Planning an adventure of a lifetime and fundraising for the RNLI.
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Ok, it’s time for the big reveal!
I’ve been hinting at something big in the pipeline for the last few months. Something I’ve been training for, something that means I’ve been consuming an extraordinary amount of protein, and subsequently, I’ve been sharing fewer cake recipes on the blog!
I’ll be turning 40 at the end of this year. I know 40 is just a number, and it doesn’t really matter much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s become a thing for me. As such, last April, I wrote a list of 40 Things I’d Like to do Before I Turn 40. I am pleased to say that I am, one by one, crossing the items off my list.
Climbing a mountain again is on this list. It’s been over 20 years since I last climbed a mountain.
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles, and it’s the closest mountain to me. If you take the sea out of it, it’s only 250 miles of land away from me, by bicycle.
Yes, by mountain bike.
I’m getting there on two wheels.
#32 on my list was to own a bike again, as I hadn’t owned one since I was a child. Mountain biking through the Cairngorms with my family a few summers ago (pictured below) reminded me of how much I loved bike riding, and as fortune should have it, I was given a second-hand hybrid bicycle by a friend. A little TLC by the fantastic Shetland Community Bike Project and my second-hand bike was as good as new.
The inspiration
Inspired by the fantastic motivational speaker and blogger Monica Shaw over at Smarter Fitter and her solo adventures by bicycle through Spain and France last year, I had a notion to perhaps take a little bicycle trek of my own.
I was thinking of maybe just cycling through Orkney, the next island south of mine before you hit the mainland of Scotland.
One thing led to another, and pondering where and how I was going to manage to climb a mountain this year, I came to the realization that Ben Nevis is, in fact, a mountain despite only standing at 1,344 metres (4,409 feet) (I’m Canadian – I’ve been rather spoiled by living in The Rockies – the last mountain I climbed was one of them!), and it’s a perfectly serviceable mountain. It will do.
I could just extend my Orkney cycle trip a little further to get there!
Me, a one-woman tent and the open road.
An epic adventure!
The friends
Relaying my plans enthusiastically to friends, I acquired two travelling companions. Well, one for sure – one friend is just as keen as I am with the whole fitness side, training and exercising regularly to build strength to sustain such a long trek and climb. The other (Helen – I’m speaking to you! I want to see that FitBit count higher!) seems to be leaving things a little late in the day to get started, but there’s plenty of time yet. Three months today, to be precise.
My original plans were to walk up the hills and cycle down them, taking as long as I needed to get to Ben Nevis, but my fitness enthusiast friend said, “Um, no, you’re not.” and then she convinced me to join a weekly spinning class at the local leisure centre and come along with her to a taster session at a Tank Built Conditioning Camp for Women.
Now, I’m a fully fledged tankette, training each week under an incredibly inspiring bodybuilding coach – and next week, I will try deadlifting for the first time under the guidance of another friend. I’m still slogging away with my daily P90X3 workouts (I just finished week one of my fourth round – doubles this time!). I will be strong enough to cycle this entire 250-mile journey, uphill and down, and to finish it off with a climb to the summit of a mountain.
Yes, I will.
My body can do awesome things.
The plans
So, the plans are to cycle from my house to Britain’s most northerly lifeboat station in Aith, Shetland (located in the middle of that little box on the map above), and then onwards to the ferry terminal in Lerwick, meeting up with my cycling companions en route.
From there, we’ll take the ferry south to Kirkwall on the island of Orkney (which arrives at 11 pm), cycle to Berwick at the south end of the island and camp out for the night (it doesn’t get dark this far north this time of year, so there will still be plenty of light). The next morning, we’ll catch the John o’Groats ferry to the most northerly tip of the mainland of the UK.
Our route will take us through the scenic highlands of Scotland, following the National Cycle Network route Part 2 from Bettyhill to Toroble and then down to Inverness (perhaps taking in an off-road cycle trail or two – , and perhaps a whisky distillery… or two… or three!) and along the River Ness via mainly off-road cycle paths along The Great Glen Way from Fort Augustus, at the southern tip of Loch Ness, to Fort William (lower left-hand side of the map, above).
From there, we’ll either camp or hire a B&B (depending on how knackered we are!) and wait for good weather to climb Ben Nevis.
The fundraising
I have been an RNLI volunteer since 2012 and I have set up a fundraising page with Virgin Money Giving in aid of the RNLI for this challenge.
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea – the RNLI saves at least 21 people every day from UK waters. Donations completely fund this charity; it receives no government support whatsoever, so these donations are vital for our men and women to continue to do what they do – saving lives.
The wish list
An epic adventure like this requires planning and supplies. So far, I’ve got my second-hand hybrid mountain bike, a pannier rack, a GoPro Hero 4, a mini first aid kit with a tick remover tool, a bicycle tyre hole puncture kit, a map and a compass. Ideally, I want to travel as lightly as possible, but here’s a wishlist of things I need/want:
- a very light one-woman tent
- pannier bags
- a brand new high spec mountain bike (wishful thinking!) (14 April edit: I bought a new one, not high spec, but still rather nice!)
- an iPhone 6s (or similar) for communication, navigation and photographs for social media & blogging so I don’t have to take my big heavy camera ( 14 April edit: I bought one!)
- a solar panel phone charger
- appropriate clothing
- Udderly Smooth chamois cream (this has come highly recommended by a cycling friend!)
- lightweight cooking equipment
- a bothy bag
- a midge face/head protection net (it is Scotland, after all!)
- duct tape, for emergency repairs
- to be continued as I learn more about long-distance cycling…
Please feel free to suggest anything I might be missing from this list. I’m new at this kind of adventure, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.
If any brands would like to get involved and help me out with my wishlist, please feel free to contact me and suggest how we might be able to work together on this epic adventure!
All in all it’s going to be one heck of an adventure, don’t you think? Certainly something to make my 40th year on planet Earth something a little bit more special, and it would be most fantastic if I could raise some money for the RNLI too. I have no set target, but every little penny helps.
The rest of the story
I
Slow Cooked Lamb Casserole with Creamy Herbed Polenta
Soo how did the adventure go? I can only imagine being wonderful. PS: love your blog
It was *incredible!* you can read all about it in my follow up post here: https://www.elizabethskitchendiary.co.uk/ben-nevis-climb/
That sounds like an amazing challenge! I’m sure you will have fun. We went island hoping by bike in the west a few years a go. It was amazing. Your going to have so much fun!
enjoyed the post! 🙂 Wrote about something recently.. on why the destination has to be felt deeply before and during, for the travel to be real..
This sounds amazing! Something I’d absolutely love to do! Can’t wait to here how things go!
Hi Elizabeth,
It sounds like a great plan! I hope you have fun and enjoy your 40th birthday! I will be waiting for your updates. Your adventure sounds exciting already!
Zaria
Wow, what a fantastic plan! Sounds so exciting. I am going to show this post to my Dad
Thank you for linking up with #justanotherlinky
That’s some plan and what an amazing plan! I’ll be keeping my eye out for updates. Thanks for linking up to #justanotherlinky xx
Wow, that is quite a plan you have there. I wish you the best of luck and hope you raise lots of money for a great cause
For a solar powered phone charger, look up WakaWaka!
Arghhhhh! as soon as I read the title of this I felt a flutter of excitement for you – this is going to be AMAZING!!
I am also climbing Ben Nevis this year as part of the #NationalThreePeaksChallenge which myself and 6 friends are doing this summer. I absolutely cant wait, and I don’t know about you, but the planning, buying and training is going to be just as fun and exciting as the event itself. I think everybody should sign up for something adventurous, what’s not to love?!
(I just got my compression trousers at the weekend as I’ve read these are a must for muscle recovery in between the tough bits!)
Good luck with all of your training -It sounds like you will be some kind of Mrs Universe by the time you start! I will be following your story FOR SURE!
Anna x
Wow! What a fantastic adventure! It sounds amazing! I can’t wait to follow your adventure 🙂
Laura xx
Wow what an fantastic adventure! I can’t believe you volunteer for the RNLI, that is absolutely amazing and I take my hat off to you. I will be supporting you on this trip and will be making a donation in a few weeks time, please tag me in any tweets (@serenityyou) as a little reminder, so I don’t forget xx
wow your enthusiasm is infectious… what an inspiring way to mark your 40th .. and such a great cause too… ilook forward to reading all about it!! good luck x
I hope everything is going well with this. Good luck with the fundraising. Popping in again from Blogger Club UK X
Wow, sounds like a trip of a life time and all for a great cause too! Best of luck with all your planning and the big trip itself!
What an inspiring idea. And it should be a beautiful journey. I bet you’ll feel like you could conquer the world afterwards x
Wow, that sounds amazing! I’d love to visit Ben Nevis one day.
Sounds like this will be an incredible adventure! Your motivation and determination is really inspiring! Good luck!
Oh wow, what an adventure! I cannot wait to read the updates. This is so inspiring, I need to think about what I want to achieve before my 40th
This sounds Amazing! I think you’re bonkers but only because I’m not adventurous enough, what an echievement this’ll be, Good Luck! X
Wow, you’re nuts. Makes my ambition for this year before I’m 40 in October is merely to lose my 6 stone I need to, pale into insignificance. Hope all the training goes well, nice to be able to o it with friends too
This is an adventure I would love to embark on myself! And for such a worthy cause too!!!! Best of luck with it – can’t wait to hear more
wow what an amazing adventure this will be. What a great achievement it will be too, love the idea of things to do before your 40. Good luck with everything xx
Wow what an incredible adventure you are going on! It seems fantastic! An iPhone 6S is pretty high on my wishlist (just stuff I want for no reason).
Crikey – this sounds like a really impressive adventure! What a way to celebrate 40! There’s nothing like a deadline to help you achieve your goals. Best of luck with it all!
How exciting! I am looking forward to following your journey on this. I am actually planning something similar for next year, so I will look out for your updates.
In awe superwoman! Great cause and what an adventure.
Wow those mountains look beautiful I would love to go up a mountain!
This sounds like such a great opportunity and good for you raising money for the RNLI. My dad is an RNLI volunteer and goes round schools doing water safety presentations and teaching people about the RNLI. They are such an underrated charity, they do so much.
Good luck with all that cycling! You are a brave woman lol Its amazing you got to go out with the RNLI I would love to do that!
I know 40 is just a number but it is an achievement in it’s own right and glad you’re ticking things off on your bucketlist. Good luck with the plans to climb the mountain.
Wow, what an exciting thing to be doing! I admire you for this, it is fantastic! I wish I had the physical/ mental strength to do something like this!
Oh my goodness! How exciting and brave of you! You’ve inspired me to write my own list as I turn 35 this year and these’s so much I would like to do and see! Good luck and I look forward to hearing all about it!
Best of luck with this challenge, it sounds incredibly
Interesting and I can’t wait to hear how you get on.
This is so cool! You’ve done amazing, I would love to do some stuff off my bucketlist! x
Woah good luck I have always wanted to climb a mountain and it is good to make the most of your 39th year! What will be on the list next?
Wow, this looks like a great challenge. I’m sure you will be great at it 🙂 Congratulations on your milestone birthday x
Wow this is amazing (I actually watched the film Everest last night!) I’d love to do something like this!
Wow! That is some adventure.
Oh wow!!!! Good luck with this, looking forward to reading future posts 🙂 xxx
Gosh Elizabeth I feel tired just reading this. Will your ‘one woman tent’ allow enough room for a bottle of wine at the end of each day?! Best of luck with this as both a challenge project and a fundraising activity.
Wow that’s incredibly inspiring… I’m far too much of a wuss to try something like that, but it sounds like you’re very determined and training hard – amazing! Have you seen that Reese Witherspoon movie Wild?!!!
Yayy I’m excited for you! I haven’t rode a bike since I was kid either! I hope to read about your adventures on the blog. Good luck!
How exciting – what an adventure! Best of luck xx
Wow the big 4-0. Nice. Good luck with the adventure.
Oh wow. Good luck! I think the last time I climbed a mountain was during university days, a long, long, time ago. I don’t think I can do it now, but I’d like to like you own a mountain bike too. I think I’d like to do easy bike rides preferably flat surfaces (not a lot here in Cornwall), unless it’s the Camel trail. I do hope you reach your target! x
What an epic adventure, I fully support the RNLI having spent so many hours on small boats!
Wow what an adventure! And for a great cause! I’ve never been to Ben Nevis. Or climbed a mountain. Or cycled 200+ miles! I’m very impressed!
Oh wow what an amazing adventure!!! This is all very exciting, I hope that one day I can do something similar. Best of luck with all the preparations 😀
wow! Can I join you? Lol Looks exciting and the cause makes it more thrilling. 🙂
Wow what an impressive plan. Good luck with the training and I can’t wait to find out how you get along x
Wow what a plan, when you said big you were not kidding. This is fantastic I look forward to hearing all the updates on social media etc as you get closer to the big day. Good luck with the preparations x
Wow Elizabeth what a wonderful adventure you have planned and what a great cause you are raising money for too:-) Wish I had your energy!
Woah! What a challenge! I am looking forward to reading about your journey. The RNLI is a fantastic cause as well!
What a wonderful challenge to set yourself, I don’t doubt for a minute that you’ll manage it very well – you are clearly very committed . Cant wait to follow your adventure 🙂
oh wow go you – ya sure have more stamina than me but what an amazing experience to say you have done
Oh WOW what an incredible adventure, you are an inspiration, I will follow your journey with much interest. Kaz x
Yay Elizabeth, it sounds like a true adventure. I climbed Ben Nevis when I was fifteen, but am no way fit enough to do it now. As for your mode of transport, I just love that you are cycling – something else I used to do a lot of. Go You 🙂
This sounds way cool! I never knew the UK had any mountains and definitely had never heard of this one. Being from the Netherlands, I feel Ben Nevis is pretty high – the highest “mountain” we have here is only 321 metres. Good luck on your adventure.
Brilliant Elizabeth. I’ll donate when I’m back from my next trip xx
Wow! What an epic adventure! It sounds incredibly exciting, and I love how well planned out it is! Good luck with your fundraising too, the RNLI are a very underrated emergency service, which should definitely be celebrated more xx
Sounds like an amazing adventure! I’m in my twenties and I definitely wouldn’t have the stamina to do this. Love that you are setting goals for yourself and going through with them!
Good luck with your adventure, I really admire that you are making the most of the last year before you hit 40!