A Chester artist went further than simply painting the landscape; he climbed it, tackling three of the highest mountains in the UK.
Andrew Kinmont took on the Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Scotland’s Ben Nevis, Wales’s Snowdon and England’s Scafell Pike in 23 hours and 57 minutes, finishing just three minutes under the deadline of 24 hours.
And the reason for his quest is most unusual – he’s raising funds to help return the lynx to the UK.
“It was far tougher and more intense than we’d anticipated,” said Andrew, “racing against the clock every step of the way. We had to run the last mile just to beat the 24 hour deadline. It was a crazy way to see some of the UK’s most spectacular scenery, but it reinforced how majestic this island’s landscape truly is.
“How wonderful if we can bring back one of its equally majestic animals. As a landscape artist I’m passionate about wildlife and the importance of re-wilding to the health of our natural environment and the lynx was once an important part of our ecosystem.”
The lynx was known by ancient cultures around the world as the mysterious ‘Keeper of Secrets.’
Ancient hunters accorded great spiritual significance to lynx and believed that dreaming of them would bring a man magical stealth and hunting powers.
A legendarily elusive creature, it can leap up to 23ft in one bound, before vanishing back into the forest. And sadly, the last of the British lynx disappeared long ago due to habitat destruction and human persecution.
But it can be brought back.
Over the past decades, across Europe, there have been remarkably successful reintroductions.
Project leader of the Lynx UK Trust Paul O’Donaghue said: “The return of this magnificent creature is key to help restore the health of our ecosystems. Efforts
like Andrew’s are so important to help us raise the necessary funds to bring this beautiful cat back to the UK.
“And of course it gives Andrew something new to paint in our beautiful countryside.”
You can support the lynx project by going to https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/bring-back-the-lynx
