The Challenge 2009

The Plan:

To take two teams of 8 climbers travelling in two minibuses from Cambridge to Ben Nevis in Scotland. This is roughly a 500 mile drive which according to Google Earth will take 9 hours and 2 minutes to complete. There, we will climb Ben Nevis, and the guide books suggest this should take 5 hours to complete.

This is followed by another 265 mile drive taking approximately 6 hours to Scafell Pike in Cumbria, where the ascent and decent will take another 5 hours.

That's two out of three !

Back in the vehicles for a further 202 mile drive to Mount Snowdon (Google Earth says 4 hours 12 minutes driving) and we're on the last stretch, a four hour climb up and down the 3,560ft Welsh mountain.

That's 10 hours of driving and 14 hours of climbing to complete the Challenge! Add to that all the other driving, and we have a very busy weekend ahead of us !

Just a few facts on our expedition:

• 3,407 metres to climb, or for the metrically challenged 11,172 ft

• 1,182 mile round trip from Cambridge

• 23½ hours of driving in one weekend

And we're doing this all in aid of charity. You can sponsor us here for donations to the East Anglia Children's Hospice in Milton, or you can donate to our other supported charity Arthur Rank House Hospice in Cambridge which you can find at www.justgiving.com/redpouches_arh.

Thanks for your support for these two great causes. They need every penny you can spare.

Watch our progress here www.redpouches.org.uk/3_peaks

On 9 May we reached our original target of £2000 so we've increased our target to £3000.

On 16 July we passed our revised target, so now we've increased it again. £5000 is what we now want to raise for this noble cause, and with just days to go before we start climbing, we really do need all the support we can get.

Please give generously.