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I will be joining the 'Action for charity' team in a 9-day life-time trek to raise funds for Book Aid International. This adventure will take me to Bwindi 'The Impenetrable Forest' in Uganda, home to one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, in search of Golden Monkeys and Mountain Gorillas. We will also be trekking up Mount Sabinyo, an extinct volcano which, at 3,645m (11,958 feet), is one of the the region's highest peaks.

The trek will be tough. I am certainly not used to walking for up to 8 hours per day on uneven surfaces, steep trails and damp and slippery forest floor! For the last 3 months I have worked on increasing my fitness level to prepare for this. I need to build my strength, cardiovascular stamina and muscle endurance...for a lazy bum like me this is an enormous challenge :-)

Why am I putting myself through this? Observing Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat is in my 'To Do List'. Only 700 Mountain Gorillas remain in the wild so chances to get close to these magnificent creatures are extremely limited. I also want to achieve my own personal physical and mental goal. 

This is a great opportunity to raise money for Book Aid International. Books and libraries are a crucial resource in sub-Saharan Africa. They are vital for quality education; they raise literacy levels, provide information and underpin development. Book Aid International has sent over 30 million books to schools, colleges, community libraries, refugee camps and prisons in Africa and trained hundreds of librarians since 1954.

I want to celebrate their achievement and do my bit to help them continue to touch the lives of readers of all ages all around the world. I hope you will join me in this adventure and support my challenge.

The trek is self-funded so all the money you donate will be sent directly to the charity. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.