Story
What am I doing and why?
I've decided this is the year I actually get off my backside and do a few of the things I've been thinking about doing but have always been too lazy to do. In the process of overcoming my laziness and lethargy I plan to raise money for charity by completing a number of challenges.
I plan to carry out the following challenges in aid of Hope House Children's Hospices (see below for further details about Hope House):
* The Yorkshire3 peaks challenge (in 12 hours)
The circuit starts and ends at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, visiting the three highest peaks in Yorkshire - Pen-y-ghent (691m), Whernside (728m), and Ingleborough (723m). The total distance walked is around 25 miles, with a total climb of some 5,200 feet with the aim of completing in less than 12 hours.
* The 3 peaks challenge (in 24 hours)
Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales. The objective is to complete the challenge in less than 24 hours including travelling between each peak. The route involves about 26 miles of walking, climbs totaling over 13,000ft and 450 miles of driving. As it's a 24 hour challenge I have the joy of climbing Snowdon in the dark to look forward to as well
* The Longmynd Hike A 50 mile hike over the South Shropshire hills in 24 hours. The route involves over 8000ft of climbing and, obviously, 50 whole miles of hiking (and probably crawling!). This is the only event not being carried out solo and will I will therefore be joined by my future brother-in-law, Scott Pearson (and maybe a couple of others if we find anyone fancying a 50 mile stroll).
* The Severn Way walk (a 210 mile walk from the Severn source in mid Wales to Bristol. I'll be attempting this over a number of weekends and should hopefully have completed the walk by April/May time.
A blog detailing where I am with training, completing the challenges etc... can be found here.
If you can dig deep and help raise much needed funds for Hope House that would be fantastic. Anything you can donate is massively appreciated.
Hope House
"Hope House Children’s Hospices provides respite, palliative care and terminal nursing for life-limited children.
The organisation runs two hospices – Hope House in Oswestry and Ty Gobaith in Conwy.
Support is also offered in the family home by the Community Care Team. Bereavement support and counselling is available to all family members for as long as it is necessary.
Hope House makes no charge to families, and receives a limited amount of statutory funding – voluntary income is therefore essential to ensure the continuation of the service.
Hope House is a registered charity. The annual running costs of the organisation is £3.5 million, including the cost of running two hospices, our extensive social work services, counselling, our community nursing service and, of course, fundraising and administration. For the next three years the Department of Health has promised an annual sum of £300,000. This is a welcome boost to our funding but in reality it will only fund our work for one month a year and means we continue to rely on the generosity of the general public for the majority of our income."
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Hope House Children's Hospices will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.So please sponsor me now!
Many thanks for your support.
July 2008 Update
The Yorkshire 3 peaks and the national 3 peaks challenges are thankfully over. The Yorks 3 peaks was completed in just under 8 1/2 hours and left me unable to bend my knees and in absolute agony! Thankfully I managed to sort the problems and completed the national 3 peaks in 23 1/2 hours exactly.
It has to be said, I've been living a rather sedentary lifestyle and the 3 peaks was the hardest thing, mentally and physically, I've ever had to do. The weather was awful and I spent half of Ben Nevis and the whole Scafell Pike soaked to the skin. Scafell Pike was just horrible, there's no other word to describe it. Chucking it down with rain, blowing a gale, misty and freezing cold, I'd be happy never to have to experience that again! The weather on Snowdon was dry at least but with only 2 hours sleep in the 22 hours prior to starting the climb it was so hard. However, I managed it within the 24 hours and without any form of injury. Thanks god it's over!
Just a 50 mile hike to go now.