I'm Matt Richardson and during lockdown I devised a plan to quit my job as an accountant and travel the world. Rather than wandering aimlessly I thought I would create a target to keep me focused and ensure I made the most of every moment - thus the 50 peak challenge was created!

I originally planned to climb the highest mountain in 50 countries over the course of a year, but completed this within 7 months. I now aim to break the record for the fastest person to climb the highest point in 100 countries (a feat only 3 people have completed, with the record currently 7 years).

My trip will start in Turkey on 16th July 2024, before travelling east to Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Phillipines, Malaysia and Indonesia to name just a few.

I will then travel to Brazil in December to climb Mount Roraima (made popular by the film 'Up') in the middle of the Amazon, and other Latin Amercian highpoints i missed the first time round.

This should get me as close to the 100 highpoint target as possible.

When deciding who to raise money for, again I really couldn't look past Malaria Consortium - no charity does as much as these guys in saving the lives of children under 5 from across Africa and Asia, truly a great cause, so please give generously!

I also have a page for me personally if you want to donate to give me 'treats', such as the luxury of a  3 minute hot shower in a mountain hut or a refuge bunk bed for a night rather than my tent. Please give to MalariaConsortium first! Link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/climb-the-highest-mountain-in-50-countries?qid=f2a0521b1deeae9d07c1a23b141bf7c6

Track my progress and peak by peak updates on Instagram:

@richardson_richardson

Or follow me on Strava for detailed maps with GPS, elevation and heart rate tracking of the challenge and the training events:

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/bXD9X3Rzmrb

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.