A Mountain to Climb

Everest is Easy

Not long to go now. Train tickets to London? Check. Flights to Geneva? Check. Nerves? Check.

I popped in to see my friends at the WSBPS today. Just to check in, talk about fundraising and see how everyone was doing. I always love visiting their HQ, Ashville Lodge. I work from home, on my own (cue violins), so to enter into an environment with such energy and activity is a real treat.

I spent a few minutes doing a short video for them. Just a short 30 second piece which they will be using to encourage people to donate. If it’s good (if I’m good, rather!) then I’ll post it to this site.

Also, I should be making an appearance on BBC Radio Merseyside on June 6th. Watch this space for details. Exciting, no?

In other news, there have been a couple of very interesting mountaineering stories doing the rounds of late:

First came the news that 22 year old Bonita Norris had become the yongest woman to conquer the world’s summit. She managed it without any previous hiking/climbing experience too.

If that wasn’t enough, I then got wind that 13 year old Jordan Romero had then achieved the same feat. The youngest ever. Shucks.

I guess these stories both mean that little old Mont Blanc will be a piece of cake, right? Wrong! Massive respect to both of them (and the many others that climbed with them). Maybe I’ll have a crack at Everest one day, but for now, Western Europe’s highest peak is enough to get my heart racing. Literally.

An Evening with Mark Beaumont

Last Thursday I (along with my summer-cycling-loving parents) took a 45 minute drive south along the coast to the Ryhl Pavilion Theatre. I’d be looking forward to the night for a while, ever since I saw the three-part BBC documentary The Man Who Cycled the Americas.

27 year old Mark Beaumont has been touring the country talking about his epic cycling trips – one 18,000 mile trek from Paris to Paris (via Australia), the other from North to South America (with a serious mountain climb at either end).

Mark is an interesting man in many respects. First of all, he’s younger than me. It shouldn’t be that big a deal, but it is. He’s already been on two incredible journeys (both easily surpassing what I’m about to tackle). He spoke about his early passion for adventure – at the age of 11 he wanted to take on a 1000 mile bike ride. His parents managed to convince him otherwise, but still had to settle for the Scotland coast-to-coast.

There are all sorts of things that strike you when you meet a person like Mark:

Where does he get his drive and determination?
What was is that triggered his thirst for a different type of lifestyle to your average 9-5 wage slave?
Who is he doing it for? Himself, his family … ?

I picked up a copy of Mark’s book, which was published after his record breaking round-the-world trip. He was kind enough not only to sign it for me, but to wish me well on my own journey – a journey which is now less than a month away.

I must say a huge thank you to Mark himself, who took the time to talk to all that stood patiently in line after the talk. It was a fascinating night for me – exactly what I needed to hear before Mont Blanc.

Training update

Some friends and family have expressed concern that I’m not training enough. Fear not! Being the calm, collected, understated chap that I am, I have been underplaying things somewhat.

The Wirral is a tricky place to live when preparing for a serious ascent. Running has picked up considerably over the past week, as has weight training at home.

This weekend should give me a great opportunity to get back to the Welsh hills as well, and I’m planning a more rigorous 5 day challenge for early June to really push myself.

Come June 16th, I’ll be ready.

A gentle stroll up Moel Famau

Yesterday I paid a visit to North Wales once again. I had a fairly manic April (getting married is a serious business) which set my training back a fair bit. My now father-in-law (himself in training for an upcoming excursion along Hadrian’s Wall) suggested a short trip up Moel Famau combined with a 12 mile walk around nearby countryside.

The weather was reasonable, and the views fantastic, but at just 555m not the greatest challenge. Still, it was good to stretch my legs properly. For some reason I returned to find a blister on my little toe, which is strange as I thought I’d well and truly worn my new boots in.

You may have spotted some changes to this site. It’s almost complete now. Fundraising will start in earnest now. Donating is easy – just click one of the Just Giving ‘donate’ images to the left or right of this post and follow your nose.

What’s on my agenda this week? Well, aside from working frantically on countless websites and graphic design projects, I’ll be picking up my running and weight training. I’m off to see what will surely be an inspiring talk by cyclist Mark Beaumont on Thursday night so I’ll let you know how that goes. Hopefully I’ll get to shake hands with the great man.

Next month …

The big day approaches. The mountain approaches.

Training has been stepped up. April 2010 was a huge month in my life. April 10th was my wedding day and it was virtually perfect.

The dust has settled from then and my focus has now shifted to the highest mountain in Europe. I’m paying another visit to Snowdonia on Saturday and training in general has shifted up a gear. Regular runs have now been interspersed with a bit more weight training – keen to build up my overall strength.

I will shortly be announcing more details regarding the charity that I will be climbing for. I’ve also had a bit of fun creating the poster below. If there are any NG executives worried that I’ve breached some copyright laws then please do get in touch!

Post regularity should increase greatly in the coming weeks so please do bookmark this page and keep checking back for updates.

Cadair Idris Conquered!

A couple of days ago we (the same group as last time, plus my Dad) returned to Cadair Idris, Snowdonia, to have another crack at climbing her.

This time the weather was far more favourable. The snow that had hindered us in February was all but gone, and the cloud level was higher.

We began the climb via a different route this time, opting for a tougher initial climb followed by a slightly easier approach to the peak. I’ve found that even in the short space of time between this and the last attempt my body has become more accustomed to walking/climbing. I was far less out of breath and found the going much easier than previously. Looks like all of that running is starting to pay off.

The view from the summit was spectacular, with the clouds parting occasionally to reveal the stunning lake(s) below. We sheltered behind a manmade (but very old) structure for lunch. Thanks to Dave who shared his sausage roll with me. We began our descent soon after.

Another great day in the hills was had. I feel more confident than ever that I will be able to climb Mont Blanc. I’ve been speaking with a good friend (a friend who just happens to be a personal trainer) about a more intensive fitness regime. My only slight concern is that I need to build up the strength in the knees and ankles, which still feel a little fragile.

In the meantime, I’ve got a wedding to prepare for in two weeks. Running will continue, before another scheduled trip to Snowdonia on May 8th. Can’t wait.

I’ll be making some major changes to this site in the coming weeks regarding fundraising. Watch this space.

Sport Relief 10k

Training continues. Spring is in the air, the sun is shining, and I’m feeling good.

This weekend I will be running the Sport Relief 10k Run in Liverpool. It should be a good indicator as to how far my fitness has moved on in the past couple of months. Plenty of runs a bike rides have been ‘accomplished’. My runs haven’t quite reached the 10k (6 mile) level yet though, so Sunday promises to be quite a challenge.

The first of many!

*update* Just under 4 miles done! Felt pretty darn good too. Will see how the legs are tomorrow and head out again.

**update 2!** 10k Sport Relief run completed! 48m 44secs, which I’m fairly please with. Another, more competitive, 10k scheduled for late May (just before the climb) which should give me the chance to check my progress between now and then.

Training Begins.

Morning runs are a part of my routine now. The first couple of weeks were hard going, but I can feel my body gradually getting used to it.

Truth be told, I wasn’t in particularly bad shape to begin with. But regardless, it’s been a good 10 or 11 years since I was last getting regular exercise.

On Saturday 27th March I visited Snowdonia for my first taste of mountaineering. Together with two friends (my father-in-law to be, Gwynfor Evans, and his friend of many years, David Bettles) we set off to tackle Cadair Idris.

The journey began at 8am. We arrived at the foot of the mountain at 10am. The initial steep footpath was quite a wake up call. We had climbed perhaps 200 metres (all be it a very steep 200 metres) but my heart was pounding, more so than any of the runs I had been on. IT was around this point that I realised that Mont Blanc may prove to be tougher than I thought.

A short walk over some relatively flat ground then presented us with a view of the mountain. It was only a partial view, however. The top, indeed the entire rim of the famous Snowdonian peak, was invisible due to low lying cloud. By this stage we had reached the snow level. I had expected some snow, but, as time would tell, there was a lot more around than we had thought.

Snow had began to fall lightly as we attempted our ‘main ascent’. A fairly steep scramble to the left of the lake (a partially frozen, beautifully tranquil lake) left us breathless but happy. The view from the various points we stopped at became increasingly spectacular. I can’t imagine what the view from Chamonix will be like.

Soon after, as the ground had just begun to even out, the snow began to fall much more heavily. We had lost the path a couple of times already. After reaching the cloud level, with visibility was getting worse by the yard, we realised it was decision time. The mountain was quiet (we had passed, at most, 4 other walkers up to this point). The decision was taken to turn back. The prospect of losing the path in heavy snow, with the further prospect of a near vertical 200 metre+ drop didn’t fill us with us with much anticipation.

We descended and had lunch next to the lake. It was one of the most tranquil places I had ever been to. Sausages sandwiches have rarely been so magical.

Cadair Idris can wait for another day. Another trek is scheduled for later this month. I’ve got a real taste for it now. Mont Blanc can’t come soon enough.

Post number 1. The Challenge.

Hi there.

My name is Ed Lamb. I’m 28, live in the UK (Merseyside) and work for myself, along with a talented chap called Matt Goodfellow at Dupe Creative.

I’ve been meaning to set a blog up for a while. I like to think I’m a relatively interesting guy, with a few things to say about just about subject you care to mention.

However, now I’ve got the perfect excuse. I’ve taken on a challenge. In June 2010, I’ll be climbing Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe.

Why, you ask? Well, a few reasons. Firstly, I’ve been looking for a challenge for a while. The chap I’ll be climbing with (Rob Bence) went up Kilimanjaro a couple of years ago. I was insanely jealous, and asked to be kept informed of any further jaunts he was considering.

Also, I have been on a course in self-discovery, run by Sean Orford (a client of mine). The course was a real eye-opener for me. After getting my head in gear (and reading plenty of other material) I realised that I needed to set myself clear and well thought out goals, both in my personal and business life.

So, the goal is Mont Blanc. Now, how to achieve it. Well, we (myself and Rob, that is) have booked our places with Mont Blanc Guides. That was the easy part. Having no previous mountaineering experience, and not being in particulary great physical shape, the main challenge will be the physical demands on my body.

And so, the training begins. Running. Lots of running.

I’ll be using this blog to document my progress. Check back soon for updates relating to the local charity I’ll be raising money for.

Ed