LATEST NEWS:   ARRIVED ON CATALAN COAST, IN CADAQUES, 3 JULY........From late May to early July 2009, James Blount is attempting to walk the Pyrenean range that links the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and defines the French-Spanish frontier.  He will start in Hendaye on the Basque coast and hopes to reach Cap de Creus on the Catalan coast 43 days, 700km and 45,000 metres of ascent later.
James will be raising funds for the charity Merlin (the international provider of emergency healthcare and medical relief www.merlin.org.uk) and he is being supported by his employer, Control Risks (www.control-risks.com), who have a longstanding relationship with the charity and will be sponsoring him alongside friends, relatives and colleagues.  It should be stressed that all funds raised will go directly to Merlin and that James is meeting all the costs of this expedition himself. Control Risks' and JV partners International SOS's 24/7 Global Security Centre will also be tracking his progress and providing emergency support if necessary.  Follow James's progress on Google Map at http://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=118797
James, who over the past six years has headed up Control Risks' businesses in Baghdad, Erbil and (based in Dubai) the Middle East region, is a keen advocate of Merlin’s work having seen their operations first hand during his long overseas career. James knows from experience that the work Merlin undertakes is critical for devastated communities, both in the immediate aftermath of disaster and in the longer term – and that it is a cause which deserves support, especially in these testing times.