Snowdon’s hills walkers had never seen anything like it: a snaking line of madcap farmers carrying a menagerie of model animals to the summit of Wales’ highest mountain.

At the head of the unlikely procession was Bessie the dairy cow, followed by a calf, pig, piglet, ewe and a lamb.

The lucky ones got to carry the fibreglass leek and potato.

Weighing 90kg, Bessie was attached to a frame so that teams of people could lug her up the 3,560ft mountain.

Startled walkers could only stop and stare.

The surreal stunt was organised by the Cows On Tour (CoT) group of farmers to raise money for agricultural charities.

It was also designed to promote CoT’s week-long schools roadshow across Wales, which gets underway next week.

 
It was hard going in places but the group completed its ascent much quicker than anticipated
It was hard going in places but the group completed its ascent much quicker than anticipated

CoT founder Abi Reader said plenty of people had stopped to offer their support as the fibreglass farm made its way to the summit.

"It must have been a strange sight for other walkers," she said.

"I looked back a few times and all you could was this cow bobbing 6ft over the crowds, looking quite regal.

"There was lots of clapping and quite a few people wanted selfies with the cow: we made a couple of 'tourist stops' so that people could get photos and learn more about what we were doing, which was the whole point of the exercise."

 
Teams of up to eight people alternated carrying Bessie up the mountain. Going down was much harder. 'When we reached a steep section of Tarmac near the end, her weight pulled us forward and we were almost running,' she said. 'It was tough on the knees.'
Teams of up to eight people alternated carrying Bessie up the mountain. Going down was much harder. 'When we reached a steep section of Tarmac near the end, her weight pulled us forward and we were almost running,' she said. 'It was tough on the knees.'

Walking the 4.5-mile Llanberis route, the 74 farmers and supporters reached the summit in three hours 20 minutes, completing the trip in just over seven hours. The youngest member of the team was aged just one-years-old.

In doing so they raised nearly £4,000 – and counting – for the RABI and DJP Foundation.

The group began their day with a sausages-and-bacon breakfast before they hit the slopes and began overtaking a number of gawping hikers.

 
Success! The group celebrate reaching the summit with their model farm animals
Success! The group celebrate reaching the summit with their model farm animals

Climb leader and “chief whip” was Steve Hughson, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society , for whom the hike was particularly poignant.

A few weeks earlier he'd lost a close friend - he attended the funeral the day before the walk.

“It means a lot for me to be here today,” he said.

“We’re raising money for some really good causes and I’m just glad to be part of it.”

The RABI helps farming families who are struggling financially while the DJP Foundation supports those with mental health issues in the farming community.

 
Bessie the flying cow is hauled home by Zip World staff at Penrhyn Quarry
Bessie the flying cow is hauled home by Zip World staff at Penrhyn Quarry

Bessie's adventures are far from over. Having already flown down a zip wire at Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda , she will scale a wind turbine later this year to promote farming's environmental credentials.

With the rest of her fibreglass gang she is also due to attend a wedding and visit Bridgend prison.

CoT chairman Matthew Shervington-Jones said the Snowdon jaunt had been tiring but successful.

“We met all of our aims,” he said.

“We got our fibreglass farm to the summit, we raised nearly £4,000 so far and we highlighted what an amazing job the farming industry is doing in feeding our growing nation.”

  • The CoT roadshow runs from May 13-19. It starts in Fishguard and ends at the Royal Welsh Spring Festival. To volunteer, contact cowsontourfarms@gmail.com.