Made it!

D-day!

Peruvian Weather and Altitude

May-September is the Andean Winter so going in October means it will still be quite chilly, especially with the high altitude. From what I've read it seems October days have an average of 12.4 hours of daylight and of those 7 are usually sunny with temperatures in the early 20s. However nights will be cold and we have been advised to be prepared for temperatures of minus 10 degrees celsius! I have just bought my thermals and trying them out at home I have come to the conclusion I resemble a bandaged mummy but at least I will be cosy! I got myself a bargain too as M&S were selling them as buy one get one half price and at a much more reasonable price than the outdoor shops! Felt a little embarrassed buying them for the young and attractive guy on the till but what could I do! I am also borrowing my sister's sleeping bag which is designed for freezing temperatures and much better than mine! It'll save me a fortune not having to buy one, so thank you Ruth!

One of the biggest challenges I am going to face in the Andees is the altitude! The higher you get above sea level the more implication this has for the body and the less oxygen is available. At 0m, the standard barometric pressure is 101.325kPa (760 mmHg). This means that there is 100% of the oxygen available at sea level. However, at 4600m, (the highest height I will be trekking to) the standard barometric pressure is 59kPa (441 mmHg). This means that there is only 58% of the oxygen available at sea level!!

I have read a lot about altitude sickness to prepare myself and the good news is that healthy people should be able to travel to altitudes up and above the height of Kilimanjaro (5,895m) as long as they are properly acclimatised. The human body is very adaptive and has the ability to adjust to the changing environment around it and so sufficient acclimatisation will be of great benefit to reduce the possibility of altitude sickness.

That said it is impossible to tell in advance who will be seriously affected by Altitude. The ability to adapt successfully is determined by your genetic-make-up and has little to do with health or fitness. We will all experience some effects of altitude because as we climb we will notice an increase in pulse rate and breathing rate as our bodies work harder to get available oxygen to the muscles but with sufficient acclimatisation, drinking plenty of water and taking our time when trekking we should hopefully all be ok. We will also have a Doctor with us I believe, who will take a reading of our oxygen every morning. Apparently anything under 75 is of concern, not sure what a typical reading is I'm afraid but I will find out.

The common symptoms of Altitude Sickness or AMS as it's otherwise know (Acute Mountain Sickness) are as follows:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting  
• Fatigue
• Poor appetite  
• Dizziness 
• Sleep disturbance

According to statistics 60% off trekkers ascending heights of 4,500 metres, as we will be, will develop some of these symptoms but they are generally manageable. The effects can definitely be minimised by acclimatising before the main trek and by slow ascents. The occurrence of AMS does not necessarily spell the end of a climb; it does however mean that certain measures should be taken in order to prevent the development of AMS into more serious conditions.

Recommended measures are as follows:

• Sufficient fluid replacement
• The use of Paracetamol/Ibuprofen in order to combat headaches
• The cessation of any further ascent for at least 1 day (or until symptoms are reduced)
• The use of acetazolamide (Diamox)
• If symptoms persist to descend, descend, descend.
• Administration of supplemental oxygen in severe cases 

If AMS is not properly treated and is allowed to develop, more serious conditions may arise. Two such conditions are High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE) and High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACE), both of which can be life threatening

We will all need to look out for each other on our trip and be honest about how we are feeling and not let pride get in the way. I am going to the Travel Nurse on Thursday to get my booster vaccinations and also Diamox as it is known to reduce the effects of AMS. Charity Challenge advise Diamox is a matter of personal choice and not mandatory as there are also side-effects such as tingling of the fingers and toes but I would rather have it with me in case I feel the need. I plan to take a trial at sea level for a couple of days before we go just to monitor any potential side effects. Best be on the safe side!

I have been ski-ing on a Glacier in Switzerland at 3000m and travelled to the top of the Aguille Du Midi, 3,842m in the French Alps so I feel comfortable I have had some exposure to high altitude before and without ill-effects. Although this cannot guarantee I will not be affected this time, it does calm the nerves a little!

 Sx

Thank you to The Altitude Centre, TM in London for their notes.

D-day looms ever closer!

No pain, no gain!

Over the past six months I have been trying to improve my fitness by going to the gym, going cycling and going hill walking as previous posts have shown. However two weeks ago I decided I had to up the ante and focus more on the training aspect of my Challenge. It is vital to prepare and to build the strength, cardiovascular stamina and muscle endurance necessary to complete the challenge and get the most out of it! I had recently won a voucher for an hour’s Personal Training session at my Gym and arranged to meet with one of the PTs at Virgin Active Omni on Saturday 7^th September. Immediately Sharon put me at ease and talked me through specific types of exercises most appropriate to my training needs and gave me nutrition and diet hints and tips. We then went on the gym floor and I showed her the various machines I have been working on and she made great suggestions to increase the intensity and reduce the duration of each programme. In particular I am trying to work at levels of between 75% and 85% of my maximum heart rate for extended periods three times a week. Since meeting her I have implemented her suggestions and really feeling the benefits, although my legs were aching the first four days or so! I have also increased my gym visits and started swimming and Spin class more regularly. Where possible I have also started to incorporate wee gym visit on my lunch break as it’s just round the corner from my office and it feels great to have done something productive on my break and wakens me up for the afternoon ahead!  

 

Granted it can at times be an effort to go to the gym but when working out the endorphins kick in and I begin to enjoy it! I even get a sense of satisfaction from the pain in my muscles the next day as it proves to me I have worked hard! J Last weekend was supposed to be my last SBC hill walk before my Challenge but due to the high winds and torrential wind the plan for Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas was postponed until next month. Unfortunately this means I will miss it as I will actually be in Peru then! I am heading out of town tomorrow though to see my parents and as they live in the Ochil Hills I plan to get a hike in before our meal ;-) I will also exploit Arthur’s Seat and Blackford Hill as much as possible before I go. My only concern is I don’t have enough time due to work commitments to fit in two hill walks back to back but otherwise I feel confident that I have a good chance of completing my challenge. I certainly will do my best to make all my sponsors proud, just £95 to go to reach my £4000 target!

Sx

Car Boot Sale & Bargain Hunters Galore!

With recent sponsorship from my fabulous friends I am even closer to reaching my target but I don't want to fall at the last hurdle so in an effort to keep up momentum I set my alarm for a painful 6:30 this morning and set off early to pitch at the Omni Car Boot Sale here in Edinburgh. 

I had spent last Sunday gutting my parent's attic for items I could sell and had a vast array of stuff, ranging from cuddly toys & childhood games to kitchen items, from sports equipment to cushions and jewellery to books. It was quite cathartic sorting it all out but certain items brought back memories of saving my pocket money for weeks on-end to buy a treasured item! Mum kindly agreed to help me and also dug out some bits & pieces I could sell, not only that she kindly gave up her time to help me sell as much as I could today! I did at least treat her to breakfast at Frankie & Benny's as a thank you! 

Having never done a car boot sale before I wasn't quite sure what to expect and both Mum and I were surprised by the number of cars, the level we were on in the multi-story could hold 300 cars and it was full, unbelievable! There were plenty of regular sellers and those in the know, seeking out desired items even before we had opened up. I lost count of the number of traders tapping me on the shoulder for gold or silver or any antiques before we had even finished setting up! Sadly I had nothing they fancied but I did manage to sell a remote-control car before the doors were even open to the public!

When the crowds descended they were all after a bargain, not willing to part with more than a couple of quid a time. I was lucky to get 50p sometimes, even with my WaterAid banner and balloons shouting out it's for charity! With a £15 entrance fee and £3 per table and rail hire I was fearful of even meeting my outgoings so Mum and I got stuck right into it and sold as hard as we could for the next 4 hours! 

My Body Shop products were well received, certainly a lot of interest was shown in them but I basically I had to drop to 75% off RRP to get rid of anything. Disappointing as my stock cost more than that in the first place but then again I had pretty much written that money off when I gave up being a consultant. The low point of the day was when a woman determined to get herself a bargain helped herself to some BS make-up brushes without paying, sadly I wouldn't even recognise her again so no-point in reporting her to the organisers. On the upside a gentleman gave me £1 when he saw we were doing it for Charity, even though he didn't want anything, I really appreciated that! Some items I had a little reserve on such as my Scanner, Mini-disc player and child carrier and as it was clear no-one was going to offer decent for these items I decided to put them on Gumtree instead. I was pleased to sell my old Sony Walkman for £1 though as it's rare for anyone to use cassettes these days! My old netball stand also went for £1.50 and Dad will be delighted to have that out his garage! lol 

All-all-in it was a successful morning as we raised £73 profit after costs and I am one-step closer to my goal. A big shout out to my best friend Laura for donating a few bits & pieces too, everything but the hat was sold! Another shout out to my dear Mum, I appreciate your help so much and was glad of your company, just a shame we got such a dark corner of the parking lot! Having added today's proceeds to my current total, I have so far raised £3845, just £155 to go. Remember you can sponsor me securely through Just Giving at: www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013. I know we are all finding it tough these days but anything you can spare will make a difference. Help if you can, karma will repay you :-)

I am exhausted now so will close here, it's been a long day and my muscles are aching from yesterday's gym sesh! This fundraising/training malarkey can really take it out of you! From experience baking cakes is an easier way to make money than car boot sales so I am glad I tried it but I think once in a lifetime is enough!!

Sx

WaterAid Supper & Last of the Summer Wine

Those of you who are up and about early these days will realise that Summer is fading and by meteorological reckoning Autumn is officially with us from today, the 1st September. With this in mind my lovely Mum thought it would be appropriate to host a "Last of the Summer Wine Supper" at our family home in support of my WaterAid challenge. 

It was a very congenial evening with neighbours, friends and family all coming together to support a great cause. I started the evening with a little introduction to the water crisis and my aims to make a difference. We served everyone with a glass of fresh spring water to highlight how lucky we all are in the developed world to have that 'on tap' but reassured our guests that their glasses would soon be replenished with wine, as long as they later turned their wine back into 'water' with donations to WaterAid! We then watched a short film from WaterAid which outlined their aims and objectives, before moving on to the supper. 

Mum outdid herself with home-cooked lasagne, chilli con carne, quiches, chicken, cold meats, a variety of salads, breads & cheeses. Followed by several delicious desserts, tiramisu, trifle, hazelnut gateux, tarte tartin and meringues. My Aunt Lesley also made a wonderful lemon cheese-cake for the occasion. The food went down a treat with many of the guests going back for seconds (and even thirds... Simon <g>)!  Our meal was washed down with glasses of wine - some bottles left from last weekend's wine-tasting and many more my Dad had kindly purchased to help me out. Thanks again to Henderson's Wine and Raeburn Fine Wines in Edinburgh for your contribution, helping to make this such a successful night! 

The evening progressed with much chat and hilarity and just to keep everyone on their toes I threw in a short WaterAid quiz based on the film clip we had watched earlier with two teams tying for the winning score. Well done to Anne & Dave Nicol and to Linda Colebourn & Elspeth Caldow for their supreme efforts and I hope you enjoy the wine! I also held a small raffle with 2 bottles of wine, 3 Body Shop gifts and a star prize of the Keihl's skincare gift set on offer. 

At the end of our soiree guests were encouraged to pop a donation in an envelope anonymously and I later counted it all up, adding it together with the proceeds from my raffle. I couldn't believe my eyes when I realised I had raised £471 from the event!! It certainly seems everyone enjoyed themselves and thought my Mum's cooking was worth so much! I think the harsh statistics of the Water Crisis even in this day and age was also hard hitting and encouraged people to dig deep! 

Thank you so much to all who came, it was lovely to see you all again and I truly appreciate your support! Most of all a huge thanks to my Mum & Dad for hosting such a wonderful evening and for all their hard work, I couldn't have done it without them! Thanks to all of you I have now raised an amazing £3647 (including recent dress-down day) and am well on my way to hitting my £4000 target! 

Sx 

Dress Down raises £101

At my work - BNY Mellon - we have a Charity Dress Down Day once a month. Employees are encouraged on this particular Friday to come to work in the jeans or casual clothes and pay £1 for the privilege, this money raised that day is then given to a charity nominated by an employee and vetted by our Community Partnership Committee. It is so popular that there is now a waiting list extending to next Spring to get your chosen charity on board. Having been on the waiting list for some time it was WaterAid's turn this month, along with 2 charities nominated by my colleagues Katrina and Fiona. Fiona was raising money for Action Medical Research by completing a challenge known as "Race the Sun" down in the Lake District and Katrina has recently completed a half marathon for a charity close to her heart - The Histiocytosis Research Trust. Both girls were keen to raise additional funds for the charities and so we arranged to work together and split the proceeds equally. Fiona got to work making posters for our day to raise awareness of our charities and remind people to participate on the day. 

On the day Katrina and I donned our charity T-shirts and set about the office rattling our buckets! I asked Katrina to cover our floor as after my sponsorship form doing the rounds and my cake sales I was rather embarrassed to be asking for more money even when it's for such a good cause! While she was doing that I covered the 2nd floor and we then covered the remaining floors together. We also asked some colleagues at our other office on Lothian Road to help us out and were delighted when they agreed. In total £303 was raised from the two offices, resulting in £101 each, we were delighted! Thanks to Craig on the CPP committee for taking responsibility for counting it all up for us and thanks to each and every colleague who supported us with this event! 

Sx

Why am I trekking for Water?

Imagine life without water flowing freely from a tap. Imagine waking up at dawn and spending up to six hours fetching water for your family’s needs. One in eight people worldwide do not have to imagine this life – it is their reality.

 

In rural Africa women often walk for up to ten miles to fetch water. The tragedy is that, having spent so much effort reaching a water source, the water itself is often dirty, polluted and unsafe to drink.

The daily burden of collecting water prevents women from working and children from going to school. Worse still, diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation result in the deaths of 4,000 children every day.

WaterAid believes that access to safe water and sanitation underpins health, education and livelihoods, and forms the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.

 

Sponsor me today, your money will make a big difference to those in need:

 

 

£12 could pay for 2 taps for a village water point

 

£18 could pay for pipes for a gravity-flow scheme

£19 could pay for water Point Mapping for four water points

£20 could train a pump attendant

 

£25 could buy tools to dig a well

£100 could buy a tapstand for a gravity-flow scheme

 

Help me to help WaterAid transform lives through sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene projects.

Sponsor me today at: www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013 

 

Huge thanks to all who have already supported me and to those who promised, well there's no time like the present! :-)

 

Sx

Info taken from WaterAid's Fundraising toolkit

@ www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/start-fundraising#/fundraising-ideas

Not just a donation, a M&S donation...

With my charity challenge looming ever closer I have been writing to some of our best known and well-loved retailers in the hope that someone will sponsor me to complete my daunting challenge for WaterAid.... I was in luck with Marks and Spencer!

 

M&S have a strong tradition of Corporate Social Responsibility and this can be seen in their commitment to environmental sustainability and charitable giving, e.g. Breakthrough Breast Cancer clothing and Oxfam's clothes recycling initiative. Moreover individual stores are keen to support local charities and local fundraising endeavours, particularly those which they believe will make a lasting contribution. In support of my own fundraising for WaterAid M&S on Princes Street, here in Edinburgh, have very kindly made a one-off donation of £25 in the form of a giftcard. Although I had the options to raffle this off as a prize or use it to buy produce for my next event I have decided to transfer the amount of £25 from my bank account onto my Just Giving site for WaterAid and spend the £25 instead. This way WaterAid will benefit from the £25 and I get to do what I do best... shop! <g> With M&S' contribution I have now raised a fantastic £3060!!!

 

I would like to thank Eddie, Caroline and all the staff on the Edinburgh Store Committee for their support, kind donation and words of encouragement in their recent letter. I really appreciate it and look forward to my next visit to your store.

 

Marks and Spencer - "Quality worth every penny!"

 

Sx

 

Turning wine into water!

In addition to sponsorship I am always dreaming up new and exciting ways to fundraise and my latest brainwave was a wine-tasting soiree coupled with some fine cheeses, music and entertainment. Due to the popularity of the Edinburgh festival however it proved difficult to find a venue to accommodate me, with this in mind I decided to host the event in my flat but the downside to this was that I couldn't really advertise. We have all heard the facebook horror stories of homes being gate-crashed by reckless teenagers! Plus realistically I didn't think my living room could hold more than about 20 people, comfortably anyway!

Due to my diary for September already filling up and acknowledging the fact that I had yesterday off work to prepare I decided to host my event last night. The general response to my invitations was that it was a great idea and wine and cheese seemed to be up everyone's alley! Unfortunately quite a few couldn't make the date due to family commitments and/or festival plans but those who did come made it a fabulous night and I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Particular thanks go to Michelle and Ali for helping me serve my guests and to my partners Raeburn Fine Wines, Henderson Wines and Henri's of Edinburgh for donating their fabulous produce!

From the offset I knew that to maximise the amount of money I could raise I needed to reduce my costs and so I wrote to a few of my favourite wine merchants in the city. I was in luck, two kind companies were sympathetic to my request and surprised me by the extent of their generosity. Mr Mohammad of Raeburn Fine Wines very kindly donated 6 bottles of Red wine and 6 bottles of white as did Mr David Henderson of Henderson Wines.

Both gentlemen were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about wine and are major importers of wines from some of the greatest wine estates in the world. To me drinking wine should be an experience, a pleasure, a privilege - to drink and to share. The wines these merchants donated were exactly that.

If you are anything like me you won’t be able to resist a nice piece of cheese to go with your glass of wine. It is impossible for me to consider hosting a wine soiree without offering a selection of wonderful cheeses and so I approached my favourite French Delicatessen, Henri of Edinburgh. With weekly deliveries from the markets of Paris to their two Edinburgh shops, Henri’s stocks the widest range of artisanal French cheese in Scotland. I was so excited to share some of their delicious cheeses with my friends last night and if you haven’t been before strongly recommend you pay Henri of Edinburgh a visit either in Stockbridge or Morningside. You won’t be disappointed! My french friend Veronique can vouch for the quality of the cheese as she tucked in earnestly to the cheese of her homeland!Just to whet your appetites here are some tasting notes from the fabulous cheeses we devoured last night:

Brie de Melun: Smaller than the famous earthy Brie de Meaux, but much stronger and saltier.

Selles Sur Cher: Fantastic Loire goats cheese. Dense and creamy paste when young, matures to a cracking complex and firm cheese.

Bleu des Causses: Cows milk blue from the Languedoc, sometimes known as "Poor Mans Roquefort". This is rich and fruity, without the sharp ewe's milk edge that Roquefort has.

Abbaye de Belloc: Creamy and subtle, firm ewes milk cheese from the Pyrenees. Made by Monks!

Perail des Cabasses: Also from the Languedoc, Individual ewes milk cheese with is creamy and sweet but intensifies the more mature it gets.

Abondance: Firm, nutty and sweet Alpine cows milk from the Savoie.

Membrillo: Spanish quince paste, great with the blue and ewes milk cheeses.

 

These were all served with an assortment of oatcakes, wafers, crackers and freshly baked bread and went down a treat! The Membrillo quince was a fantastic accompaniment, going well with all the cheeses and will soon be flying off the shelves at Henri's, I am sure!

Teaming up with these wonderful partners my “Last of the Summer Wine” soiree was a fantastic evening! The format was fairly casual with a cocktail party style but to give some structure I started the evening with a short film about WaterAid and then gave a brief seminar on how to appreciate wine along with instructions on how to taste and rate the wine. To kick the taste-buds into action guests were first asked to taste pepsi and diet pepsi, tonic and slimline tonic, tap water and bottled water and to guess which was which in each category. We then moved onto the wine, with taste trials involving Chardonnay versus Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz versus Pinot Noir amongst others. Things got even more exciting with the blindfold test when everyone had the opportunity to taste a white wine and a rose blindfolded and guess which was which. Easier said than done! lol A the end of the taste trials everyone added up their scores and the winner of the most discerning palate was Linda, who won a lovely bottle of wine (what else! ;-)) We then had wee raffle with a few Body Shop and wine gifts on offer including the star prize of a bottle of bubbly, courtesy of my favourite local - Victoria on Leith walk. Thanks so much to Hannah for the donation, sure it won't be long till I am back in for a pint!

I think it's fair to say everyone really enjoyed their evening and by turning our wine into water there was never a greater reason to indulge! With a few extra donations included from friends who bought tickets but couldn't make the event I raised £98 last night and this will go towards supplying safe drinking water to those in need! Thank you so, so much to all who donated produce and to all who came, I couldn't have done it without you and thanks to your support I have now surpassed my £3000 milestone, raising £3015 in total and hitting 75% of my target! www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013.
 

To buy any of the wine or cheese we sampled last night or to try something new just click on the links below. All 3 have fantastic reputations in the city and are well worth a visit, I for one will be back!

www.henderson-wines.co.uk

 

MORNINGSIDE				ROSEBURN
109 Comiston Road Morningside, Edinburgh				23 Roseburn Terrace Edinburgh

 www.raeburnfinewines.com

COMELY BANK				LEITH (Cellars & Tasting)
21/23 Comely Bank Road Edinburgh EH4 1DS				The Vaults,  4 Giles Street, Edinburgh EH6 6DJ

 

www.henrisofedinburgh.co.uk/shop/index.php
 

MORNINGSIDE				STOCKBRIDGE
376 Morningside Road Edinburgh Scotland EH10 5HX				48 Raeburn Place Edinburgh Scotland EH4 1HL

  

 Sx

August update

Good morning dear readers! Apologies for the lack of posts lately, can't believe we're approaching the end of August and I have not written a single word this month! Even more astounding is it's now less than seven weeks before my big departure! Time is flying by!

 

So to recap the past few weeks.... I had a great training session with my sister at the gym a couple of weekends ago. She was through for the festival and despite a late night and a good few drinks we managed to surface early the next morning and head to the gym. I showed her my training programme and got a few tips on some additional exercises I could do. Most helpful having a physio /marathon runner as a sibling! I even surprised myself by being able to run to and from the gym too! Granted it was only a few miles but I was still proud of myself! Unfortunately I then got a bad dose of the cold and a viral infection which pretty much floored me for the next week and  and put paid to my good intentions of increasing my gym visits! :(

 

By the following weekend at least, I had recovered and was super excited to pay a visit to the beautiful island of Arran with my best friend Laura! We had a wonderful trip away, staying in Whiting Bay and exploring the island by car and foot. I was delighted to have taken my hiking boots with me and gave them a good few outings through forests to stunning waterfalls and along coastal paths to caves of folklore and legend.

 

On our return from Arran I became a lady of leisure, having taken the week off work and have much enjoyed having time to chill out, focus on my training, visit my parents and soak up the atmosphere at the Edinburgh festival. In between all this I have continued to write to companies in the hope of securing corporate sponsorship for my challenge although it's proving difficult! Having said that I have been amazed by the generosity and support of 3 independent merchants this week who have come together to help me host my latest event, more about that in my next post!

 

Sx

 

Home baking sells out :-)

It's nearly August and I still have over a grand to raise to reach my £4000 target so I thought it was time to hold another cake stall at work. Since my Valentine's cake bake, many of my colleagues had been asking if I would do another and my lovely colleague Aleks told me I was her favourite baker in the UK ;-) With such interest and rather OTT praise I decided to make the most of my holiday leave on Monday and spend the day baking, this way I wouldn't be up all night like last time!

 

It's important for a cake stall not too make anything too obscure, people want things they recognise and so I made the following: Chocolate cake, fairy cakes, cupcakes (with butter icing), carrot cake, cherry cake, 'top-hats', brownies, lemon drizzle, 'jammy-dodgers', milk chocolate crispies, white chocolate chip cookies and flapjacks. I also steered away from using nuts in any of my recipes as I didn't want to inadvertently cause an emergency in the office! I also thought about making scones and tiffin but after 12 hours of baking I was done in and had run out of containers to transport anymore anyway! My dear Mum came through to visit me too and willingly lent a hand with the baking and more importantly, the washing-up! lol In such a small kitchen it's vital to clean and clear as you go! My love of baking stems from childhood when Mum actively encouraged my sister and I to bake to our hearts content and I am lucky to have learnt so much from her! I had never made lemon drizzle cake before and only had limited experience of flapjakes so it was great to have help from the expert! Thank you Mum!

 

It was fun and games getting 16 tupperware boxes and tins full of my cakes & biscuits to work in the morning, along side paperplates, napkins, knifes, posters, cake stands and the all important money box but somehow I managed it! As before I set up my stall in the coffee lounge with the help of Kirsty and Katrina and despite it being a few days before payday my stall was well received. People seemed impressed everything was home made as there was so much to choose from and were generous in their donations. Before I knew it it was time to return to my desk and get on with some work and so I popped by reception with the few remaining cakes and an 'honesty jar' and the lovely guys on the desk, Jimmy and Tam encouraged passers-by to indulge in a sweet treat for a good cause! It turned out to be a fruitful idea as this brought in nearly another £20!

 

All-in-all another successful cake bake, raising £155 on the day and a further £10 later in the week by sharing my secret chocolate cake recipe with a collegue so she can make her daughter's birthday cake this weekend!

 

Thank you to all you supported this event and remember I'll happily make cakes or cookies to order in return for a donation! With recent donations and the proceeds from my cake stall I am currently sitting at £2780, let's try to hit the £3000 milestone by the middle of August! All donations gratefully received at www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013, thank you for caring!

 

Sx

 

A hot day on the hills

THE COBBLER

Last Sunday was my latest walk with the Sunday Brunch Club and this time we had a new member, my friend and colleague Gordon :-) He has recently completed the Caledonian Challenge and loves to get out and about on the hills. I warned him that I wouldn't be able to keep up with his pace but he would be very welcome to come with us. That's one of the great things about this hill walking group - everyone is free to walk at their own pace without having to slow down or speed up for other people, it works really well! As long as we all stay in eye-shot and congregate at the summit of our intended peaks we can all enjoy the walk as we find most comfortable. Naturally some people find going uphill easier whereas others find the descent easier and so there is also ample opportunity to speak to different people at different points on the walk. I would be nervous going out into the hills myself for fear of getting lost or having an accident so I feel fortunate to have found such a great group with common interests!

Our planned walk for the day was The Cobbler, at the head of Loch Long over in the West. The Cobbler, or to use it's correct name, Ben Arthur, is just short of a Munro at 2900 ft but due to it's distinctive skyline, clear pathways and breathtaking views it is one of the most popular hill walks in Scotland. Ben Arthur is one of a group of mountains known collectively as the Arrochar Alps and is commonly known as The Cobbler as the rocky summit features somewhat resemble a cobbler bending over a shoe. The abundance of large rocky surfaces also makes The Cobbler very popular with rock climbers and in-fact we say a couple of lads doing just that!

As usual our group met outside the Dome here in Edinburgh at 9am and the great weather encouraged a few more walkers than Ben Vorlich, 17 this time. We all piled into cars and this time it was my turn to drive, Gordon, Paula and Karen all opted to come with me and we reached the village of Succoth just after 11, having to stop for fuel en-route. Geared up we were on our way up the mountain by 11:40, following a purpose-built pathway and zig-zagging through an area of forestry and up the hillside. This gave us a more gentle ascent but I still felt the heat tremendously as it was mid 20s already by this time and the ferns and bracken amongst the trees seem to hold the heat! The path then followed a lovely burn, passing the Narnain boulders and becoming steeper. I was ever so grateful for my platypus as it carries 2 litres of water and with barely a cloud in sight the heat was making me thirsty! I was also pleased with myself for taking my baseball cap as it was a great sun protector, being Scottish I am not built for the heat and too much sun, often results in a headache! Anyway, the views were stunning on the walk up and I really enjoyed being out of the city. I predominantly walked with Paula and we enjoyed great chat and each other's company as we plodded on. Stopping at times of course for the odd wine gum (energy boasting qualities ;-)) or to reapply the sun-cream!

 

The 2 or 3 hundred feet to the lowest part of the summit ridge became a rocky scramble, with immense rocks all around us. It was easier at this point to do away with our poles and use our hands to pull ourselves up large slabs of rock that could only be described as lethal in wet weather! We finally reached the summit ridge and followed one of the many tracks to the top of the Cobbler's head. The panorama was stunning, over mountains and lochs, going as far as the Atlantic and beyond! A perfect place for lunch and a well-earned cup of tea, thanks Gordon (Gogs)!

 

The view to the west is dominated by the outline of the centre peak a rocky outcrop of which the top marks the true summit of this fabulous mountain. Only some of our group were daring enough to attain this true summit as a very good head for heights is needed and as I found long legs would help to! To climb to the top one has to crawl through a hole (known as the needle) in the rock formation and clamber out onto a ledge, only 1m wide with a vertigo inspiring 150ft drop on the other side. This ledge is inclined and a definite scrambling ability is necessary to negotiate it and eventually get to the top! This is frequently referred to by climbers as "threading the needle" or "tackling the eye". Disappointingly, despite my best efforts I didn't make it, I 'tackled the eye' ok by passing the hole onto the ledge but couldn't manage to pull myself up the last stop onto the true summit, short tired legs coupled with the sheer drop was too much of an obstacle! Karen and Gordon made it though, along with a few others of our group and Gogs impressed us all by standing upright with arms outstretched! Naturally a perfect photo opportunity for his fb profile pic ;-)

 

After lunch we made our descent, re-tracing our steps in the increasing heat of the afternoon sun. Descending the rocky features of the Cobbler was even more difficult than going up and everyone could feel it in their knees but slowly but surely we made it back to the original track and followed the burn back down to the forestry and eventually to the carpark. After a 6-hour walk in the heat it was unanimous that we should head to the pub to celebrate, so to the village inn it was. Non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers of course! We enjoyed sitting out in the beer garden for about an hour but soon the realisation hit us all that it was a two hour drive home and we all had work in the morning so we said our goodbyes to the Arrochar Alps, pleased with what we had achieved and made for home.

 

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Thanks to Kiehl's Skincare

I have recently passed the £2500 mark with my fundraising but still have a long way to go before I reach my £4000 target and so I am researching further fundraising ideas and hope to get another event under way.

 

From past experience Raffles are always popular and so I have started writing to more companies to ask for their help. One of my favourite retailers, Kiehl's enthusiastically replied to me and I was delighted to meet with the Edinburgh store manager, Shona Walker, last week. She kindly donated a gift box of goodies, worth approx £40 and beautifully wrapped.

 

For those who are not familiar with this brand, Kiehl's is an American cosmetic and skincare retailer specialising in premier skin, hair and body care products . It was founded in New York as a single pharmacy in 1851 and respects it's old-fashioned values to ths day. Furthermore Kiehl's is committed to giving back to it's communities and is actively engaged in charitable initiatives both locally and globally. I am impressed by their mission and that these values have filtered down to store level and encouraged the staff at the George St store to support me in my fundraising endeavours for WaterAid!

 

 

Thank you Shona & Kiehl's!

 

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These boots are made for walking....

I recently invested in a new pair of hiking boots and was keen to try them out properly on the hills, a weekend back at my parents' provided that opportunity :-).

 

Although the boots I had on the Great Wall of China served me well they let me down on the West Highland Way as it turned out they weren't waterproof in the slightest! For walkers boots are the most important piece of gear you'll ever buy, they do the most work and provide more security than any of the other climbing gear on the market. Moreover, they must fit perfectly to avoid a world of pain! And so Tiso it was....

 

I had researched various boots online and was keen to try a number of boots by Scarpa, Hi-tec and Saloman. Most of the boots available these days seem to be made in Italy and that pushes the prices up as the Euro doesn't go far. Still, I had recently worked a bank holiday at work and set aside my double pay for the privilege ;-) After trying on at least 6 different pairs of boots at Tiso and seeking the advice of a member of staff I eventually decided on the new Baltoro from Scarpa. combining elements of previous ranges to produce their most comfortable, lightweight boot yet. The Gore-tex XCR membrane prevents water getting in, whilst allowing breathability and the Vibram sole which I love on my Merrell trainers provides a great level of grip. Added to that these boots actually look attractive, especially with the the pink bits peeking through the grey :-)

 

I wore the boots around the flat initially just to break them in but to be honest, being fabric rather than leather they are already quite flexible and didn't need much breaking-in. However it wasn't until my Dad agreed to climb a Munro with me that I had the opportunity to wear them on the hills. We decided to climb Shiehallion, just past Aberfeldy. Situated in higher Perthshire, Shiehallion is one of Scotland's best known Munros and also viewed as one of the easiest. With this in mind Mum decided to join us and we were all impressed with her efforts, conquering the summit in good time.

 

The walk certainly started off easier than the previous Munros I have faced with a well constructed path gradually climbing, however the terrain become tougher as we neared the summit with thousands of quartzite boulders littering ridge and slowing progress. Added to that the elements were against us with drizzle and mist and a strong wind. At times I was sure I was going to take flight and Dad nearly lost his hat! We enjoyed our picnic at the summit but soon felt the colder and the fleeces and gloves had to put on hastily! On our descent the weather improved and we were treated to views across Loch Tummel and towards the Ben Lawers massif. My new boots did me proud and it was great to tick off another Munro in my training programme for Peru :-)

 

My new boots :-)

 

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