Jamie and Ben are going to climb the 3 peaks - the highest mountains in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scaffel Pike) and Wales (Snowden) respectively, back to back. Kristina is the designated driver who will get them to each mountain. They have 24 hours to complete the challenge across 3 separate countries. The clock starts ticking at the base of the first mountain and stops at the base of the last mountain - driving time is included in the 24 hour time limit. A big part of the challenge is endurance, but the other big part is beating the traffic to make it within time.

• Start: 17:00 Saturday 19/09/20
• Finish: 17:00 Sunday 20/09/20

Dementia is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the UK. Despite this, investment in dementia research remains low compared to other major health conditions. The word ‘dementia’ is an umbrella term, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common.

The chances are that you have a loved one affected by Alzheimer's disease. 

In my case it was my Granddad. My Granddad Eric lived a long exciting life, I grew up listening to his stories, it felt like he had hundreds. How he carried his pet goose the whole way across Nazi occupied Italy, until it was stolen in the night and eaten by Canadian troops. How he would sneak my Grandmothers family extra rations, stolen from the army barracks. How he imported fruit machines from Las Vegas when the UK gambling prohibition was lifted. How he built my childhood home from scratch. Even in to my 20s we'd sit down and he would tell me new ones that I'd never heard.

Even at his grand old age he was a healthy man, who carefully watched what he ate and took good care of himself. At first we didn't notice it, he would have small lapses in his memory, forget what he was talking about etc. But then his mind started declining rapidly. 

It was hard, watching his once sharp mind struggle to recall memories that had once flowed effortlessly. It was hard watching someone who had been so consistent my whole life fade away. 

To my Granddad family was everything, but he reached a point where he struggled to recognised us.

But even towards the end of his life he'd still recall little things here and there. For example I told him I was planning on hiking a mountain in Scotland. 3 weeks later he asked my sister how I was doing 'up that mountain.' By this point, it was easier to go with the flow, then to correct him on things (as it would only bring him confusion for no gain). So my sister went with it and said 'yeah yeah he's doing good.' I laughed when she told me, because I imagined me in some Mount-Everest-like situation, shivering 30,000ft in the air for weeks on end. That was one of the last times he showed any knowledge of who I was before we lost him, so I think it is fitting that we are raising money for Alzheimers by climbing some mountains. 

This disease can affect any of us, and the chances are that you have witnessed it too. Dementia doesn't just affect the elderly - in the UK over 40,000 people under 65 have dementia.

I hope you have a long and happy life - remember that Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing. Through the hard work of charities like Alzheimers Research UK we will beat this cruel disease so that it can no longer take precious time with our loved ones away from us. 

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