Successful Completion of the Christie Hospital 2023 Spanish Sierra Nevada Three Peaks Trek Charity Challenge

Reporter: Brian Richardson

I am pleased to tell you that our team of twenty-four challengers and three guides completed our goal climbing the three Spanish Sierra Nevada Peaks. The three mountains were each climbed from the less steep south sides rather than from the glacially-formed north cliff faces. Each day, we were fortunate to avoid threatened rain and lightning storms and had excellent views from the tops of the stupendous mountain range. Our key goal, to stay together as a team to the tops was successful, and, apart from a few with blisters, the team was free of injuries. We were an incredibly happily integrated team and returned home very late on Sunday 17th September with wonderful memories and many new friendships.

I went to the Sierra Nevada a few days earlier to allow for my age by acclimatising aerobically to the high-altitude trekking. This proved to be very worthwhile. I stayed in a hostel at 2200 metres on the west shoulder of Veleta and at a relatively relaxed pace climbed the Veleta four times in four days with excellent weather before meeting the team arriving at Malaga airport.

Photos are presented in my Drop Box link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/a8y4180cmz74uy1b4icml/h?rlkey=naa5slj2fosz7wbgze9ils9ox&dl=0.

A week later, in this spirit, Helen and I walked the charity event The Christie Walk of Hope (Walk in Memory, Walk in Support, Walk in Hope) and met some of our Spanish Three Peaks Team there. The annual 10k walk on Sunday 20th Sept. is an evening walk around Tatton Park and was very well attended by families, and had side music, a choir and a spectacular fireworks display.

Photos are presented in my Drop Box link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5hzaasw6y5uwu6tcxm1bg/h?rlkey=i6zwpfyp4m97knprphmhww4ca0&dl=0.

So, I take this opportunity to thank those of you who have contributed to The Christie or other such charities, either via my appeal or in other ways for your own particular reasons. By early October contributors to my appeal raised £7689 (plus over £1500 Gift Aid). The whole team of 24 members raised over £100,000 (plus Gift Aid) by 3rd October (and still growing). My JustGiving page appeal is now closed, but there are many other Manchester and Macclesfield Christie Cancer Hospitals charity events and appeals ongoing for any of you wanting to support these hospitals in their research, trials, and patient support facilities.