Mission Complete!

Just over a week ago now, on Friday 9th September I headed north to the Scotland. Kitted out with hiking boots, walking poles, thermals and waterproofs, I was on my way to climb Ben Nevis for the mental health charity Rethink. Arriving at Fort William that evening the weather was cold, wet and grey. The journey up to Scotland had been a long one, setting off at 4.30am that morning, so I was more than eager to arrive. As we neared our hotel the driver of our minibus called to us all in the back, “There it is – that’s what you’ll be climbing up tomorrow”. “Wow”, I thought, “it’s huge!”.

It sounds like a pretty obvious thing to say, but it didn’t really hit me until that point that I’d signed myself up to climb Britain’s highest mountain. I hadn’t thought about how high I’d be climbing – 4409 feet. Maybe it was best I hadn’t really thought of it in those terms, or I may have been scared off! 

Although the challenge was a personal one I had embarked on alone, I was really lucky to share the experience with 40 other fundraisers – about half of whom were from the Charlton Athletic Community Trust and were also raising money for Rethink. One the big day itself, I joined forces with the lovely Charlton ‘crew’, accompanied by guides Gillian, Steve (plus Skye the Collie dog) and we all made the ascent together. 

We set out at 8am on the Saturday morning, and climbed for a total of 9 hours – 6 hours up, 3 hours down.  It was a long, but amazing day. Incredible views, some stunning rainbows and the most amazing sense of the magnificence of nature. I can honestly say it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Physically, I was tired, sweaty, hot, cold, wet, stung by the fierce rain and – at times – literally blown off my feet by the gale force winds. Mentally, there were moments when I thought I couldn’t go one step more and was scared where to put my feet lest I fall on the rocks. But despite the challenges I can honestly say it was one of the best things I have done too. I loved the feeling of achievement and the experience taught me more valuable lessons about life than I could write about here.  What made the difference, what spurred me on most, was the amazing support I have had from friends, family, the synagogue and my work colleagues. So far I have raised nearly £800 and, with the fundraising still going on, that figure is set to rise further. I’m hugely grateful to everyone who has made a donation or who wished me well. Rethink is a very worthy cause for all the monies raised, providing valuable support for those suffering from mental health issues. I know the charity and everyone they support will be hugely grateful too