The following is the current state of the article I'm writing for SPW about the Sahara trek. As usual, I'm getting a bit carried away, and I have no idea how long an article they'd be happy with, so I think what I send to them will be significantly cut-down.
Pictures
I'd done it!
Not only had I made it to the top of Chgaga, the highest sand dune in Africa, but I was the first to the top. I was King of the Hill. And the only person I'd had to rugby tackle to get there was our guide, Lahcen.
Okay, so that wasn't exactly in the spirit of a charity event, but he did have the rather unfair advantage of carrying a much lighter bag than me. Also, it was he who had challenged me to a race in the first place, so I guess you could say that he started it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Well, I suppose my story actually started last year in Tanzania, where I spent six months as a volunteer for Students' Partnership Worldwide. Together with my Tanzanian co-volunteer, Vende, I lived and worked as part of a village community.
We worked in partnership with the local youth to raise awareness about and change attitudes to many health and environmental issues, and tackling HIV/Aids took up the bulk of the work.
It was an experience that I felt was very worthwhile, and which changed my outlook in so many different ways. So naturally, when an opportunity arose to go off adventuring again and to raise money for SPW in the process, I jumped at it.
Just as well, really. If I had given this Sahara Trek the serious consideration it so patently warranted and deserved, I probably wouldn't have gone ahead with it.
For a start, I only heard about it in late-ish December and it was scheduled for early March. By the time I was confirmed as a participant shortly before the new year, I had left myself little time to raise the necessary £2000.
Add into the equation my frankly feeble fundraising attempts for my previous volunteer work, and I really had no right to find this proposition in the least bit appealing.
That was, of course, all before I discovered the potent persuasive power of a humble bag of sweets. With mint humbugs and considerable charm as my only weapons, I soon combined a visit to old university friends with a fundraising assault on the students of Birmingham University, and reaped a reasonable reward for my trouble.
A couple of weeks later I saw similar success at Exeter University, this time wielding Jelly Babies. I felt just like Tom Baker. Okay, so neither was anything huge, but I felt much more comfortable taking an informal approach to fundraising. I also enjoyed immensely the look on people's faces as they said, "Yes, I'd love a... Hang on, you're going to ask me to do something, aren't you?"
By the time I arrived at Heathrow Airport, therefore, I had made significant in-roads into my target, and so felt no embarrassment next to the other nineteen trekkers; many of whom, as it turned out, had made it similarly difficult for themselves.
There was Adam, a Great Storyteller, who would later decide that Brad Pitt should play him in the inevitable film of our escapades. Like many of my companions, he was walking for the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital.
Other charities represented included another hospital, Liverpool's Alderhey. Supporting them were Chuckle Brothers Geoff and Darren, and Chrissie, a scouser fluent in both Australian and Quantum Leap.
There was Richard, a barrister walking for AfghanAid; Hannah, who was supporting Prospect, a charity who had helped her sister; and Jenny, who was trying to raise enough money for a new school minibus.
Accompanying us all were Rob and Doctor Susie from tour company Discover Adventure, and Sally from Skyline, who had been dealing with all the fundraising side and would now act as our rep. Two flights and several hours later, we arrived at Hotel Farah Al Janoub in Ouazarzate.
It was now late at night, so our guide, Lahcen (pronounced like the footballer, Henrik Larsson) had just a quick opportunity to introduce himself, before we were sorted into our rooms and took ourselves off to bed. I had the pleasure of sharing a room with Amit, who was one of the many Royal Marsden trekkers, and who will be represented as a hyperactive cartoon weasel in our motion picture.
We were up early the next morning for breakfast, a quick briefing, and then the long bus ride to the start-point of our trek. And that's when the adventure really begins.
Pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment