Why?

We did it for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, as part of the Many Hands campaign; another small way of repaying the gratitude to the nurses that saved my 5 day old daughter’s life.

RMCH is the largest children’s hospital in the UK and one I am proud to be a Charity Ambassador for. In the past I have cycled from London to Manchester, taken part in White Collar Boxing (and won!) and driven to the South of France dressed as a priest in a £500 banger.

This year we took it up another notch.

The event is raising money for a Heli-Pad at the Hospital. Barely believable, but the UK’s largest Children’s Hospital doesn’t have a Heli-Pad. Air Ambulances carrying critically injured children are forced to land up to 9 miles away in Barton, they face a 20-30min road journey to the hospital.

Please help us give the surgeons at the hospital a Time Machine.

The ride was tough. 1500ft is a lot, once. By the third run it really hurt. By the time we passed 10,000ft Anaerobic tanks were well drained and Aerobic tanks were heavily depleted. As for legs, even the downhill bits hurt.

The weather, initially wet, soon dried up and our downward descent got faster and faster at the same time our climbs got slower. Climbs gradually dropped from 32 minutes to near 50 minutes, but descents dipped under 14 minutes with top speeds over 40 mph.

Spirits picked up even more as the day went on and more and more supporters came to see us. Families, friends and then between 2 and 4pm, we set up a ‘Base Camp’ party with Chocolate-Making thanks to Oli the Choc, Face-Painting, Balloon making, refreshments and of course a Gin Bar hosted by the amazing Bernie and thanks to Daffy’s Gin, Hunters Gin and Forest Gin, as well as Fever-Tree for providing the Tonic.Ava

Few things pick spirits up better, and flush energy back into your legs than the sight of you wife and daughter coming running up to you as you arrive back at Arighi Bianchi’s Base Camp. With over 100 people there at one point, the atmosphere at the bottom of the climb was fantastic, and humbling see so many people turn up to support us. And drink Gin! 

Eventually rain got the better of us and heavy rain soaked the run making brakes ineffective and low cloud making visibility dangerous (see earlier 40 mph comment…!). With me left as the sole rider, our course director and voice of safety (my dad), deemed it too dangerous whilst on my 8th run. We’d topped the day at 72 runs.

We’d climbed Everest 3.8 times…!

…But there’s more


I’ll confess to being a little disappointed at the end of the main day. I had another couple of runs in my legs, and my heart. Rain had stopped the fun (and bruised the ego). I had a desire to climb Everest myself….So I went back the following day and did 5 more runs, this time in sunshine.

Those five runs, added to the training runs I completed in the 7 days prior to the event, meant I personally climbed my own Everest.

Sponsorship

Fundraising has always been at the core of this ride, and I’m immensely grateful to everyone who donated. Our fundraising for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital currently stands at nearly £9,000….and still climbing.

Huge thanks to everyone who took part, supported, sponsored and just gave words of encouragement.

The prize draw was done on Monday 11th July…. Congratulations to the winners.