Charity trekker Hannah Hill has her sights firmly set on summit in Atlas Mountains of North Africa after undergoing laser eye surgery
Short-sighted from the age of 11, glasses and contact lenses were all that Hannah Hill had known, writes Romily Roberts.
Although they have been enough to deal with daily life for the past 21 years, she realised that when it came to tackling an intrepid adventure that lies ahead, a more permanent eyesight solution for her prescription of minus 3.25 was needed.
For Hannah, who lives in Bishop’s Stortford with her marriage partner and a Romanian rescue dog, is gearing up for a three-day trek in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco in support of Crisis.
The expedition in September involves scaling Mount Toubkal, whose summit, at 4,617m (15,148ft), is four times the height of Mount Snowdon.
Hannah’s preparation for the trek has been a journey in itself, tackling hiking trails and pushing herself with incline training in the gym. However, more than just extensive physical training was required.
“There was a point in my training where I realised that this trek would be a lot harder if I was relying on my glasses and contacts to get me there,” she said.
Experts advise people who require sight correction to be cautious when climbing or hiking as any bacteria that enter the eye could cause infection. Impaired vision also increases the likelihood of injury by slipping or falling.
So, Hannah underwent laser eye surgery at OCL Vision, a specialist clinic with branches in Elstree in Hertfordshire and London.
“Laser eye surgery has been a game-changer and has allowed me to train more comfortably without the hassle of glasses or contacts,” she said.
Hannah, who works in business and commercial banking, will be joined by 119 colleagues from the Lloyds Banking Group, which began a partnership with the homelessness charity in April 2023 which has so far raised £1.3 million.
“I’ve really enjoyed raising money for Crisis this year and have been trying to fundraise with anything, from car boot sales, selling clothes and furniture to running my own raffles,” she said.
“I’m thrilled to be taking on this trek for such an important cause. I like pushing myself and the Atlas Mountains will be my greatest hiking challenge to date.”
Hannah set a target of raising £6,000 from her Toubkal Trek and has already reached that particular peak, having raised £6,050. She welcomes more donations via her JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/page/hannah-hill-1707830313347.
Article author Romily Roberts, 17, who lives in Stebbing and is doing psychology, English literature and history A-levels at Herts and Essex High School, spent three days’ work experience at the Indie.