ATLAS MOUNTAIN TREK IN AID OF AFRIKIDS & MACMILLAN

Leaving Chinawhite at 3.30am I head straight for the Park Lane Hotel, quick shower, pack my bags and off to the Gatwick for my 0630 flight to Marrakech!

I got involved with the Atlas Mountain trek through my good friend and client, Nick Groom, who had asked me to arrange a Tag Rugby Tournament as part of his fundraising. The trek supported two excellent causes, Afrikids and Macmillan.

I arrive in Marrakech and we are driven to Imlil at the base of the Atlas Mountains. My expectation was checking into a hotel and grabbing a well deserved 10 hour sleep before trekking the next morning – wrong! I had read the itinerary of the other members who had arrived two days earlier than me due to VU running the Lee Mears dinner a day after the main party left the Uk for Marrakech.

The expression on my face on learning that we were immediately trekking for 6 hours, climbing 1300m was one to be savoured for an eternity. Andrew, the paramedic that was accompanying me on the trek laughed his head off on the realization that I expected a hotel bed. Champagne, tequila, white wine, red wine still displaced all evidence of blood in my system. The next 3 hours were the toughest thing I can ever remember encountering. I had never felt so much pain before. I hit the wall..thank God we had a mule with us! Thankfully the rest of the team didn’t react quickly enough to capture on my arrival at base camp on the back of a mule!

So far well over £130,000 has been raised for both charities and a big hand goes to Alistair Turner who masterminded the whole programme. His unrelenting energy through out campaign was awesome and the whole experience with the other trekkers was fantastic.