Starting out

Well, it's been one week since I signed up to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in June 2011, or Kili as us would-be mountaineers call it, for Diabetes UK and what an eventful week it's been already!

I've accomplished lots of things, the most important of which has been setting up my donation page at Diabetes Challenge:

http://www.diabeteschallenge/challenge/brucefraserkilimanjaro

Some money has already been given from two friends from different areas of my life; one, somebody I only know off a webforum I frequent, the other a nursing colleague. Thanks, ladies!

Well, what can you expect to read about over the next year and a bit? I'm planning on keeping things mixed up so that you get a flavour of what I'm going through, whether that be endlessly thinking up new ways to raise money, or me and my struggle to get fit. There'll be insights into what I'm having to get in the way of kit and, boy, is it extensive! Hopefully, you'll be seeing how well I get on with convincing people/shops to give it all to me for free in exchange for publicity.

My pack from Diabetes Challenge arrived yesterday with all its info on fundraising and stuff like how to access materials like their pretty pink collection boxes, T-shirts etc. The trekking company I'll be going with, Charity Challenge (http://www.charitychallenge.com/index.html), also have loads of helpful hints too on their web pages. I was up half the night both reading the bumph and clicking through stuff on my laptop. I dozed off surrounded by bits of paper with notes and ideas - I really must organise that side of things pretty quickly!

So, off to get a guide book by Henry Stedman on the climb itself. It seems to be the most recommended and has great reviews on Amazon. Will also drop in on the hiking shop in nearby Morpeth to see if the owner will give me some kit so long as we can get the media interested, which I'm sure we can. I'd like to give them the first bite at the cherry before I go to Snow & Rock at the Metro Centre in Gateshead, a much bigger concern.

Gotta dash, my wife has woken up this beautiful Saturday morning and needs tea and toast!

Please visit my donation site.