Thank you for visiting the teams fundraising page.  Thankfully I will be able to update this page daily (below) but for all of our reasons for doing this walk are still underneath the daily 'blog'. 

Day 1:

Myself, Lauren, Craig, Adam and Jo left Chester at 06.15 hrs (collecting the Reverend en route) and met up with our drivers at 08.30 hrs at Burton in Kendal Services.  As we left the weather was, rather predictably, raining; which leads me to impart my first piece of advice:  'Never, ever leave your boots out in the rain... Under any circumstance.'  Unfortunately I failed to utilise my common sense last night and left my boots out.  I had to start the walk with Dunny's boots which was very, very weird.  Walking 20 miles in another man’s shoes is something of an experience and not one I am keen to repeat.

We met Mason at the starting point of the West Highland Way and began the walk in an overcast drizzly environment.  Fortunately, we have managed to complete the first 20 miles today which means we can try for 21 miles tomorrow.  We have also decided to try to finish the walk on Thursday and hike up and down Ben Nevis on Friday if only to try and get people to donate more.

Our accommodation is excellent (www.tyndrumbytheway.com).  The rooms are lovely, the utilities excellent and the setting perfect.  They've also let me update the walk on their own computer.

It’s great to be doing something like this once again although we do miss the Silver Fox and the Female Snoring Soloist; if not their demon dog :-)

Tomorrow we will be hiking Balmaha (I think that is how it is spelt) to the top of Loch Lomond.

Day 2:

Agony... I think that is the word of today :-(  We walked from Balmaha to the Drovers Inn which totalled 21.8 miles and approximately 1100ft ascent.  We were warned that this was the hardest stretch of the walk and we should have reduced it accordingly; unfortunately, we didn't heed this advice.

We'd spent a great night previous in the hostel on the comfy sofas with Paul & Ken firmly ensconced in 'their' armchairs and listened to them debating various topics (many of which are un-printable) in the same manner as Waldorf and Statler from the Muppets...  Having woken up in excellent spirits (Gin in Ken's case) we donned our dry gear (yes we are staying in a hostel that has a drying room that works) we ate our fill of bacon, eggs, beans and black pudding and jumped into the van.  An hour later we were at Balmaha where our own personal nightmares began...

The path along Loch Lomond is an undulating snake of stone and sheer sides which demands every bit of your mental concentration as well as physical strength.  The group quickly separated as we each began walking to our own ability which meant that we were spread out over roughly two miles.  The day dragged and the elements battered us until each and every one of us were in a hell of our own imagining - we very nearly ended up with two mountain rams for dinner as they playfully skipped over a mossy collection of boulders which I was trying to navigate.

As the day continued the end remained elusive and I reached the 'wall'.  I sat on a style two miles from the finish line and very nearly broke down.  I was in huge amounts of pain and I was at the end of all endurance.  As I picked up my phone to call Paul & Ken, a fighter jet tore through the sky above and jolted me to a distant memory of me being in a helicopter with my Dad as two similar jets shot underneath the chopper.  At the same moment the rest of the group heard and then saw the same jet and received the same burst of energy which was needed to get us through. 

We all eventually made it to the collection point and were quickly whisked to the Drovers in for a celebratory pint.  The Drovers in has been in existence since the 1700's and has yet to receive a decent clean...  They are also waiting on an insurance claim to settle so that they can repair the fire damage in 1874 :-)  The beer wasn't half bad though.

Upon returning to our base we gradually came together (after much washing and repairing feet) and discussed our aches and pains.  At the moment Craig is winning on blisters followed by Mason.  I've had to buy a knee support, Adam is also suffering from blisters and Jo is concerned about his ankle pains.  The Reverend continues in good toilet-blocking form.

Day 3:

Once again we woke up in comfortable surroundings and to dry kit (seriously, visit Tyndrum By The Way).  We were bussed back to the Drovers Inn where we once again began our trudge across a cloud covered and very damp landscape.  Unfortunately, Jo had to pull out owing to quite a serious tendon problem.  Adam was slowed through a minor ankle injury and Craig fell back as more blisters grew on top of the original ones. Nevertheless, Craig and Adam battled on and joined us for lunch just as myself, Mason and the Rev were finishing :-)

We were lucky enough to be able to Luncheon at the hostel and Lauren had made us Broccoli and Stilton soup (there was no stilton in the local shop so it was Brocc n Cheese).  We all set off together and Jo tried to continue but soon had to turn round as his Achilles tendon continued to hurt.  The Rev and I pushed on while Craig and Adam followed at a more leisurely pace.  Everyone forgot about Mason who had nipped for a quick kip and when he woke up he realised he was on his own for the next 7 miles.

The rain continued and the conversation soon dried up as we all fought on through the aches and pains.  The West Highland Way is wonderfully paved and well marked but it is one of the hardest trails in terms of impact on a person’s feet and legs.

The Rev and I made good time and arrived at the Bridge of Orchy to find a mini-bus free car park.  After choosing several choice words regarding our driver for the day (Paul) Steve and I were faced with a very difficult decision:  wait in the cold and wet or retire to the local bar.  So... several beers later we were once again collected and whisked back to By The Way - we informed Paul that he was sacked once we were driven home :-)

We are all now really feeling the pain. Only two of us have blister free feet and we all have other injuries.  We have decided to finish the walk at a slower pace as we would all like to walk every mile we can rather than finishing a day early.

I must go as I've just received a text to say that our Denby Dale pies are ready for Adam's birthday.

Day 4:
I was told off for being too dramatic when I typed the last two days; so today I thought I would start with a joke: Two cannibals are sharing a clown. One turned to the other and said 'does this taste funny to you?' :-)

One the eve of yesterday we shared the hostel with three 60-something ladies who put us all to shame with their fitness and humour. We were soon laughing and joking and our own Waldorf & Statler quickly turned into Morecambe & Wise as they tried to out-do each other to impress the aged-Aphrodities.

Fortunately, one of the ladies was a kirop... cherop... 'foot-doctor-lady'. She soon had Craig on his back with his pants and socks off as she had a look at his foot. Two of his blisters had turned quite septic and needed treatment which she gave instantly and while only slightly inebriated. 

Oh. I have previously forgotten to mention that on the end of Day 2 Simon 'The Map' Mason was allowed to have a quick look at our map. Ten paces later he'd managed to lose it...  Seriously, he popped the map into his jacket which was half zipped and didn't notice as it promptly fell to the floor.

Today we hiked from the Bridge of Orchy to Altnafeadh which was 15 miles. Part of the route was over Rannoch Moor that is cheerfully described as a chilly yet apt alternative to hell. Wonderful - but thankfully not true as the walk wasn't too bad at all and we were often walking in the warmth of the sun. It served to lift our spirits and we all finished the day on a high. One thing myself, Adam and Mason did do was dip our feet into a stream at the end of the day. As our tootsies floated next to discarded beer bottles and fag ends the days aches soon disappeared - along with all feeling :-)

While we were walking across the Moor I popped my iPhone into the back of my hat and played what little music I had as we hiked.  This lead to a group conversation that led to us inventing the 'iHat' which would be able to accept an iPod or iPhone and have external speakers, disco lights and a glitter ball hanging from the brim; Craig suggested using a Burberry print to get maximum sales from the Chav market. 

Upon returning to the hostel I had several beers and decided to open surgery by starting on Craig's feet. Quite frankly none of us are sure how he is managing to walk. He has an open wound about the size of a 50 pence piece which is repeatedly filling with puss. I know I couldn’t keep going if I had that type of injury.

Tomorrow we will be walking the Devil's Staircase, through Kinlochleven and hope to end the day with seven miles to hike on Friday.

Day 5:

We started the day by wishing Nunkie Paul a happy birthday and approached the beginning of this walk with some trepidation. Devils Staircase loomed before us and we began to trudge ever upwards. Bizarrely the zigzagging path was really easy and very companiable.  Unfortunately, the guide book writers forgot to mention Satan's Chute, Lucifer's Lift and Damien's Dumplings... It has been a hard fought 13 miles today.

Jo was fit enough to join us again and was able to complete the day with minimal pain. Craig carried on and has earned the respect of everyone involved. He's been in evident pain, his pace has slowed and he has struggled every step yet he hasn't missed a mile - or even a meter. If you know Craig Armstrong and are about to sponsor him then double your amount because he has, quite frankly, earned the sponsorship tenfold.

The rest of us are well enough except for the inevitable blisters and aches. At the end of the walk today I took a dip in a deep stream and endured the ice cold agony until all feeling was happily lost.

We finished the walk and stopped for a quick pint where we bumped into the 'golden girls' we met two nights previous. We're now in the bus heading back to the hostel for Paul's birthday meal (I'm typing this on my iPhone - which are, incidentally, not well suited to this type of environment).

We now only have seven miles left to walk tomorrow and complete the West Highland Way. Afterwards we hope to be able to take Paul, Lauren & Ken out to say thanks for paying the same as us yet spending their time cooking, cleaning and clearing up after the team.

This walk has been far more mentally challenging than the Coast to Coast in 2008. Today I was, once again, suffering with my mental motivation when I happened to catch a glimpse of a distant RAF Seaking Helicopter out on patrol; a similar helicopter was used to help the RNLI on their rescue attempt the night of the accident and this, like the fighter jet two days ago, gave me the will to push on.

Day 6:

We had a late start today owing to copious amounts of alcohol the night previous. I also think we were all relaxed enough knowing that we only had 7 miles left.

Lauren joined us for the whole walk today and we decided to teach her 'man skills' which included long distance spitting, farting the alphabet, catching a thrown water bottle with one hand, scratching particular areas and how to pee standing up :) Her place amongst us has now been earned although I'm secretly worried at how well she succeeded in the last test.

I decided to take the 'iHat' to a new level by developing the 'iJacket'. This involved the iPod dock being inserted into the front of my waterproof which soon resulted in the hills being alive with the sound of - Queen & Fat Bottomed Girls. Unfortunately, the iPod dock got a bit damp, resulting in it shocking me several times until it fused itself to my nipples. The failure of the iJacket led to the inadvertent invention of the 'iBra'...

The walk was steady and easy going with the sun high overhead; after a couple of hours we met our drivers and changed into our white RNLI t-shirts. Rather predictably the rain began to fall heavily as soon as the van drove past. As we trudged along the path we were soon drenched to the skin thus making our white t-shirts somewhat see-through. I'm pleased to say that due to this Adam has become the 2010 winner of the Fort William wet t-shirt contest.

As with the 2008 Coast to Coast the finish line caught us by surprise and the walk ended with the deafening silence of a spectator-less post that declared the walk over. Paul & Ken were there to meet us as was a Fiat Punto full of Chavs drinking and revving their engine.

We clapped each other on the back, paused for a photo and legged it to the mini bus before we got even more wet. Now it is an hour transfer back to base where we can shower and go out to celebrate.

In Conclusion:

It is now three days after the walk; my ‘Cabin Fever’ is beginning to slowly recede as I become used to civilisation once more.  I still find myself missing the team as a whole, the people we met and the unity we shared as we hiked the West Highland Way.  I wonder what Ken’s positive thought for the day would be, what Paul would remind me about, what Mason would lose today and how far we could push the Rev.  I miss the sight of Craig hobbling across the room, Jo’s optimism and Adam’s loyalty.   Happily Lauren is with me although she’s hardly lifted a finger since being home J

The West Highland Way was vastly different to the Coast to Coast in 2008.  In 2008 we had to contend with kit which became increasingly wet over the fortnight yet the ground was nice and soft.  This time we always had dry clothes and boots but the paths were harsh and unforgiving on our legs and feet.  Funnily enough, these negative memories of the walk have already been forgotten and only the positive now remain.

During the Coast to Coast we switched accommodation several times which meant that our group became more intimate as we didn’t have the time to meet new people and socialise; this year we stayed in one fantastic place and met so many different people.  It is these, often nameless, people that I would like to thank.  We managed to raise £82 from the other hostellers during the course of the week and this generosity has continued with people who do not know me well (or at all in some cases) and never knew my father.  Such generosity to a common cause such as the RNLI is often overwhelming and I am so, so proud to be a part of it.

I am lucky in that I will often see each of the Team throughout my life as they are all connected to me in some way.  Yet, this Team of walkers, drivers and cook(s) is now developing into something else.  We recognise that we work well together and that our shared company is a success.  Therefore, we have already agreed on our next walk in 2012 which will be the 125 mile coastal path around the Isle of Anglesey.  We will also be setting up an account where we can all pay into monthly which will make paying for these events easier on the wallets (I wont have to use my Christmas money to pay for my share).

Two years will be a long time for us all to take on the next challenge to raise more money for the RNLI - a long time for us to walk ‘over the hills and far away’ – but I think it will come soon enough.  We have already gained an extra chef who is also a fully trained Nurse and so if there are any others who wish to join the 2012 attempt then ‘fall in behind the drum.’

Thanks for reading and supporting.

Andy & the Team

 

In April 2010 we walkers will be hiking the 95 mile West Highland Way to raise funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute in memory of the men killed in the Morecambe Bay Helicopter Tragedy.  For those of you who do not know the story behind our group then please allow me a moment to explain.

 

On 27 December 2006 a CHC helicopter crashed into the sea off of the coast of Morecambe carrying with it the lives of two pilots and five gas rig passengers.  My Father, Stephen Potton, was one of those men killed.  On that night no-one knew much about the accident other than that the helicopter had ditched into the sea; while there was much conjecture on land several rescue organisations did not waste time speculating and immediately deployed to try and rescue the men involved.  Three RNLI crews launched and battled against time, the elements and the sea to try and find survivors.

As the rescue attempt continued the damage of the accident became increasingly apparent and yet, like the families of the victims, the RNLI did not give up hope and continued to search.  One Lifeboat Station and Crew deserve a particular mention – Fleetwood RNLI.  This team stayed out for a full 24 hours with only one brief return to shore for a refuel and a bite to eat.  As a son who’d just lost his father I could not adequately explain the comfort the RNLI brought to me by returning my Dad’s body to us and nearly three years on, I still can’t. 

I would also like to thank the Centrica Life Raft Crew and the RAF Search & Rescue for their efforts during the Morecambe Bay Helicopter Tragedy - you guys will always have my thanks.  Furthermore, I would like to mention the other men tragically lost that night:  Simon Foddering, Les Ahmed, Alf Neasham, Jackie Shaw, Bob Warburton & Keith Smith.

 

Prior to the accident I had no knowledge that the Royal National Lifeboat Institute was an entirely charitable organisation and can only operate through the goodwill of others.  This is why, once again, myself and my friends will be taking on another long-distance walk to raise money for the RNLI.  I would like to note that 50% of the funds will go specifically to Fleetwood RNLI and the other 50% will go to the RNLI’s general funds. 

In September 2008 I walked the Coast to Coast Trail for 11 days over 190 miles in the company of six good friends of myself and my Dad and managed to raise just over £10,000 for the RNLI.  During the walk we were visited by over 15 other people and two dogs, all of whom helped us ease our walking pains with alcohol and good advice (chiefly:  ‘you should have stayed at home’).  Please see www.justgiving.com/potton for all the info on this walk.

 

At the 150^th birthday of Fleetwood RNLI (which we were kindly invited to) the alcohol once again began flowing and, thanks to a carefully planted seed from Paul Dunne, we decided to walk the West Highland Way to fundraise once again.  Now, several months later, the accommodation has been booked and Simon Mason is quickly learning how to get us lost once more. 

The West Highland Way is a 95 mile trek from Milngavie to Fort William and will pass along the side of Loch Lomond, through Tyndrum and across the foothills of Ben Nevis.  So far we have six walkers, two drivers and two cooks.  I would like to introduce them, starting with the Coast to Coast 2008 veterans:

Simon Mason: our intrepid knee-deep-bog-finding, wrong-mountain-indicating, can’t-put-his trousers-on-the-right-way-round navigator.  In all seriousness... Simon has spent a few nights round at mine helping to plan this walk and, despite his tendency to hold the map the wrong way round, he always made sure we found our way to the next pick-up.  Simon and I have known each other for over ten years and he always makes everyone feel better about themselves – mainly because they’ve managed to not put their top on inside out.

Adam Simpson: a university friend of mine who knew my Dad and spent most of the Coast to Coast navigating/arguing with Simon.  Incidentally, despite insisting on taking compass bearings and the like he still managed to get us equally lost but managed to ensure the blame was firmly placed on Simon’s shoulders.

Steve Sandman: aka ‘The Reverend’.  Steve and I worked together for a time and he joined the Coast to Coast after another member had to withdraw.  Steve catered for all of our religious needs during the first walk by saying things like ‘the sun always shines on the righteous’.  That’s probably why it rained non-stop in September 2008!  He also did an excellent job as toilet roll monitor.

Joan Roquet-Jalmar: he came, he saw, he gave us Spanish influenza.  Our little Catalonian superstar managed to catch a bad cold during the Coast to Coast which he happily shared with the rest of us.  Despite being back in Spain he has paid up and booked his flights to come again – that’s dedication!

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.