The Trust is holding it’s first fundraising challenge event – a Euro Cities Bike Ride , which sets off on the 31st August.  We hope that we can continue to work with the Trust for many years to come with their fundraising challenges and wish them all the very best.

To mark its launch, the Trust has unveiled its first appeal, 50 projects across the nation that will breathe new life into towpaths and riverbanks.  By pledging money or time people can get involved in projects such as creating new habitat for rare water voles, planting linear orchards for people and wildlife, and restoring neglected towpaths.  To see a list of the appeal projects, learn how to become a Friend of the Canal & River Trust and find out how you can get involved visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/appeals.

Full press release is below:

New charity launches on wave of support

Government places historic waterways in trust for the nation

More than 2,000 miles of historic canals and rivers across England and Wales are being handed over to the Canal & River Trust today (12 July) in a move to get communities more involved in their local waterways.

The new charity, whose Patron is the Prince of Wales, will give the 10 million people who visit and love the waterways a greater role in making them cleaner and more beautiful than ever.

To mark its launch, the Trust has unveiled its first appeal, 50 projects across the nation that will breathe new life into towpaths and riverbanks.  By pledging money or time people can get involved in projects such as creating new habitat for rare water voles, planting linear orchards for people and wildlife, and restoring neglected towpaths.  To see a list of the appeal projects, learn how to become a Friend of the Canal & River Trust and find out how you can get involved visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/appeals.

Actor and comedian, Hugh Dennis, who is supporting the Canal & River Trust’s appeal, comments: “For me, as a Londoner, the Regent’s Canal provided a small slice of rural tranquillity right in the middle of a chaotic and bustling city, and its towpath a route to work, my running track, or just a place to watch the world go by.  The Canal & River Trust needs your help to make your towpaths even more special.  Volunteering or making a small donation will make a huge difference to the people and nature along your local waterway.”

The Canal & River Trust takes over from British Waterways and The Waterways Trust in England and Wales and represents a completely new approach to caring for the country’s waterways.  The move, part of the Public Bodies Reform programme, is the largest single transfer of a public body into the charitable sector.

The Trust aims to build upon the public passion for the nation’s canals which rescued them from dereliction and decline in the last century, through increased fundraising, volunteering and community involvement. 

Defra is helping the new charity get off to a great start by committing to a landmark, 15-year grant funding agreement as the bedrock to help the Trust maintain its waterways.  In addition, the Trust is funded through commercial income including money from its waterside property dowry, boat licences and moorings. Every penny donated by the public to the Trust will be spent directly on conserving, restoring, and enhancing the waterways.

Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Environment, said: “This is an exciting period in the history of our canals. By placing our waterways in trust for the nation, we are giving all those who love our rivers and canals an opportunity to get involved in how their local river or canal is run and help to provide a bright future for our historic canals.  We have got the new charity off to the best possible start and now it needs the help of all those that use and cherish our waterways.”

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, said: “This Government is determined to deliver public services in different, better ways and that’s just what this new charity will do.  The Canal & River Trust will empower the very people who know British canals and waterways the best to get involved in how they are run.  This is the Big Society in action – and because it’s also the largest single transfer of a public body into the charitable sector, it’s also a major milestone in our programme to reform quangos.”

Tony Hales, chairman of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “In the last 50 years our canals and rivers have been transformed from a national disgrace into a national treasure.  This in itself has been extraordinary, but it is only the start.  The Canal & River Trust opens an exciting new chapter in the waterways’ long history and gives a chance for everyone who cares for them to play a part in their future.  By harnessing public goodwill and energy our canals and rivers can breathe much needed new life into our towns, cities and countryside. It’s an amazing opportunity and we can’t wait to get going!”

The Canal & River Trust has already won the support of three major corporate partners.  £1m of funding is being pledged to support the Trust’s conservation work thanks to players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.  Google is working with the Trust to encourage people to discover and enjoy the wildlife along their local waterway by literally putting towpaths on the map – Google Maps.  And The Co-operative Bank will offer those who enjoy or live on the waterways the option of supporting the conservation work of new Trust through everyday banking products.

For details of the Canal & River Trust, including how to visit, volunteer or donate see www.canalrivertrust.org.uk.

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This September the Booby Moore Fund head out to Brazil for 10 days to to construct a new school in the remote farming community of Corrente.   The original school building collapsed in 2008, and since then the region has been in desperate need of a dedicated school building, including two classrooms, a kitchen and bathroom.  Project Brazil promises to be an incredibly rewarding trip that will provide memories to last a lifetime.

Stephanie Moore MBE, Bobby Moore’s widow and founder of the Bobby Moore Fund, said:   “I have taken part in several Projects and found them to be the most rewarding experiences of my life. The help that is being given in these remote areas is vital for the local people to be able to remain in their village, and the money raised through the participants’ fantastic fundraising efforts is hugely important to the work of the Bobby Moore Fund.”

To book click here.

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We have spent the last 5 years working with our Tanzanian local agent and our medics to bring our Kilimanjaro ascent profile as close to that recommended by the British Mountaineering Council as possible, without making the trip prohibitively expensive. We added an extra 2 days to the itinerary to allow more time for trekkers to acclimatise, and have found that this has greatly increased our summit success rate. We have also changed our staffing ratio from 1 ATD staff member for every 15 participants, to 1 ATD staff member for every 10 participants. We have also worked to become members of the IMEC Partnership for Responsible Travel by meeting the porter protection guidelines set by the Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project.

Across the Divide does not claim to be the cheapest operator of Kilimanjaro treks, but we do pride ourselves on being one of the safest operators on the mountain. If you are looking at other suppliers who offer a cheaper Kilimanjaro trek than we do. I would ask that you consider the following points before making a decision as to which operator to use:

1. We take 7 days to summit which is 1 day more than our competitors. This makes us more expensive than those who offer a shorter itinerary; however the additional day allows participants more time to acclimatise and therefore dramatically increases their chances of summiting.
2. We ascend the mountain using the Rongai Route on the north-eastern side of the mountain which, unlike some of the other routes, retains a true sense of wilderness. The Rongai Route benefits from fewer trekkers (usually one-tenth of those on the Marangu  – or “Coca-Cola” -  trail, which is the route that Classic Tours take) and is generally considered to be one of the easiest of the quality routes on the mountain. We believe that by taking 7 days to climb the mountain via the Rongai Route, we offer the best chance of summiting and are confident that this is the best choice for those looking for a quality Kilimanjaro experience with the least chance of difficulties.
3.  We have a ratio of 1 member of ATD staff per 10 participants. Any staff we send on Kilimanjaro treks have prior altitude experience. This helps to dramatically reduce the risk of serious injury or death due to altitude related illnesses. We also carry a fully-equipped high altitude medical kit inc. oxygen and a Gamov bag, which allows for the immediate treatment of life-threatening cerebral and pulmonary oedema, reducing the risk of death. I would clarify the situation with regards to  other suppliers participant-to-staff ratio and their use of “volunteer doctors”.
4.  We have a 100% safety record on the mountain, even with some incidences of serious illness, including one participant who had a suspected heart attack at 5,600 metres.  Our doctors have saved the lives of people trekking with other operators that did not have the same high level of support.  We believe we offer the highest level of medical support should you fall ill on the trek.
5.  Our summit success rate for 2011 is 93%, with 97.5% of trekkers reaching Gilman’s Point (on the rim of the volcano). 2 of our trips this year have had a 100% summit success rate: the average for Kilimanjaro is just 42%. We believe that the quality of our staff and the time we have built into the itinerary for acclimatisation contribute to our high success rate.
6.  We care about porter protection and we ensure that local staff are paid a fair wage.  We are proud to be a member of the International Mountain Explorers Connection’s Partnership for Responsible Travel Program which recognizes those tour operators committed to fair treatment of Kilimanjaro porters. I note that not all operators are not a member of the porter protection / responsible travel programme.
7.  We use a local agent with 30 years’ experience.
8.  Our groups fly into Kilimanjaro Airport, saving 7 hours of overland transfers.  This means that participants have more chance to recover from their longhaul flight before starting the trek, leading to a better chance of summiting.

We strongly believe that budget is not necessarily best when it comes to climbing Kilimanjaro. Whilst we could reduce our costs by losing the acclimatisation days, reducing our staffing levels, using a local agent who does not meet porter protection guidelines, and so on, we will not compromise on the safety of our trekkers, and feel that we offer a quality, ethical trek at a reasonable cost.

Book your trip of a lifetime to Kilimanjaro with Across the Divide

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So what to take? We are in the happy position that we only need our trekking kit from Jiri to Namchee Bazaar, where we will meet the rest of the Everest Marathon team. They will bring our bags of running kit to Namchee. Always a bonus to be met half way with extra snacks, toiletries and a layer or two. We’ll also have porters from there….pure luxury!  See below for full trekking list.

As always there a few formailities to complete and we have Indian visas in place (as transiting through there) and we’ll have to get Nepalese visas on arrival, Khumbu region trekking permits will also need to be sorted in Kathmandu. We’ll transfer money over onto our Thomas Cook cash passports and sort the local currency on arrival in Nepal. There is no guarantee of cash machines once we leave Kathmandu, so we need to ensure we’ve enough cash to last the duration of the trek – if staying in tea houses £20-25 a day is recommended.

Rumour has it that each tea house settlement from Namchee to Gorak Shep now has a cyber café, which disappointingly opens up the option of telecommunications – ridiculous the lengths you have to go to in order to achieve non-contactability. We’ll be avoiding those I hope!

So this is bye from us for now and we’ll be in touch upon return with a few holiday snaps and to let you know how we got on. If you want to follow the progress of the group whilst we are away, there is a blog that will be updated when and where facilities permit – www.everestmarathon.org.uk (then click on 2011 RACE on the left hand menu).

Trekking kit list

Travel jabs

Passport and additional passport photos

Travel insurance

Money /Credit cards

Guide books / reading books

Ruck sack

Water proof stuff sacks

Platypus and water bottle

Sleeping bag

Thermarest

Waterproof top and bottoms

Down jacket

Fleece layer

Hat

Gloves x 2 pairs

Buff

Trekking trousers x 2

Underwear

Socks

Long sleeve tops

Short sleeve tops

Shorts

Trekking boots

Tevas

Trekking poles

Head torch

Batteries

Money purse

Sunglasses

Sun tan lotion

Lip balm

Toiletries – small bottles of minimum items

Wet wipes

Travel towel

Travel washing line

Travel clothes wash

Combination padlock

Bivvy bag

First Aid kit

Compass & whistle

Maps

Snacks

Zip lock bags

Water sterilisation tabs

Lighter

Sewing kit

Camera

Tissues

Mobile phone

Travel adaptor

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We are delighted to be working on such a fantastic new event, ATD will of course be making sure Matt Baker from The One Show has all the support he needs as he cycles the rickshaw. 

Matt will embark on his arduous journey on the morning of Friday 11th November from Edinburgh Castle Esplanade and will attempt to complete the marathon 484 mile journey to the BBC in London, finishing live on The One Show’s Children in Need special on Friday 18th November on BBC One.

Throughout the challenge, Matt will be picking up passengers along the way, these will be a variety of surprise guests and Children in Need’s very own Pudsey Bear. He will brave the harsh winter elements and battle steep hills, to cycle his rickshaw for up to ten hours each day and burn up to 9000 calories daily 

Route Summary

Day 1 Edinburgh to Hawick 53.5 Miles

Day 2 Hawick to Hexham 59.2 Miles

Day 3 Hexham to Barnard Castle 49.0 Miles

Day 4 Barnard Castle to York 70.6 Miles

Day 5 York to Lincoln 78.0 Miles

Day 6 Lincoln to Peterborough 73.2 Miles

Day 7 Peterborough to Cambridge 41.0 MilesDay 8 Cambridge to London 59.3 Miles

Follow the event as it happens on our Facebook page.   Good luck to Matt and all the team.

To donate £5, text “MATT” to 70705. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message, £5 will go to BBC Children in Need. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey for full terms and conditions You must be over 16 and ask the bill payer’s permission.

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Taking part in our London to Paris bike ride is one of the very best ways of experiencing the beauty of both the English and French countrysides, and what an amazing sense of achievement on completion!

“I knew why we wanted to do it, raise money for our chosen charity, Cancer Research. We had all been affected by recent deaths so it seemed the right thing to do. What fun I thought, and yes it was but also hard work. Thank goodness for the training we had put in!!

The whole event was amazing. The route [apart from getting out of London] was great and well planned out and signaled. The Across the Divide team were truly sensational and nothing was too much trouble. We all had an amazing event and will definitely look to do another one in 2012!!”   Clive Moxham, 2011 London to Paris cyclist

Join us in 2012

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Our last week has been spent in Ireland and between family commitments and catching up with friends, we’ve managed a couple of runs in the Mourne mountains, Co.Down  and Connemara, Co.Galway. Nice to change things up a bit and with distances progressing nicely it is looking more likely that the distance is achievable. Another factor, largely out of our control that will undoubtedly affect our performance on the day but hopefully not forbid our participation is altitude.

The main difference between running the Everest Marathon and a marathon in the hills of the UK is the effect of altitude. The higher you go, the air is less concentrated and so there is less oxygen. With less oxygen available, your lungs and heart have to work harder, and without proper acclimatisation serious illness, or worse, can result.  The effect of altitude starts to become noticeable for most people from around 2500 metres (approximately 7000 feet plus). With the Everest Marathon starting at 5000 metres (over 16000 feet) it is going to be very hard work even though we should be well acclimatised!

I won’t go into the various altitude illnesses in any detail but these include conditions with formidable names like Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), to name a few. Of these, even with a good acclimatisation schedule, we can expect to suffer AMS to some extent, which is more likely to present with headaches and feeling like we’ve a hangover lasting several days! Response to altitude is partly dictated by an individual’s own physiological make-up. I have not suffered from any serious altitude-related illness on previous trips to Nepal and other high-altitude regions and hopefully with careful preparation I will be OK this time around.

To try to prevent altitude related illness the basic rule to follow is to not gain height too quickly, and to sleep lower than the highest point ascended each day. Our plan is to arrive in Nepal on the 8^th November and then we will have three weeks before the marathon to acclimatise. Initially Patrick and I will trek by ourselves for over a week on the Jiri Trail up to Namche Bazaar, which should be a good starter for getting used to the gradually thinning air, and then we join the rest of the marathon group where we will continue a programme of acclimatisation prior to the race. Before we go to Nepal, Patrick is heading off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which at nearly 6000 metres (over 19000 feet) should give him a head start on acclimatisation! I’ll be expecting him to run ahead each evening to organise accommodation and sort dinner of course!

For further information on the effects of altitude see Altitude Sickness

In my next blog I’ll let you know how Patrick fared with the altitude on Kilimanjaro and how our final month of training in the UK is going, before we catch the flight to Kathmandu in early November.

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Back for a quick update. Training continues to go well – battered out 16miles in the Chilterns today, so hopefully on track. Starting to consider giving up booze (poor will power on that one so far), giving up coffee (even worse will power), sorting out nutrition (eating as much as possible) and getting plenty of sleep (that’ll be the day working in the events world!), all in the name of training.

Just a bit of info on our fundraising! This wasn’t really our main priority in setting ourselves the goal of running the Everest marathon – more the lust to travel and have an achievable goal ahead to train for. Neither Patrick nor I really enjoy sticking our necks out and asking for cash, but Bufo ventures (the Everest Marathon organisers) recommended setting up a Virgin money giving page and we thought we would give it a go! The result has been astonishing and we have been both overwhelmed by people’s generosity and support of our endeavours and three very worthwhile causes.

Bufo ventures request that half of sponsorship monies go to the Everest Marathon fund – helping to improve the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. Having visited Nepal previously on a couple of occasions and therefore having witnessed some of the poverty first hand, I was more than happy to get involved with this. As a paediatric physio, another cause very close to my heart is physical disability in children. Therefore, the other half of my monies will be donated to the “In je eendje” project (www.in-je-eendje.com). Helping to support children with cerebral palsy and their families.

To visit my fundraising page please CLICK HERE

For Patrick, his Mum passed away due to the cruel cancer, Myeloma, just over 1 year ago and therefore his second charity is Myeloma UK.

To visit Patrick’s fundraising page please  CLICK HERE 

In just a couple of weeks we’ll be promoting our charities by taking part in the Welsh 3000’s mountain challenge. We’ll also be carrying out regular fundraising events such as mountain navigation workshops and guided hill walks in return for charity donations. If you want to get involved don’t hesitate to contact us.

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2012 also looks set to be one of the best times to view the legendary Northern Lights. NASA has forecast that the Northern Lights will shine at their brightest levels for 50 years due to increased solar particle activity, and the far north of Norway is one of the best places in the world to see this amazing phenomenon.

Trip of a lifetime. Loved every moment. Tim, dog sledder Feb 2008.

Thanks for the most amazing week here in Norway. The trip surpassed all expectations. Excellent company, great food and surprisingly comfortable accommodation. John, Open dog sledder 2010

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Last year we turned down the organisers offer of staying on site the night before, which was a mistake, so this year the friday night saw our photogrpahy team converging on Goodwood from various places across the Midlands and London, and being hosted by the wonderfully friendly ATD staff, complete with barbecue and beer!

At six the next morning the campsite came to life with people begining to set up the registration area in the grandstand for the first walkers to arrive.  Those taking part in the 40km and 60km routes arrived, had breakfast, warmed up (complete with music and fitness instructor) and set off at 08:00.

All but the last five minutes of the warm up were thankfully dry, but the the threatened rain arrived!  09:30 was the start time for the 20km route, and the 10km walkers, some in fancy dress, started at 11:00, all also miraculously dry given the way the sky looked.

Since some people had elected to run the 10km route, the first people would start crossing the finish line at around midday, so there was an hour to transform the concourse from an empty space to warm up into a finish area.  While the ATD staff assembled their registration tent, Mark and Andy built the viewing stations and network that would be needed to show the photos to the walkes as they finished.  Feeling especially cosy with the ATD staff we decided to nest our shelters next to each other.

Meanwhile Lee went for an interesting (and occasionally damp) drive around the South Downs seeking out checkpoints and walkers to take photos of!

By 14:00 walkers from the short routes were crossing the finish line thick and fast, and all three of us were rotating through image processing and shooting, as well as trying to fit in eating lunch!  By mid afternoon most of the short course walkers had finished, but the people out on the 40km and 60km routes were still walking.  It’s at this point you realise the scale of this event, out there beyond the horizon around the South Downs.  People start finishing, having been walking eight hours, but there are people crossing the line all afternoon, and all evening…

As it got dark we rigged three studio lights on the grandstand to let us carry on shooting people crossing the line, and two portable flash units to let us get images of people signing back in and it started raining… a lot…  This is when the error of our gazeebo snuggling with the ATD team became apparent, as we didn’t have any form of guttering between our two pitched roofs, so we started getting a little damp.

Meanwhile the enthusiasm and professionalism of the ATD staff became apparent, as when every walker crossed the line they would be met by someone right on the line, and clapped home by everyone on the concourse.  Thus we carried on shooting, for several dark hours, until at ……… the last walkers crossed the line accompanied by the ATD staff who had been out on the route.

Why do we love this event so much?  Well, Across the Divide run such a well organised event that it’s just a joy to be part of, and the atmosphere at midnight when people are finishing after walking 60km is really amazing, and its a pleasure to be able to offer people images of something they certainly don’t do every day!

If you want to see more photos you can look at our Just Walk event gallery, or the Just Walk 2011 Slideshow.

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