Man v's Mountain - John Batten climbs Kilimanjaro in aid of Scope
18th July 2016
On behalf of the charity Scope www.scope.org.uk, I will be taking the Kilimanjaro Trek Challenge from the 19th to the 30th October 2016. Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. They provide support, information and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families in the U.K. They also campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Scope is a charity close to our hearts within my family. Sadly we lost a dear niece at the far too young age of 17 having suffered from birth with cerebral palsy. We have another niece who has a 4 year old son diagnosed with cerebral palsy but he is a real little 'fighter' and is a joy to all.
We know just what a wonderful job Scope do in the areas of medicine and social provision, areas which are often overlooked by Governments. £25 can pay for a home visit for a family getting the news that a child is disabled, £75 can pay for a communication device giving a child independence for the first time.
Having only just recently gained the status of OAP, I am busy at the moment trying to get these tired old bones and muscles fit enough to take on the Kilimanjaro Trek Challenge. If you see me trundling around Broomfield Park in Palmers Green wearing my deep purple Scope T-shirt, you will know what I'm doing.
The 9 day round-trip trek begins in the sweltering heat of a lush tropical rain-forest where it will be difficult to keep cool, proceeds onto a more desert type terrain and then for the two days before the summit we will be trekking through snow and ice to reach the top. Night-time temperatures at and near the summit are usually below -20C and we shall be sleeping in tents. Not sure I knew that when I signed up!. The volcanic Mt. Kilimanjaro has a permanently snow-capped peak despite the mountain being almost on the equator close to the Tanzania/Kenya border. It is at an altitude just below 6000 m., almost 1000 m. higher than base camp Everest. I've received some advice so far as to how to achieve the necessary fitness level but the possibility of altitude sickness might be a bigger problem. I’m not sure that the Aldermans Hill in Palmers Green quite cuts it as preparation.
I am aiming to raise in excess of £4,000 for Scope so any donation that any reader feels able to make would be most gratefully received.
The online site is: Virgin Money Giving | Fundraising | Jon Batten's fundraising page
