Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. 

As most of you know, Chris is presently in Afghanistan and this fund-raising trek is proving to be the perfect challenge for me.  I am currently training 6-8 hours a week, including the occasional all-day trek with my training partners Sandra and Nicky.  By July I am aiming to comfortably complete two 10-hour treks, back-to-back, before Chris and I are posted.

On the 2nd September I will be flying to for a fundraising 8-day trek in the Andes mountain range.  Each day I will be trekking between 5 and 10 hours, at altitudes of up to 4,445 meters.  The route will follow relatively remote paths rather than the more popular Inca Trail, with accommodation under canvas.  

I am undertaking this challenge in order to raise sponsorship money for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA). SSAFA is a national charity helping serving and ex-servicemen, women and their families, including widows and widowers in need. They provide invaluable help and assistance within the serving and ex-service community. Please log on the SSAFA website to find out more about this marvellous organization.  

UPDATE (as at 1st March) 

 I have recently arranged two shooting evenings at the SAT range on JHQ, which were enjoyed by all and I hope to arrange more as the response was so good.  

I am also part of a team of 8 ladies in who are all working together in our fund raising efforts.  All the local schools have agreed to do mufti days for us; we have a 70's disco on the 25th March, a Treadmill Trekathon on 20th May in the JHQ NAAFI foyer and a plant sale outside the NAAFI on 3rd and 4th June.  Other future events may include a horse racing night in the mess with a curry supper and a garden party. 

 

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: SSAFA Forces Help will receive your money faster and, if you are a taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. 

 

Much needed update! (as at 15 June)

 

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has very generously donated to my fund raising. I have changed the photo at last because many people couldn't stop laughing at it! The new photo is of me with Sally, the official photographer in our team - it is rare to have a photo of her, so it is great to have this one. 

Chris is now home .....yippeee. He has now become my number one training partner, and all of you who know Chris, know how hard that will be. Training has now resumed after our 2-week holiday in Turkey . I now need to get it back up to 8 hours training a week again! We have a distinct lack of hills locally, so a few of us girls will be off to the Mosel and then hopefully a w/end trip to Bavaria for 2 x 10 hour treks. 

 

As a group we have been non-stop fund raising. The best event was our Fire Station Car Wash. Last w/end we had a pamper night, a car boot sale (we provided refreshments ) and we packed bags in the NAAFI, raising €1500 - not bad for a w/ends work. We now have  £1000 each in the group pot so most of us are almost at our target. We have a toga night, a tennis tournament and a Gala cinema night where we will be asking everyone on base to don kinky boots and come and join us for fizz and nibbles at the showing of the film "Kinky Boots". Our last event is on 28th July. One of our team, Nicky, has hired "It's A Knockout" from the  UK and she will be asking all teams to donate to Mission Trek . 

 

We are all getting a little nervous now, because many military personnel we meet keep telling us their altitude sickness horror stories - oh well we will soon find out! Chris and I are due a move in the next month or two, so this should also keep us busy!

Many thanks for your support.  

 

All the best.  

 

Liz

I DID IT !!!!!!!!IT WAS AMAZING

Thank you all for for your support. I reached my target and as a team member of the JHQ 8, we exceeded our target and raised a staggering £25,000. We have yet to find out the collective total of all 30 trekers, but believe it to be in the region of £60,000. SSAFA are hopeing to let us know soon which project all this money will be funding.

There is so much to tell you about the trip, I don't know where to start.The company Across The Divide who organised Trek Peru were amazingly professional and I can not recommend them enough. As a group we all gelled very quickly and it was nothing like the present TV series " Extreme Dreams ". The guts and determination shown by all the team who suffered from either altitude sickness or gastro-enteritus inspired the rest of us to get our heads down and keep treking up, up, up !! On day 5 , our longest day, ( over 11 hours trekking ) we reached our highest point at 4582 metres. It was well worth it and we were rewarded by some pretty spectacular views of the snow and glacier capped Mount Veronica, also known as Huacay Huilca, and the Sacred Valley below.

During our trek  we were priveleged to meet  local children and their school's. This was a incredibly humbling experience to witness how little they had and how grateful they were for the little that we gave them ( pens, paper and crayons ). If you would like a more detailed account of the trek then either give me a ring or visit the website below.

The official photographer Jonty Cooke has created a fabulous web site so if you would like a little more detail about my trip then feel free to peruse his site.

http://www.jonathancookephotography.com/peru