A mountaineer has returned a Manx flag to the Chief Minister after taking it to the top of one of the world’s highest peaks.
Phil Drowley received the flag from Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK prior to setting off to scale Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea.
He famously took another Manx flag to the top of the world’s highest mountain, Everest, in 2010, and that has been on display in the Chief Minister’s office ever since.
Phil reached the top of the 15,629ft pyramid, Australasia’s tallest peak, on 11 November and in doing so joined an elite group of around 230 climbers to have summited the highest mountains in every continent.
He proudly flew the latest flag at the summit.
As well as Carstensz Pyramid and Everest (28,320ft), Phil has flown a Manx flag on the summit of Vinson Massif in Antarctica (15,670ft), Aconcagua in South America (22,267ft), Denali in North America (19,821ft), Kilimanjaro in Africa (18,864ft) and Europe’s Mount Elbrus (18,054ft).
Congratulating Phil on his latest achievement, the Chief Minister said: ‘He has put the Isle of Man on the map with his adventures and, in realising his dream of summiting the highest peak in each continent, has reached the pinnacle of endeavour in his sport and achieved something only a handful of climbers have ever done. The Island is rightly proud of him.’
Phil, 46, a Chief Inspector with the Isle of Man Constabulary, also presented the £1,509.50 proceeds of his latest climb to Ronald McDonald House Isle of Man Families and Friends.
Ronald McDonald Houses are attached to hospitals in big cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow and accommodate families whose children are patients. The local charity has raised £350,000 for Ronald McDonald Houses up and down the country.
Phil started his 14-year mountaineering journey with four police colleagues when they climbed Kilimanjaro in 2000 in support of Ronald McDonald House Isle of Man Families and Friends, so it was appropriate that the proceeds of his final climb should go to the same charity.
Charity founder and chairman Andy Kelly and treasurer Jenny Gordon received the cheque yesterday.
