Let's Do This

By Jaime Burton

Today Donna and I went for a stroll to get her moving after her op. I don't know her at all, so this was a great opportunity to get to know her and see why she is climbing. 

Donna may have been quiet and has struggled to make the practice walks as she works long hours. I can see a pretty determined person though! She has given up smoking for around 16 weeks now and we chose her walking boots today.

This event is amazing as well as raising some much needed funds for The Steve Charles Help a Friend Fund. It has given me the chance to meet some new people. This challenge scares the hell out of me but I'm not the only scared one! It's the fear of the unknown. We have no idea how the altitude will affect us, all we can do is pull together as a group of random individuals and help each other get up this mountain! 

We all have our reasons for wanting to do this but if we pull together we can all make this! In the words of Tommy Lillington .... let's do this.

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Tommy Gets Sentimental About Old Boots

Goodbye old boots, hello newbies!!

By Tommy Lillington

There comes a time in all our lives when for whatever reason we have to say goodbye to dear friends. I have to say, regrettably, I have just reached such a point. Two dear friends of mine have just reached the end of the road and I have had to make the tough decision to say goodbye to my old walking boots. "Why so sentimental about an old pair of boots?" I hear you cry.

Allow me to explain; I bought these boots just after I made the decision to get fit and lose weight, and decided that hiking was going to be my thing. I then started a nine month training programme to climb the three peaks (Ben Nevis, Scaffel Pike and Snowdon) which entailed walking the wonderful Dorset coast week in and week out, gradually upping the distance and difficulty as time went on. Not once during this time did my old boots complain; in fact I have to say from the first time I put them on they felt as comfortable as a pair of slippers.

Over time the weight came off, my stamina and fitness increased and my old pals took me up the three peaks in July 2012. This was followed by a lovely hiking break in the Lake District with my wife later that year. Kilimanjaro is now on the horizon, (please see my earlier blog posts for how the training is going to date) and I have to say I couldn't have got even this far without my old friends.

So you see to me these are not just any old pair of boots, they have taken me on a journey in more ways than one. Of course I won't just discard them to one side never to be seen again, I will keep them for the odd dog walk and maybe some gardening and will certainly never forget that they have changed my life.

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