Charity climbers pay tribute to George

What would you expect to find at the top of the highest mountain in North Africa? A large amount of snow and ice, perhaps? A golden eagle or two? The occasional mountain goat? A Grays Athletic flag?

Three out of four, perhaps, but the last one is rather more unlikely- yet that’s what was found at the top of Mount Toubkal recently, being waved enthusiastically by a group known collectively as Dorks on a Hill. It’s unlikely that the Atlas Mountains- or indeed the people of Morocco- had ever seen the like before.

Grays recently lost a member of their football brethren. George Watts was a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of Athletic, found on the terraces home and away. Life President of the Supporters Trust, a former Mayor of Thurrock and local councillor, his passing was mourned deeply by all at the club- but of course even more keenly by his family, one of whom, grandson Adam, is one of the aforementioned Dorks. He takes up the story.

“We were already planning to climb Toubkal to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, and then when my grandad passed away due to cancer we decided to make the climb a tribute to him. He inspired me with tales of his own mountaineering adventures and I will forever feel closest to him when I'm on a mountain.

So we borrowed the flag and took it with us- and you can see the result.”

Dorks on a Hill- who, by the way have their own website which you can find here- are not new to charitable climbs. In 2014 this group of friends decided to climb Mount Snowdon for the benefit of Parkinson’s UK, and since then they’ve spent much of their lives with their heads in the clouds, also trekking up Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis, Monte Bronzone and Cadair Idris. Toubkal, at 13, 671 feet, is their highest trek to date, but there are undoubtedly more in the pipeline.

If you’d like to support them in their quest to raise funds for Macmillan, the link to their Just Giving page is below.

Just Giving- Dorks on a Hill

You can follow their adventures on Instagram.

Not to be reproduced without permission