Hi All,

As you are possibly aware (I've been blabbing about it enough over the past few weeks!) I'm aiming on climbing/hiking/crawling/hyperventilating my way up Mt. Elbert in Colorado, USA on the 21st Apr with a Colorado friend (Tom), and to ensure that I don't bottle it, I thought it made sense to try and raise some money for charity and set a target for myself!

I have thought long and hard about which charity to raise funds for, but in the end I have chosen the British Lung Foundation.

Some background on the reasons for choosing this charity...

1. I spent 4 years of my teens helping my parents look after my Grandma (Elsie Chadwick) who had severe Asthma and Emphysema (an irreversible degenerative condition - symptoms include shortness of breath, hyperventilation and hypoxia) and it affected me greatly seeing my Gran struggle to do things that you and me think of as incredibly simple (like walk 10 yards to the loo, eat food and walk up a few steps). I was very close to my Gran (I was with her when she passed away), and I think she would be extremely chuffed with my chosen charity.

2. I myself have asthma. Although not severe, it helps me realise what a debililtating condition it can be.

3. In the UK, 1 person in 8 is affected by a lung disease, so the BLF is definitely a charity that helps many of us.

Anyway, onto some info about the task ahead...

Mt. Elbert is the highest mountain in Colorado and is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. For the "stattos" amongst you, Elbert is the second highest mountain in the contiguous United States, after Mount Whitney in California, and stands at 14,433 feet.

Although not technically difficult to climb (in summer it is just a strenuous hike), I'll be going up at the most unpredicatable time of the year in the Rockies in terms of weather, and I'm expecting a fair amount of snow and strong winds, which will make the ascent anything but a "done deal". This combines with the possibility of me suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) which may make the climb a tad uncomfortable!

See the following links for some views of what it'll be like...

Elbert Trip Report 1

Elbert Trip Report 2

Myself and Tom aim to set off from the trailhead at around 05:00 in the morning (with headlamps) and hope to be back down (at latest) by early afternoon (to avoid the lightning storms and possible whiteout conditions).

Wish us luck!!! After (if) we summit, I'll make sure I post some pictures on my website and send out a link to you all.

The sales (begging) pitch...

Thanks very very much for visiting my fundraising page. Please donate (rather than pledge) as much as you can - even if it just the odd quid or so.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The British Lung Foundation 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.

Cheers,

Nige