Breda Barrett Gneeveguilla AC

These photos are of Cian Murphy, Cahirciveen AC, Donal O’Callaghan Ballymacelligott AC and Pat Cuffe Gneeveguilla AC but I may have gotten them mixed up so feel free to let me know the correct order if I have those wrong! Apologies! Let us know if you were there and who the winners were! Cheers Valerie, beautiful photos as usual!!

-Aisling-

Eoin I’ll try join you for a couple of miles along the way! Best of luck!

-Aisling-

All the best guys, you’re a pair of nutters.

Quite how nutter-ish they are is clear when you see the comparison chart they have to their Trans Alp challenge. Incredible stuff!
Well done Rick and Davy!

-Aisling-

Image is from ceremonial handing over of cans of Guinness on the banks of the Lagan.

C’mon out and enjoy running round the mountains in sunshine while supporting a good cause! (But make sure to carpool!)

-Aisling-

Image of Turlough Conway on Sugarloaf by Justin Keatinge.

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) 600 miles cycling around Ulster seems like a long way. But with no gears?? Well they’re doing it for charity so we’ll forgive their madness this time….

This year sees the re-launch of The Ulster Way, a 600-mile long-distance loop route around Northern Ireland, linking the current way-marked ways (75% of the route) together with minor-road link sections.

Tango & Cash are attempting to complete the entire route in six days, starting on Saturday 3 May 2008, all under our own steam, on foot and our single-speed mountain-bikes.

Maybe some of us will join you for a few miles….

-Aisling-

A 100% volunteer operated 999/112 Emergency Service - Charity Number 10148

SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - We’ve got to support the mountain rescue team local to most of the TGU bloggers. Gerry, Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue PRO has left a message in our forums asking for your support at their fund-raising drive in central Dublin on Saturday.

The team will be out looking for your support this Saturday 23rd of February on Grafton street from 09.00 till 18.00. Yes a long day as this is one of our main fund raising drive’s that we hold through the year. And it is vital so that we can collect much needed funds to keep the team out of the red. A lot of people are under the impression that because we are a 999/112 emergency service that we are paid and funded by the Government. We are a 40 strong team of unpaid volunteers on call 24/7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

You can reply to Gerry here.

Their new website also has a Donate By PayPal button so it’s really easy to pay by credit card :-)

-Robin.

(Image Credit: Deputy Team Leader at the 2008 Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician exercise. Via dwmrt.ie)

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - BBC Presenter Kate Humble has launched StuffYourRucksack.com.

“How many times have you been travelling and visited a school or community or local charity that you would love to help? The school needs books, or a map or pencils; an orphanage needs children’s clothes or toys. All things that, if only you’d known, you could’ve stuffed in your rucksack. But once you get home you forget, or you’ve lost the address, or worry that whatever you send will be stolen before it even gets there…”

That’s why we’ve set up StuffYourRucksack.com - Kate Humble

The idea of the site is simple, exchanging information between organisations & travellers to what is helpful to be brought into a region by a backpacker rather than giving out sweets & pens. This is a great idea… I remember from travelling in Peru we were requested not to hand out any food as ‘western’ artificial sugars would rot their teeth with not dental care available, and cash encouraged begging.

-Robin-

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - It has been kayaked blind and windsurfed across but now Rupert and Al are kiting across the Irish Sea to raise money for the hospital that ‘put Al back together’ by kitesurfing across the Irish Sea.

In March 2006, Aberdovey kitesurfer Al Crisp broke his back following an accident which could easily have left him paralysed. He sustained 17 fractures in total, several to the spine, lumbar and thoracic, as well as two broken wrists, smashed heel and cracked ribs. He spent 2 months lying flat out in Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Spinal Injuries Unit and a further 6 weeks in a full body brace. Oooo!

Following months of recuperation and physiotherapy, Al is back on the water and training to complete a kitesurf passage from Ireland to home town of Aberdovey in Wales this September. A 1.5m plank, some canvas, lots of string and 90 miles!

The team set off from Arklow on Irleand’s east coast and will be sailing almost due east to Aberdovey in mid-Wales. The distance is approximately 90 miles and if the team average 10 knots (kitesufers are capable of speeds of up to 40 knots, but this will be in rough seas and for a extended period of time) this should take about 9 hours to complete.

You can join their facebook group or visit their website thecrossing.org.uk. Good luck to Al and his team on this tough endeavour.

-Robin-

Featuring strongly in the article is Ian McKeever. No word yet on how he is doing on his attempt on the 7th of his 7 summits challenge. According to the article he was heading off early this week. Outsider reported on May 31st that he had summited Elbrus just 15 days after conquering Everest so the record looks set to be shattered for the fastest time ever to do all seven summits. The aim was to finish by 10th July. Read about his challenge here.

-Aisling-

Image Credit: Take Me Higher

10am: Arrival at The Lifeboat College
10.30am: Safety briefings and morning exercises (build a lifeboat and emergency drills)
12.30pm: Lunch
1.30pm: Full afternoon of crew training exercises (search and rescue and survival race)
5pm: Finish, debrief and awards.

Current Bid is £2,000.

-Robin-