Walking one’s feet down the bridge column was the alternative way to descend.

Hundreds abseiled down Malta’s highest bridge over the week­-end to raise funds for Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Organised by the Mosta Scout Group, the 34-hour abseiling mara­thon at Mosta Bridge began on Saturday at 9am and drew to a close yesterday evening. It was the group’s third edition of the event.

Although briefly interrupted by rainfall on Saturday evening and yesterday morning, hundreds of intrepid people of all ages, including those who had never tried abseiling before, paid a donation of €12 to go over the edge.

After a short training session and a trial run, they chose to either abseil 13 stories down one of the bridge columns or get lowered in the middle of an archway, known as ‘free fall’.

People who dared to take on the challenge at night were charged a lower rate of €6.

In all, about 400 people had booked to abseil but by yesterday evening the number of participants had reached 570, meaning the scouts managed to raise much more than the €3,000 they collected for the same cause last year.

The scout group’s volunteers will take part – with some of them playing musical instruments – in the fundraising event to be held on New Year’s Day at Id-Dar tal-Providenza.