On Friday September 29th I'll set off for a ride on my mountain bike in aid of Bone Cancer Research Trust. I’ll be on a steep and rocky trail that I’ve ridden hundreds of times over the last 20 years, but this time I’ll be repeating it over and over again until I’ve totalled up 8,849 metres of climbing; the same elevation as Mount Everest. This is known as Everesting and I’ve done it three times on roads in various locations around the country and each time found it really tough, taking around 12 to 14 hours of constant riding to complete. 

This time it’s going to be very different. Stainburn woods in North Yorkshire are well known locally for having particularly steep, technical and unforgiving rocky trails. There are much easier places out there to do an off-road Everest! I’ve added a couple of photos to give a feel for the trail.

My best guess is that I’ll be riding up and down those rocks and dirt in the woods for 24 hours. I count myself fortunate to be a strong and fit rider but I know that this will genuinely push me to my limits.

Raising money for those affected by bone cancer gives me huge motivation; to take on something I otherwise wouldn’t do and to keep going until it’s done.

I’ve picked this date for my challenge because on the Sunday there is a separately organised Everesting challenge happening on the road that runs alongside the woods I’ll be in. It was the trigger I needed to push me into committing to my own challenge. All being well there will be a lot of weary bodies raising a lot of money for good causes on this weekend!

The Bone Cancer Trust is a remarkable charity dedicated to improving the lives of those living with bone cancer. Bone cancer is a rare and often overlooked disease that affects both children and adults. The charity was founded in 2004 by a group of families who had lost children and young people to primary bone cancer. They wanted to tackle head-on the fact that there was virtually no accessible bone cancer information, and practically no funding for research into this disease. By supporting this charity, we can contribute to vital research, provide support to patients and their families, and raise awareness about this devastating condition.

Your generosity and support really can help to make a world of difference!