The team: Serena Birrane, Tony Coates (our drivers!! our cooks!! our masseurs!!!)
Alison Coombe, Paul Flood, Tariq Moghal, Robert Murphy, Bob Scott 28.4.08 - The team have been issued with strict training instructions and compete each week to achieve the best results... Lifts and escalators have been banned and fines are issued for offenders - all fines to Crimestoppers of course so let us know if you see any of the team not obeying the rules! Next to go is alcohol which is meeting with some resistance. Just 6 weeks to go! 3.4.08 - Tony Kelly, Capgemini's Everest summiter, gives the team and all the other challengers some of his top tips: 1.) Hydration is critical: 3-4% drop off in hydration = 10% drop in performance - You should be peeing lots!
2.) Use sticks
3.) Take high energy foods e.g. Gels and think of lacing your water with isotonic powder
4.) Train by hill walking as much as possible
5.) Change clothing between hikes
6.) Warm up and down thoroughly for each hike
7.) Start cool as you will get warm
8.) Set intermediate time targets on the hill
9.) Keep in visible contact with the team
10.) Leave a copy of your route with the drivers
11.) Have contingency plans in place
12.) Treat blisters as soon as they arise
13.) Everyone should have a rudimentary understanding of the route
14.) Have the navigator at the front
15.) Best not to use a walkman as you should be aware of surroundings at all times
31.3.08 - Update on the Snowdon practice climb from base camp Scott.
Unfortunately due to adverse weather conditions we didn’t reach the summit of Snowdon this weekend. We made it to about 2/3rds of the way up, bit disappointed really but the right decision not to continue…a lot of people turned round before us! But the guy wearing just shorts was bonkers!! The good news… all five of the climbing team are uninjured apart from a few aches in places we didn’t know we had muscles. Bob's daughter Emily, 12 has an aching right knee and the other daughter Katherine 14 is very tired, she slept most of the last hour or so of our drive home. Other climbers (Kevin Tomlinson, Paula Iddon, Bob's wife Karen and Lara Rawlings all OK apart from Lara’s boots which got wet, don’t think it is terminal damage!!!) And Paul, Rob and Ali were so keen they went off for another climb on the Sunday. Managed to get to the top of somewhere with great sea views and even some sunshine! 17 (although rumour has it their numbers had dwindled due to some previous scoffing activity in the office last week) Crimestoppers gingerbread men travelled with us, but horizontal hail, rain, snow and 90mph winds prevented a photo opportunity with them on the mountain. We did get a picture of them though in the pub and a good team photo on the Park and Ride bus (with a North Wales Crimestoppers logo in the background) and some hopefully good ones in the rather inclement weather up the mountain. 1.3.08 - We're training hard to lose weight... no, get ourselves fit before the 7th June when we embark on 24 hours of hell! It's not going to be easy - Ben Nevis (1344m, 4406 ft), Scafell Pike (978m, 3210 ft) and Snowdon (1085m, 3560ft) all within the space of 24 hours snatching sleep in the van between each climb. Not sure that we will be challenging the army's record of 19 hours ish - we'll give it a try! First on location training weekend planned for Snowdon at the end of March - may be looking for new team members after that! Until then we'll be on our exercise bikes, rowing machines, cross trainers and less altitude challenging yomps in the Chilterns. We're all determined to do it and it's a great cause so please dig deep and sponsor us online.
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