December is a merry month for many, but each year, the frost and snow are a life-threatening reality for other. We share the story of Danny’s daring challenge this month because it struck a very special note in our hearts! How easy it is for us all to forget, from the comort of our centrally heated homes, that too many others have to go without as much as a roof over their heads!

On December the 16^th, Danny and two equally intrepid friends are climbing Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside Asia, at 6,960.8 metres, and by extension the highest point in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. With most challenges of this extreme nature, we find that the brave people partaking in them will have experienced a range of reasons and emotions that lead them to the decision and sustained them through the the harshness and dedication of many months spent training.

We wanted to find out what these were for Danny, and why, oh why, brave dizzying (and sickening) altitudes at jaw-droppingly low temperatures!

So, Danny – what made you sign up for this challenge?

– After years of cycling and running, trying to fight off the inevitable spread, we decided to do something that would not only challenge us physically but mentally too. Spending over three weeks in tents going into high altitude carrying 20kgs of equipment each day, at -35 degrees Celsius near the summit, will test us all to the core. 

There is a sad parallel with the experience we will have and the charity which I will be supporting. Shelter from the Storm is a free emergency night shelter providing bed, dinner and breakfast for 42 homeless people every night of the year. Fortunately for us, we will only be homeless, carrying all our belongings looking for a place to rest, for three and a half weeks. Some are not so lucky.

I visited Sheila and the team at Shelter from the Storm a few weeks ago to talk to them about my plan to raise money. I was overwhelmed by the work they do and the love they give to people in need of help. They are making a real difference to the lives of people who need it the most and are often forgotten about. Check them out here: www.sfts.org.uk

– How will you keep your mind on track during the challenge? Do you have a “coping mechanism” to help you get through the tougher times?

– Normally when things get hard in events I ask myself ‘yes’ questions to raise my spirits…have you done this before – yes. Did you finish that event – yes. Are you going to complete this event – yes. The only think is, I’ve never been to 7000m before, so I haven’t finished anything like this before, am I going to complete this event…I’d do absolutely everything I can! 

Hopefully the work the Gail and the team at Massage Lab have put in will help get me through the physical pain of it all, the rest is up to me!

We really admire Danny and his friends for their inspiration, but also for raising awareness and funds for the suffering of others. Let’s all help them get through it by donating to Shelter from the Storm generously

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/danny-hall-aconcagua

Join us in wishing them the very best of luck, mental & physical strength and fun, of course!

Image by Albert Backer – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16225042