The Great Wilderness Challenge is held in August every year, based in Poolewe in the North West Highlands. It raises money mainly for the Highland Hospice, and also for some smaller local charities. Several hundred people do the various walking and running routes, and all the organisation and support is provided for free by local people. It's a really cheering event to take part in, and reminds you what a lot of nice people there are around. I've been doing it since 2010, as a stripling of 64 (remember the song), so this will be my tenth year - which means I'll get a special medal, along with a dozen other people!

The really hard route is the 25 miles one. The runners on this are incredibly fit, and there's serious competition for the prizes and record times. The walkers also have to be pretty fit. I've done it a couple of times, after a lot of visits to the gym in the preceding months. It took me 9-10 hours. But more often I do one of the half-length routes. Even these can be quite hard going, with long boggy sections and paths with puddles deeper than the bog. A lot depends on the weather in the previous weeks. Although the walkers aren't competing, they all walk amazingly fast - I've managed 14 miles in under 5 hours sometimes, which is way above my usual speed!

Another nice thing is that although some of the stuff you're walking through is quite challenging, you feel very safe because there are check points with stewards and water, the Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team, and an emergency helicopter. And at the end of the walk, there's a local pipe band to pipe you through the last few hundred yards, with your name being transmitted through the PA system. Makes it all worth while. (So why not sign up for the 2020 GWC? You'll love it!)

And finally... here's the official message from the Just Giving organization:

"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."