriate number of qualified mountain leaders to get the group to the top and back down safely.

He said: "Fundraising organisations have a duty of care to everyone embarking on such a feat. They have a generous desire to raise money for charity which is fantastic, but this is a huge responsibility and they may not themselves be professional walkers.

"Participants in fundraisers are often first time mountain walkers. Doing one of Britain's big mountains - especially if the weather is poor - is something with lots of potential dangers. People may just not know what lies ahead.

"But with the expertise of qualified mountain leaders they know they will be safe and will be able to have the advice, support and guidance throughout the walking experience.

"Getting people to the top, who may not have otherwise made it, is the reward for me. Knowing they may not have completed it without my help and knowing they have raised hundreds of pounds for charity is fantastic."

Mr Armytage said that since he turned professional three years ago he is fitter than he has ever been and is enjoying giving people the chance to complete challenges they may have never thought possible. 

Mountain Philosophy also organises holidays for people to climb the countries' three highest mountains. The six-day trip includes food and transport, hotel accommodation, qualified mountain leader guidance on all ascents and a maximum of eight per group.

He added: "The safety structure of the day should always be number one priority but we often come across fundraising groups who have been so focussed on the fundraising that they have left the organisation of the actual day to the last minute.

"By using a qualified mountain leader like myself to prepare and inform groups beforehand, and to guide the group on the mountain, more people will be able to take part and more cash will be raised for the chosen charity, as the organisers will be able to focus their efforts on what they first set out to do - raise money!"

The walking enthusiast said the biggest reward was getting people to the top of mountains which they may have deemed impossible.

"The oldest person I've got to the top of Snowdon was 78 years old. It doesn't matter the age or what barriers people may think are in the way, many of them can be overcome. We always try to make to make the day as fulfilling as possible for the participants," he added.

"Every time I walk up any of the mountains I see dozens of charity groups walking alongside me, but without a qualified guide they may be exposing themselves to unbelievable risk. A group can enjoy bright sunshine at the base but find themselves in dense cold fog and mist as they approach the top - even at the height of summer. In these conditions the route back down can be very hard to find and there may be other hidden dangers. It is vital to be well prepared and to be able to navigate."

Anybody who is interested in getting more advice from Mr Armytage or wants to book mountain leaders for their challenge should visit www.mountainphilosophy.co.uk, call him on 07926 169 494 or e-mail hamish@mountainphilosophy.co.uk