Three Cranbrook mountain athletes are embarking on a non-stop fete of climbing, right in the heart of Cranbrook.

Gord McArthur, Jesse Cuthill and Travis Norrie will be building a 40-foot climbing wall (“with a little overhang to add some spice”) in Rotary Park in Cranbrook on Thursday, September 16. The next day they will commence on a marathon of climbing, up and down the wall for 24 straight hours, to raise money for the Southern Alberta Ronald McDonald House.

The climbers have dubbed their undertaking “the Courageous Journey,” in reference to the difficulties families face when a member, especially a child, is struck with an illness that requires long-term treatment.

Ronald McDonald House is a place where families can stay while a family member is being treated for illness in hospital. Long-term treatment for illness, like cancer, can place a considerable financial and emotional strain on families, which services like Ronald McDonald House help alleviate. Many families in the East Kootenay are quite familiar with it.

“We’ve had so many friends of ours that have had to use (the service),” McArthur said. “And there are so many more families out there.

“We want this to be the start of something big,” he added. “The long-term goal is to start a foundation to provide resources for families in need.”

McArthur says the trio has already got permission from the City of Cranbrook to build the wall in Rotary Park, which should take a day. Climbing starts at noon on Friday, Sept. 17, and runs through to Saturday. There will also be a climbing wall available for the public to climb by donation, so they too can participate in the cause. Throughout the fundraiser, tickets will be sold for a raffle that will be held at the end of the 24-hour period.

McArthur got the inspiration for the idea from his coach, Will Gadd, a world-renowned mountain athlete, who held a climbing marathon to raise funds for the DZI Foundation, which supports health, education and community programs throughout the Himilayan region of India and Nepal.

There are several ways to help support the fundraiser. Donors can give a fixed amount, or donate per lap climbed on the wall. They can donate per foot climbed (the goal is to climb 15,000 feet), for every hour a climber is on the wall, or to belay one of the climbers for a period (belaying is anchoring other climbers with a rope). They can also donate to climb the public wall.

If anyone wishes to donate in person, they can drop their donations off at High Country Sports, Culligan Water or Hot Shots Café in Cranbrook.

You can also donate online at www.machavok.com/courageousjourney.