I am raising funds for The Hospice of St Francis in Hertfordshire, near where we live, in support of a friend whose husband recently passed away there. In his mid-30's with one young child, he could not recover from an aggressive brain tumour. My wife and I have seen the excellent work the hospice does, giving sensitive round the clock support for people with serious illness - some of whom are lucky enough to recover. The Hospice relies on donations for 80% of its funds.

Given the mountains the people at the Hospice climb - both carers and patients, not corny but true - it seems appropriate to try and climb my own mountain. I have chosen to climb Mt. Elbrus in the Russian Caucasus, at 18,510ft (5,642m) the highest peak on the European continent.

Some of you will know I have history here, having climbed Aconcagua in January 2008. So I know the altitude shouldn't be a problem, but there is much more ice and snow on this mountain and it could be considerably colder!

PLEASE SPONSOR ME!

Simon