Great Wall Preparation

Hi All

This is my first real article about what I am doing, why I am doing this walk, how I am preparing for it and how I will be able to provide you with more information about the Great Wall when I return. Well let me introduce myself first. I am Michael Everitt, a 22 year old semi-fit person who wanted to make a difference.

You see things all the time on the TV about new charities or new causes that need money and you always think I'll get around to doing something to help... but you never do. You're either too busy or have other commitments.

Well I started thinking I want to do something, not put it off, so I had a look on-line at quite a few sites that advertised themselves for being charity driven organisations. I was actually surprised that here were so many organisations set up already. I started to look at one particular site, Charity Challenge, in detail. They specialised in numerous trips that you gain sponsorship for and it goes direct to charity, with no middle man. I was intrigued so I looked at some of the trips available and the Great Wall discovery trip struck me straight away. I have always been mesmerised by the construction and the history of the Wall, the way it can be seen from space and the way it's protected China.

Bearing in mind it was November 2006, and the trip was scheduled for 5th May 2007. The trip is for seven days. Two days of that will be flights, so the challenge was set to walk 55km (34 miles) in five days. Yeah, I could do that I thought. Need to loose a few pounds and actually go to the gym. And there was the sponsorship £2,500 to be raised by February, even though I would be paying for the trip myself, that is the target set by the charity. It should be straightforward enough, I know quite a few people, have a large number of friends and I have a few ideas to work on to gain sponsorship. Next was to decide a charity. Well, I had already thought of this and I wanted to support the Acorns Children's Hospice Trust who provide respite care for families with children who have life limiting illnesses and disabilities.

Well after defiantly deciding to do this and telling close friends and family, they were 100% behind me. It felt good to say I am going to do something to make a difference.

I thought at this point I would have a look at the Great Wall, especially the sections I would be trekking, and well, I was shocked to see that the whole  section I would be doing is steps.  So that's where the challenge bit comes in I thought. Then I realised that the steps go up and up and up, to 4,500m (14,700') and there is a sheer drop either side of it. This is going to be hard. I'd heard that I would need altitude training from a friend of mine but well, at that height, I going to need to be seriously fit.

The reality of the situation finally hit me when my introductory pack arrived. It included a list of all the equipment I will need, a training pack, info on safe travel and an A4 page full of well health advice stating I would require numerous vaccinations. Rabies, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. The list seemed to go on and on. I think if someone would have taken a photo of my face, you would have seen how white I went. If I say I don't like needles, that's a bit of an understatement, but it can stay at the back of my mind, so I thought.

Well, it's January now and numerous emails and promoting what I am doing with work colleagues, friends, family and even local supermarkets. I still don't seem to be gaining much headway with the sponsorship. This is the hardest part at the moment. I have set up an on line site through Justgiving.com who provide a safe on-line donation plan. If you want to sponsor me, every little counts.

Fitness wise, I am up to the gym three nights a week and a dietitian has shown me what to cut out of my diet and what to eat and drink. To help with the altitude training, I have been trekking up our local mountain, the Wrekin, and I'll be going to Snowdon a few weeks before I go. This is a lot harder than I ever imagined.

The next part was to use the January Sales to pick up some equipment for my trip. I thought I'd head straight to my local branch of Blacks and get some advice. They were really good and they knew I'd need some Gore-tex boots with a high grade durability that were comfortable for me. I finally decided on some and have been trying to break them in at weekends. I also needed a light weight jacket and trousers, fleeces, sleeping bag and liner, rucksack.

Thankfully, charity challenges are taking care of my visa etc, and all I had to provide was a passport photo. I have also had contact with Acorns. All through this they have been providing me with sponsorship forms and other items to help raise money. They provide advice on how to raise sponsorship.

Next I needed to speak to my doctor about the injections I will need. They are setting up a regime for me to start in February to make sure I am getting the right ones at the right time. I'll let you know how they go next time....

Thanks

Mike