Whilst students made the most of their half term break, there was no rest for IT lecturer Alun King when he walked from north Wales to south Wales to raise money for Help for Heroes.
Trekking the 177 miles along what is known as Offa’s Dyke was no mean feat, but Alun did it in just six days, making sure he was back in the classroom, bright and early with his class on Monday morning. And to top it off, he reached his £500 target for the well-known charity.
Alun, from Pontywaun, sums up the experience: “The trek was a blend of kindness, frustration, aches, pains and fortunate weather which resulted in us staggering to the finish desperate for some warmth and well deserved rest!”
Alun took on the challenge with his friend from university, Edward Arnold. The pair set out from Prestatyn in north Wales on Saturday 22 October and, according to plan, arrived at Sedbury Cliffs near Chepstow six days later.
Starting at 6am most mornings, and sometimes walking until as late as 9pm, the pair averaged a challenging 30 miles per day, suffering from sore feet, fatigue, but fortunately dry weather. As they carried their provisions and equipment including their tent, cooker and clothing with them each day, they conquered hills and dodged curious cows. But there was much to appreciate also.
As well as the scenery, Alun and Edward were fortunate enough to encounter some very hospitable locals: “We came across a local pub where an ex-squaddie got us a round of drinks and gave us survival tips, a neighbour allowed us to set up our tent in his garden, and the landlady, sat us in her warm kitchen whilst she cooked our supper. I think this kindness literally saved our trip. We were down and out before arriving at the pub, and this evening raised our spirits significantly.”
Alun, who is no stranger to such gruelling physical activity, having cycled 350 miles around the south of England in the Summer, was mainly concerned about the weather before he set off: “Knowing the British weather I didn’t think it would be straight forward enough to stay dry and bright. And it didn’t for the whole trek but we only had the odd shower to contend with, it could have been a lot worse.”
Since the start of their student days, the competitive duo have challenged one another with similar arduous tasks, but this is the first time they’ve done one for charity. “Being able to raise money as well as demonstrating a battle of wills to outdo the other certainly kept us going. And this task seemed somehow fitting for the chosen charity, Help for Heroes. Although it was very physically demanding for us, it’s nothing compared to what servicemen do for our country.”
You can read Alun’s full blog about the trek here http://inglepingle.co.uk/2011/10/north-wales-to-south-wales-in-six-days-ouch-part-1/
