We are back! We have all achieved all three peaks on Kilimanjaro and we are very greatful for all the support before we left and during the climb. I will of course write to you all thanking you but thought id drop a quick note on here of our return. i will post some pictures on here over the weekend.

Thanks to you all we are getting nearer to the target and with some of the donations we have recieved should be somewhere around 14k by the end of the weekend.

Thanks again and keep your eyes out for the pics we all look great after 5 days with no showers and toilets that there are not enough adjectives to describe.

Rob and Ash

17/09/2012

Three days left and we are entering into that time when apprehension is taking over from excitement. why did we do this again?

Anyway we have 3 days to raise the total and get our bags packed. training is all but done and i am still no closer to stopping smoking. i dare say that the altitude may have a contribution to make.

Ashley has taken ownership of his New bachelor pad and can now go through the boxes where his kit is hidden.

will make one more post before we embark.

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The talley is rising and a last push over the next few days will be very much a focus.

we have continued to train and the guys got together for a meeting a week ago and everyone is up for the challenge ahead.

we have been so well supported by friends, business colleagues and families that we were all really upbeat about achieving our targets for the various charities. Ash and i have a slightly larger gap than most. we need to sit on a few folks who have im sure been waiting to get there messages in.

Thanks to all those who have left messages of supported and given us donations. it will spur us on when the inevitable wall hits.

I will do another post before we go

Rob and Ash

Training walk on Sunday 19th August

4 of the 5 were avaialble for the training walk which was a 3 hour moderate around south Notts villages.

Paul (i have a new iphone) arrived sporting New boots and in his jeans he did not feel the proposed walk was testing enough for his kit.

Ash arrived in shorts! (a mistake i felt having walked through the nettle laden paths the day before)

James (The sweety man) Carney arrived in full kit and ready for the off.

my dogs also decided they were coming too.

Star lead the way and we set off. a nice change to train in the warm weather with no rain / waterproofs in sight .

Ash enjoyed the doc leaves as much as the nettles, (He wont do that again). We all enjoyed Chocolate Eclairs from the Sweety man Although i have to say the Worthers are the sweet of choice for any self respecting English Kilimanjaro trainer.

we discussed everything from Kilimanjaro, the Olympics, fund raising and 3 hours and 9.2 miles later were at our desination. back where we began. general fitness levels are good and whilst we were all warm another circuit could have been achieved.

we need some hills prior to getting on the plane but the chance of doing these together in our schedules is probably non existent. so traiing apat we will have one more meeting before we go in 31 days time.

I have posted 4 new picks and the Bolt and Farrah training went down very well in the field sprayed with lovely fresh manure.

So all fit and healthy Visas either here or on the way. Jabs and innoculations nearly completed and preparations in full swing.

Totals rising on all of the fund raising mean we are on our way to achieving the targets set so please dont stop yourself from pushing the buttons and donating.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------so we have just emailed over 1600 people and the total has seen a few increased donations over the day yesterday. come on folks send this out to your contacts list and hellp us to achieve the target. a small donation from many is all it requires.

training walk planeed for sunday with James Carney adamanent we need to find a source of water to try out his water purification tablets. judging by our past walks the weather will be so wet we wont require any further water just leave the top of the water bottles for ten minutes and we will have what we require.

i will post the results monday

Having just returned from my holidays we are both still on course to be the next olympians. I am looking more like Mo Farrah every day and if I turn sideways, ash loses me!!

Ash looks more like chris Hoyes dad!!

THIS WEEKEND IS A WALK ! WE WILL REPORT BACK ON THE RESULTS

Saturday the 9th June and we went on our first team bonding/training walk under the leadership of Paul (i have sat nav on my phone) Fisher. An experienced mountaineer and used to expeditions. He took us to Kinder Scout for a 9 mile trek through the peaks. Now being a novice at this i was impressed by the map Paul produced for us prior to the trip but on arrival in the car park he impressed the team still further with his Mobile app on his lovely i phone. This was to guide us through the peaks. so we set off from the car park in what was fairly light rain.

A short walk and we were in the trees then out to open hills and the deluge began. a few pictures a short video and my phone decided it did not like the rain. to be honest could not fault it as i was getting a little tired of it after 5 minutes too.

Paul's unassuming victims then began to climb and he guided us to a waterfall which he then pointed at and explained up here is the way!!

Ash, Andy, James and i looked at each other and then being men and not wishing to be the ones to say (are you mental) we followed like little lambs to the slaughter.

On arrival at the top i could see Paul had out his lovely iphone and was planning our next punishment. Imagine my surprise when we were joined by two other walkers who had negotiated the route to the top with us without getting quite so wet walking up a torent of waterfall. I was even more shocked when Paul asked them politely "is this the right way to Kinder downfall?" At this point we realised technology in sideways wind and rain can be a little unreliable!

From here we were led by the old fashioned method of " oh s*** i think it's this way" who needs maps"? Well apparently not us as we had left them in the car having complete confidence in our Leader and his gadgetory.

The spirits were however very good and we were not in disagreement on any subject. We all wanted to get off the hill. We were all very wet. We all wanted to go to the pub!

a good first session out in the hills but next time can we have a little less rain!!!

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We are in training and yesterday Ash made it to the tea machine without taking a break on route. Rob congratulated whilst smoking a Benson & Hedges.

We will of course be ready for September!! which September is in question but we are committed to climbing the Mountain for The chosen Charity.

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