I set off six months ago with two objectives and I am delighted to say that both are achieved:

The Challenge

After 24 hours of travel, we started at the Pacific ocean at 8am on Saturday 10 February. We spent the day biking to 200m altitude, then hiking up to 1000m, getting used to the tropical temperature and humidity. Day 2 continued hiking, then biking again up to 1600m, this time navigating ourselves. Day 3 started at 6am, biking up to the top of the Continental Divide at 2400m, then down hill technical off-road afterwards. On day 4 we biked cross country all day going from the mountains, through high altitude coffee fields and down to lower lying sugarcane plantations. We did our final biking on day 5, down to the Pacuare river, which we followed to the mouth, initially on six man white water river rafts. Day 6 was all rafting, through class III / IV rapids. On day 7, the river became smoother and we kayaked 45km out to the shores of the Caribbean.

Of 60 starters, 10 did not manage the route, taking time out to travel in the support vehicles. A further 5 were injured out, 3 by mountain bike accidents and 2 from river raft injuries. The expedition doctors were great, stitching up wounds at the scene and getting challengers back into the competition as soon as they could. In this way, many of the walking wounded managed to finish the event. Overall we came 4th out of 11 teams, and the team spirit and comradeship from the experience will live with me for a long time.

My Offline Donations

Many thanks to Peter Hansford Cycle Shop and Wilds Sports Winchester for corporate sponsorship. Thank you also to Ron Cooper (my Dad), Sylvia Ruffels (my mother-in-law), Gary and Kate Grant, Anita and Keith Stonell, Sonya and Chris Fox, Carol and Simon Chaplin-Rogers, Julia and Geoff Davies; Jean and Bernard Goss, Andy Cole, Jenny Waddington, Vibeke Smith-Petersen and Andy and Naomi Black for offline donations. Appreciation also to Cotswold Outdoor Reading for substantial discounts on gear purchase for the trip.

The Original Plea

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please help the Prince's Trust - and me - by sponsoring me online.

I am raising money for the Prince's Trust; they are a charity that focus on those who've struggled at school, been in care, trouble with the law, or are long-term unemployed. Through practical support; they help young people transform their lives to realise their potential and get their lives working. We will be raising money to help those who have not been as fortunate as we have been in our starts in life.

In February 2007, I will be part of a six man team racing to cross Costa Rica from the Pacific ocean to the Atlantic coast, crossing the Continental Divide. The course traverses mountain ranges, rivers and jungle. The Challenge involves a mixture of hiking, mountain biking, white water river rafting and finally sea kayaking out to the Carribbean.