Last year I cycled around Wales whilst also climbing the Welsh 3 peaks to raise money and awareness for 2 charities; Sharklife Conservation and "Y Bwthyn Newydd". Now it's a new year and I've chosen to up my game to try to draw attention to two more charities which are in need of your kind donations to carry on with their amazing work.

The date of July 27th is set and the weather is unknown as of yet, but what is to be true is that this one is going to be a breaker.

The challenge is to complete the Welsh 3000 and Welsh Three Peaks in under 24 hours.

The Welsh 3000 is a crossing of the 15 summits of Snowdonia over 3,000ft, taking in the ranges of the Carneddau, the Glyders and the Snowdon range. It involves a 12,000ft ascent over 25 miles with rough ground and some exposed scrambling.

The Welsh Three Peaks includes a total distance of 17 miles and an ascent of 7657ft. Snowdon will be the last peak of the Welsh 3000 and the beginning of the Welsh Three peaks, so this will connect the two challenges as one. Total ascent is over half the height of Mount Everest so the legs are going to be burning : )

There is also the drive between the Welsh Three Peaks which will be eating into my time to complete the challenge. Snowdon to Cadair Idris (Penygader) is a 57 mile drive and Cadair Idris (penygader) to Pen y Fan is a 86 mile drive. All together losing about 3.5 hours due to driving.

The 2 charities I have chosen are Sharklife Conservation & Central Beacons Mountain Rescue

Sharklife Conservation

When it comes to sharks your first thought draws upon fear, mostly due to the film Jaws, which portrays sharks as being mindless man eaters. This fear causes people to think of a sea without sharks as a better place. Hearing about millions of sharks being culled for various reasons, such as having their fins taken for shark fin soup, doesn't cause the majority any concern. This is something that needs to change.

Following a shark diving trip to South Africa, I learnt a lot about sharks. I learnt how vulnerable they are, but most importantly how misunderstood they are. Seeing them up close and personal in their own environment made me appreciate how beautiful and graceful they are in the water. They demand our respect but most of all they need our protection. Sharks are so important to the health of our oceans and they're better seen, experienced and respected in the beauty of the open oceans than on a plate in a restaurant.

Sharklife addresses the alarming exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters. They actively engage the urgent need for research and protection of many marine species. Shark life stands to protect sharks by educating people through online courses and practical in water experiences with these natural beautiful creatures. Funding will help towards creating further education, thus gaining greater protection for them.

'Understanding shark behaviour and biology is the first step towards conserving them.'

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary organisation responsible for covering the central section of the Brecon Beacons including South Wales’ highest mountain, Pen y Fan, Cribyn and Corn Du as well as the Ystradfellte waterfalls. The Team trains regularly, meeting one night a week and a full day exercise once a month. The team is made up of unpaid volunteers, who give up their time to help those that need us.

Covering so much more than just mountains, our area of operation includes Cardiff, Newport and the South Wales valleys. We also work closely with other mountain rescue teams in West and Mid Wales and across the English border. We are all unpaid volunteers, responding to 999 emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in any weather. We rely on donations from members of the public to carry out this essential life-saving rescue service.

CBMRT also have a Flood rescue team including Swift Water Rescue Technicians and Water First Responders. - Paragraphs taken from - http://www.cbmrt.org.uk/about-us/

I have had the opportunity to work with these amazing people whilst partaking in a training workshop in the Brecon Beacons. They are all very passionate about the Brecon Beacons National Park. They want people to enjoy the mountains safely but are always there to lend a hand to help if situations arise.

After the burning down of their station they lost £250000 worth of equipment. They have received equipment donations which is fantastic, but are no where near back to where they were before the fire disaster.

As a person who constantly uses the mountains it’s always good to know that Mountain Rescue has your back if things were to go south.

Please help me to help these great charities and the people within them to carry on doing amazing work.

Thanks all

Dan