Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Why: A number of my family and friends (including climbing friends) have been affected by cancer over the last couple of years; most with positive outcomes, but some not so fortunate. I am raising funds for The Christie to support the great work they do in research into cancer therapies and support for those affected.

This fundraising is dedicated to all those who have been affected by cancer but especially to two people:

Erin Fletcher was a friend and classmate of my daughter Natasha and the Young Oncology Unit at The Christie was a great support to her throughout her battle with cancer. All proceeds from this justgiving site will go to the Y.O.U.

John Ellison was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago and his response was inspirational - he established Climbers Against Cancer   (www.climbersagainstcancer.org) and has subsequently raised awareness throughout the global climbing community as well as tens of thousands of pounds. John is very supportive of the good work that The Christie do and any "on the day" donations will go direct to CAC.

What: Some people run a mile, others swim one. I'm a climber so I plan to climb a vertical mile of rock in 24hrs. To put that into perspective it's equivalent to climbing both El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite (see picture below) or, closer to home, about 200 routes on one of my local Peak District gritstone crags like Stanage (most climbers would consider a dozen routes to be a good day out.)

I will be climbing solo (that is without a rope) for speed, but at a fairly modest level of difficulty (typically up to about Very Severe, for safety!) and including climbing down as well as up. I may also complete some or even all of the challenge on indoor walls if weather or daylight dictates.

When: Climbing is something of a fickle, weather-dependent business so whilst I'm hoping for a "window" in July / August I'm allowing a final target date of 13 October by which time I'll complete the challenge indoors if an opportunity hasn't presented itself. If you would be interested in following progress "on the day" I plan to keep a live "blog" at www.Blog.RucksackClub.org - keep an eye on this page or the blog or send me an email to mileclimb@climbers.co.uk and I'll let you know as D-day approaches. 

So, please Dig Deep and support this great charity, and spread the message to all your friends and contacts. We can make a difference!

Cheers

Dominic