I am setting off on a mighty challenge to trek the entire length of The Pyrenees mountain chain, a distance of over 750km and one of the wildest places in Europe. I'm taking this journey to raise money for leading conservation charity ORCA which is dedicated to the long-term protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) and their habitats across the world.

The work that ORCA does is vital... Not only are cetaceans supremely intelligent, charismatic and include some of the largest animals to have EVER lived on Earth but they also have a huge impact on regulating marine ecosystems, playing a crucial role in combatting climate change by capturing a gigantic amount of carbon from the atmosphere. ORCA monitors vulnerable cetacean populations, protects threatened marine habitats and works with governments, research institutions and other conservation charities to create safer places for cetaceans, promoting the health and well-being of the wider marine ecosystem too.

On a personal level, I am indebted to whales for lifting me out of a period of my life when I was struggling with depression. During that time, I was fortunate enough to go on a whale watching tour and witnessed a huge humpback whale breach clean out of the water a matter of metres away from our boat, multiple times. It was a truly unforgettable and deeply humbling experience and continues to inspire me to this day (pic above!)

This journey should take me around 6 weeks to complete, through some of the wildest terrain in Europe and I'm a tad nervous about what dangers I might encounter along the way... storms, getting lost, possibly even bears... So, I'll be posting updates of my progress on social media whenever phone signal allows as it promises to be a pretty intense adventure...

Please join me in supporting the amazing work that ORCA carries out and donate however much you can. Your support will make a real difference in protecting these majestic creatures and ALL LIFE on Earth!