Words by Smiley Team
A ‘serial’ fundraiser has managed to successfully complete five mountains, in five countries, in just three days. And he’s raised more than £10k for charity while doing it.
Des Lally, 46, from Brecon, did the trek to raise funds for Cancer Research UK and Help for Heroes. He was joined by a four-strong support team in a van as he travelled more than 1,900 miles, as well as trekking up more than three miles of mountains – much of it in the dark.
And Des admitted it hadn't been the most comfortable of 72 hours. “It was tough going, there’s no doubt about that – especially living out of a van for four days, with a lack of sleep and not eating properly,” he says. “We left Brecon at 6am on the Tuesday and by the time we got to the foot of the first mountain it was about 2.30am the following morning – so, nearly 24 hours later. And we left straight away.
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“We went up it in the dark, but because of that, we couldn’t find the path to go up it," says Des. "We ended up climbing up the practically vertical face to get to the path. No denying it, there were some hairy moments where we had to sit down and grab hold of something to wait for the gusts of wind to pass.”
When asked how his feet were doing after the massive trek, he tells Smiley News: “My feet are absolutely fine but that’s due to meticulous preparation and research into making sure I was wearing the right shoes and socks for my feet and ensuring I was putting on dry socks after every climb!”
The first thing he did when he got home was have a hot shower and brush his teeth, he adds.
“It was tough, but, as I’ve said previously, it’s nothing compared to what people in the Armed Forces have suffered, physically and psychologically, or what cancer sufferers deal with every day,” he says. “That’s why we were doing it.”
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His fundraising total stands at around £12,000, including Gift Aid, but he's keeping his page open until the end of August, as he has been promised further donations from people he met during his trip.
So what’s next on his fundraising journey? “I’ve got a few ideas about what’s next but I think if I mentioned it to my partner, she’d push me off the nearest mountain,” Des jokes.
It's not too late to donate to Des Lally’s 5 Mountains, 5 Countries, 3 Days challenge. Just visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DesLally. For further information on Help for Heroes, or to get support, visit helpforheroes.org.uk.
