Aberystwyth councillor completes four-peak RNLI challenge and raises £948

Aberystwyth Town Councillor Nishant Chandolia has completed his Four Peaks for the RNLI challenge, taking on four summits of Cadair Idris in a single day and raising £948 for the lifesaving charity.

The challenge saw Nishant climb Craig Cwm Amarch, Penygadair, Cyfrwy and Mynydd Moel while carrying an RNLI flag. Penygadair, the highest point of Cadair Idris, reaches 893 metres, while the other peaks on his route range from 792 metres to 863 metres.

The fundraiser had a personal meaning for the Aberystwyth councillor. Nishant needed help from the RNLI after getting into difficulty while kayaking in Cardigan Bay in October 2022. Speaking before the challenge, he said the experience had stayed with him and that he wanted to take on something that would genuinely test him as a way of thanking the charity.

Following the hike, Nishant thanked everyone who had backed the fundraiser.

“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, shared the fundraiser, sent messages and supported me throughout the challenge. The response has been far beyond anything I expected when I first set the fundraiser up.”

Cllr Nishant Chandolia

His hike was also intended as a show of support for RNLI volunteers following criticism of crews involved in rescues in the English Channel. Nishant said on his fundraising page that the challenge was his way of standing with volunteers who put themselves at risk to save others, while raising money to support the RNLI’s work.

The campaign attracted hostile comments online before the hike, but Nishant said the reaction from people in Aberystwyth and Ceredigion had been overwhelmingly supportive. By late September the appeal had already raised around £390, with Nishant saying the criticism had made him more determined to complete the challenge.

The completed challenge has now raised £948 for the RNLI. The charity has a long connection with Aberystwyth, with the town’s lifeboat station established in 1861 and becoming the first RNLI station to operate an inshore lifeboat.

Donations can still be made through Nishant Chandolia’s Four Peaks for the RNLI fundraising page.