Want To Rappel Down a Lighthouse?
By Sue Clark on Jun 19, 2008 in Other, The Light Side 
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Support cancer and take the plunge down the side of a 36 meter (118 feet) tall lighthouse in Scotland this August. After its successful fundraising effort last August, Macmillan Cancer Support will once again offer the sport of abseiling (rappelling) down the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse. The charity raised more than £18,000 last year ($35,500 USD) and hopes to exceed that this year.
Participants should raise at least £100 in sponsorship money. Camping will be available at the site, and a live band will be performing at a barn dance for participants. For more information on how to take part contact Fiona Hawthorne, fundraising manager for Highlands and Moray: e-mail fhawthorne@macmillan.org.uk or contact Macmillan’s north of Scotland office: e-mail northscotland@macmillan.org.uk
As an aside, let me say as a docent at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, we had a number of people make it to the top, but then were afraid to come back down. Even though Pemaquid’s tower is only 39 feet tall, this would have been an ideal way to have them come down when they balked. Actually, we did offer them a bungee cord if they had problems (it usually helped, although no one took us up on the offer. Just the threat of it helped them get back down :)).
And on occasion my husband (who was upstairs in the lantern room) would ask visitors if they’d given me their name so the Bristol First Responders would know who to call for next of kin notifications if they stayed up there. Sometimes humor goes a long way. Get them chuckling and back down they go. Sometimes backwards, sometimes on their behinds, but we never had to call the fire department for a rescue.
Photo credit: Ardnamurchan Lighthouse by Bicameral. Some rights reserved.
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