The Challenge:  I plan to spend my summer 'holiday' cycling in the Italian Alps and I've devised a cunning plan to raise some money for a very a deserving charity in the process. (Gorilla Organization)

The charity money doesn't go to shave Gorillas or for Gorilla's to spend at Local Chimpanzee casino, but rather to provide the poorest locals with water cisterns for clean water,  preventing encroachment into Gorilla habitat, tree planting and education (locals not gorillas) etc

The trip is fully paid for and I'm not raising money in order to go. Every single penny/cent goes to charity.

My mission is thus: six days of cycling up some of the steepest hills in the world, after which I shall have my legs waxed!

Now if you're thinking that's easy for a cyclist, let me put a few things into perspective ....

Over the course of 6 days, I'll be cycling  approx 100km per day and ascending some of the highest mountain passes in the world including: Madonna di Ghisallo, Tonalle Pass, Passo Sella, Passo Gardena and Passo Pardoi, Passo di Fedaia, Passo di Valles and Passo di, Rolle, Croce d’Aune,Mt Grappa. It's going to be very, very difficult and much harder than anything I've ever attempted. 

To give you an idea of the hills involved, the Stelvio climbs to 2757m or 9045 ft up 48 hair pins. 

The Mortirolo, described by Lance Armstrong as the toughtest climb in the world, at one point goes up hill for 12km, at an average of 10.6% gradient with stretches at 18%

To make matters worse, I've only ever cycled 100km in a day a couple of times. After lots of training...... In Kent (no mountains)

 And never more than once in a week, let alone consecutive days. Not once since October 2009, since when 've piled on the pounds drinking Alt, eating cake and currywurst.

As of the 9th May 2010 I've started 'training' and aim to give up the beer, pies and currywurst for a couple of  months. Not easy when you live in Germany. To compound matters, I have the hairiest legs ever bestowed upon a blonde/ginger guy.