I am doing the Nine Edges Endurance Event to raise funds for Edale Mountain Rescue Team. It is a 20 plus mile off road event with 900m of height gain through the Peak District. Hiking from Lady Bower Reservoir to The Robin Hood in Baslow, and crossing the 9 main 'Edges' on route.

This will be the 2nd time I have competed in the event, with the last time being in 2023, with a time of 8hrs and 4mins and raised £300 for the Charity. It was one of the hottest days of the year and we really struggled with the heat, this year I am aiming for a sub 7hr30min finish and want to smash my previous fundraising total!

All Edale Mountain Rescue Team (EMRT) members are volunteers and they provide a 24 / 7 emergency service to those in trouble in our operational area. This event is one of the ways they raise funds to help pay for the service they provide.

EMRT are one of the busiest teams in the country, with over 180 incidents in 2024 and team members committing over 389 hours totally free of charge. More than 109 call outs have been actioned this year already with over a quarter of the year still to go.

Without fund raising there would be no equipment, no vehicles and no Mountain Rescue Teams to come to you when you have that slip, when you take a wrong turn and get lost, when the weather closes in and you are caught out in the wet, cold darkness of night, and when your phone loses internet and your electonic map fails to load .... then who are you gonna call?

Fundraising is so vital for the survival of these rescue teams, Edale Mountain Rescue costs around £80,000 a year to keep them operational, and that figure increases year on year with inflation and increased number of callouts all of which has to be raised by donations and fundraising.

I've been lucky so far and never had to call on MRT for assistance, but knowing they are there gives me the confidence, that in an emergency they will be there to help me.

I'm sure you would like that reassurance as well when you are out and about in the countryside, it's not just mountain climbers and hikers that call them out, just everyday people out walking, running, walking their dogs, photographers etc all have accidents, infact anytime you are away from the roads, in the hills and countryside, they will come out to you often assisting the other emergency services.

So I'm asking you to dig deep, please donate, make sure I have a good reason to put myself through the pain of the Nine Edges Endurance Challenge, make it worth my while and lets raise a good amount of money for this amazing cause!