Only one week to go now and what a time to get the Man flu this weekend I were really ill and were thinking the worst “what if I cant go” !!!. But hey ho 48hours later and am back to full fitness. The fund rising is still going well with £3400 to date with more to come it would be fantastic if I could hit £4500. Over the Easter period I did the Yorkshire 3 peaks with a some colleagues from work, Matt Loy brought along some of his supper fit mates. We set off at 7am from the café in Horton in Ribblsdale and began the route up Pen y Gent. The super fit set off at a rate of knots and soon the starting 15 were split in to groups. By the time we hit Pen y Gent summit the cloud came in and I thought we were in for a rough day but as quick as the cloud came it went again to leave a perfect clear day for walking. Some 10 mile further it was the long haul up Whernside then on to Ingleborough the climb to the summit of Ingleborough is a real killer and the old legs were really tired when we hit the top. The thought off its all down hill from now keeps the spirits up.10hours and 20 mins later I were back the super fit completed in around 9 hours and the stragglers in just under 12 hours only 3 failed to finish which was a great achievement considering the high degree of difficulty. So for any one out there who has fancied doing the three peaks my advice would be go for it but don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy. Its not. Have got all my gear ready and done a trial pack good news every thing fits Sorry for the crap photos. Oh and can you believe it am going to India and can’t stand Curry
See ya again before I go

Fishing for cash

Really excited now have hit my target thanks to Sandra one of the Global Challenge organisers after E-mailing her today to inform her the local press may be interested in doing a bit of an article. I told her I was only £26 short of my target she quickly responded with a donation. I was well impressed. Mick Cobb who works with us organised a fishing competition last week there were 11 anglers competing at Rycroft fisheries for cash prizes a bottle of single malt. yum yum donated by Chris Buckley and a crystal beer glass donated by Barry Phillips. The event was won by Luke Bamford with 55 lbs of fish in his net 2nd was Barry Walters and 3rd Wayne Seward. Total respect to the guys who turned up as the whether conditions were real bad with high winds, rain and hail. The event raised a respectable £161.Well done lads, and a big thanks to Mick Cobb and Mark Brooks of Rycroft fisheries for the organisation of the event

On yer bike mate

Started to get a bit excited now only about 9 weeks to go. The funds going well with around £300 to go and the targets been hit, not going to stop there though will keep pushing and se if we can hit £3500. Started to do a bit of work on the mountain bike Jo bought for me this Christmas, have been trying to get out on it 3 times a week have got a bit of a route planned, from home and down a dirt trail to Shipley park then back up the main road to home its just 6 miles and have got my time down to 35 mins but its bloody hard graft and mi legs are like jelly when I get back home. The walking is going well we are out most weekends and do around 12 miles great thing about Derbyshire you don’t have to go far before you’re out in the hills. Mi gaffer at work Matt Loy is helping out over Easter and has arranged a trip to the Yorkshire Dales to climb the three peaks we hope to do it in under 12 hours its about 25 miles with three good climbs there’s about 16 of us so far and all are going to raise some cash, Been to the Docs this week and had all mi jabs mi arm were like a pin cushion. All the cash raised is for a great cause Save the Children so if you’re reading the blog dig deep and donate some cash every penny counts. See ya soon

back on track

Which way now Dad and Mam Tor

Good to be back after problems with the old computer, its been a while.

The trainings going quite well I,ve been working on the cardio side of things since Christmas. Funny thing we were clearing the spare room just before the Christmas Holiday just in case any one wanted to stay over, when I was taking out the exercise bike to the garage. I got it to the front door and got stuck so I straddled my leg over the bike to lift it when the post man came around the corner and gave me a strange look. So I said “Typical every time I want to go out on the bike it rains” Don’t know if he thought I were being serious but it were funny at the time.

Any how, back to the training have really racked up some miles since the Christmas break and been doing 10- 12 miles per walk on the week ends we have visited some great places around the Peak district. One of the best being from Chatsworth house to Bakewell along the river side and the old Monsal railway to Haddon Hall then back over the hill to Chatsworth. Adding things up we have done around 60 miles not including the every night dog walks. We are still planning doing the three Yorkshire peaks over Easter which should be a good test for the challenge.

The fund is going well and now stands at £2000 with other pledges to come in and some more events.

Walking in Whitby

Well its all systems go now, after a trip to the Doctors for the old medical and being declared fit for the challenge was good news not that I had any doubt. Also managed to book my flights to Delhi. The fund now stands at £1680 after being sponsored by my old Beetroot eating mate Simon Holmes, and a donation from Andy Godber of Park Engineering. Andy flies his own micro light aircraft which he built himself pretty cool eh,
Might bend his ear to donate a flight as a raffle prize. Got the chance to do some more training last week as we took the caravan to the east coast and managed to do 8 miles a day 4 days on the bounce, although they weren’t many hills we scrambled up and down the cliffs along the Cleveland way it’s a great way to get the old heart rate going a bit.
Thanks again for all those how have sponsored me to date. And for those who haven’t yet come on dig deep its for a great cause Save the Children.

On the road to India

Well it’s been a few weeks since the last update and its Good news and Bad news. Bad news first Training isn’t going too well started of well with some good long walks around Tissington trail. Then I went and strained my groin building a shed in the back garden my own fault really the instructions stated 2 man job. Being keen to progress and forgetting the wife weren’t a bloke strained my groin. Was planning a walk this weekend around Castleton and Mam Tor with a mate Simon Attwood but the poor whether conditions put a stop to it. So did a lap of Shipley Park instead which is a good 5 miles.
Now the Great news the fund has raised £1550 which is absolutely fantastic had some very generous donations from Neil Eastwood, Daz Wilson, Mary Calvert, DD,Amy and Izzy, Steven Wincott. And what can only be described as a jaw dropping donation from Geoff and Christian from Excel Process control. Nearly forgot the wife also donated too to get rid of me for 2 weeks.
So that’s it for now will be back sooner now I am fit again hopefully with some photos this time.

Fresh back from summer holiday and the work starts all I need to do now is raise the sponsorship £2500 then get mi self fit for the challange. Although I regard myself quite fit I am in no doubt that treking at heights of up 5000 m will certainly take its toll. So my plan is from now to do as much over the weekends walking with the wife and dogs in the Derbyshire dales, .and who knows may be a trip or two back to my homeland the yorkshire dales, may be some of my fellow trekers participating in the Global Challange may wish to join me. First big thanks go to my mate and treker from 2007 Simon Santa Stanton for his inspiration and the help so far. Any how thats it for now keep coming back and see how the fund raising is going oh and the training

See ya soon