Hundreds raise thousands for kids with charity trek

Sep 1 2008 by David Himelfield, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Hundreds in charity trek

HUNDREDS of walkers raised around £75,000 for charity at the fourth annual Hike Against Cruelty (HACK).

Hikers battled steep slopes and boggy terrain on Saturday in the walk for the NSPCC.

The 25-mile trek, organised by Rastrick NSPCC volunteer Tony Thomas, started and finished at Hade Edge, taking in Holme, Wessenden, Black Hill, Woodhead and Dunford Bridge.

Since it began in 2005, the HACK has raised £300,000 for the NSPCC.

Among those braving the gruelling trek were Examiner reporter Hazel Ettienne, 42, and her friends Lynda Hirst, 38, and Janette Button, 40, all from Wooldale and New Mill.

The group, who finished their HACK in 10 hours, raised £500.

Click here to see an image gallery from the walk.

Hazel said: “It was an absolute ordeal! It was really, really hard; much harder than I expected.

“One of our friends who’s in the army reckoned he’s do it in four or five hours, but it took him eight.

“The terrain was nothing like how I expected; it was like fell walking. There were sections where you were walking next to a sheer drop.