Team 'Frobi' Expands

I write with exciting news.

The charity cycling challenge to Dublin and back has a new team member. Someone who has checked the route out, seen how many long, painful climbs there are, considered the possibilities of getting soaked in June downpours, calculated the effort required to cycle all that way and the likelihood of saddlesores, numb man bits, exhaustion and even of throwing up at the top of a steep ascent....and still decided it sounds like an excellent idea!!!!

Welcome on board Dr. Oliver Groß.

Oliver has been a student at Kingsway English Centre where I teach on three occasions. He has excellent English, is a mad keen sportsman and regularly runs and cycles. He is a fit, lean cycling machine and he has kindly agreed to join me on my cycle ride for SCOPE. Oliver, I hope you know what you are letting yourself in for!!!!

I am thankful that there are no major football tournaments taking place next year as it would be doubly painful to cycle 650km in the company of an über Fußball mad supporter and as you have probably guessed by now, a good friend from Germany; especially as England would be fated to meet Germany in the quarter finals again and either be totally outplayed (as in the World Cup this year), or play the best game of their lives, concede an unlucky equaliser 2 minutes from full time and go on to lose 5-4 on penalties.

Yes, Germany. Some of you reading this may be looking forward to a Tony vs Oliver, England vs Germany...who will finish the route in the quickest time, who will get to the top of the climbs first etc battle. I can assure you that the answer would be 'ein - null für Deutschland'. So, for that reason, I will continue to pedal methodically, rhythmically, slowly in the direction of our daily destination. (I won't tell Oliver that the plan is for me to sit on his wheel, conserving as much energy as possible until the last 500m of the day and then outsprint him in a lightening quick acceleration for the line).

I am extremely happy to have Oilver on board for this challenge. I enjoy cycling alone, but the distance and the terrain on the route is both daunting and very tough. The physical side of cycling is one of endurance and effort. However, as long as you have enough calories and keep yourself hydrated with a good level of fitness you can achieve great distances, climb many thousands of metres (though with the get out clause of 'er, this is a bit steep, I'd better get off and push for a bit').

It is the mental challenge, the demons and doubts that creep in. As soon as you set off the mind starts its little games.."Bloody hell, how far are you going to cycle...really?! You must be out of your mind...that's soooo far. Did you see that road sign....Hereford 26 miles, that's not even a quarter of the distance....why don't you go home for a cup of tea?"

But, to have someone else accompanying you will help stave off the negative thoughts and makes the miles go by that bit faster. It won't hurt any less, but at least there will be someone else who I can look at at the end of the day and have that shared understanding of 'geez, that was tough, that hurt'.....and indeed someone to egg you on, someone to encourage you when they have been waiting 10 minutes at the top of a particularly steep climb for you to wearily push the bike to the top.

So, the cycle trip now numbers three. Myself, Simon Whitton (team driver, masseur (he doesn't know that yet), caterer, tea maker, motivator and bath runner) and Oliver. I am still hoping to get my good friend Chris Lynam on board for the trip as co-driver.

Now my attention turns to a few outstanding issues;

1. Get a road bike (it's Christmas soon...come on Santa, I've been a good boy)
2. Lose a stone in weight. I am not overweight, but I would like to go from 12.5 stones to under 12, ideally 11.5 stones
3. Join a gym. I have time now and would like to use a gym to build aerobic fitness (when the weather is cold, wet and horrible and you don't feel like a run or a cycle ride). I also need to build more muscle strength and tone to deal with the rigours of the route
4. Invest in some top of the range cycling shorts...we're talking £50 - £100. I don't want to be 5 miles into the ride and my old friend Mr Saddle Sore starts reacquainting himself.
5. Map the route accurately and plan camp sites / B&B's
6. Book ferries from Pembroke Dock - Rosslare and Dublin - Holyhead
7. Continue to raise money towards the £4,000 target
8. Shave my legs
9. Learn a few choice words in German; "Oh for f**ks sake, not another bl**dy hill...b*ll*cks!" and "How much further is it Oliver?"
10. Get out and ride, run, swim....improve fitness and give up biscuits (again)

Fundraising is going well at the moment and I am up to 31% of the target reached (£1,230 out of £4,000 target). If you can help me by donating, I would be extremely grateful. Any amount big or small will make a huge difference to people living with disabilities; in particular, cerebral palsy.

http://www.justgiving.com/tonyseverestchallenge

Until next time,

Auf Wiedersehen,

Tony

So....you want to climb Everest? OK...men in white coats please!!

Everest Dreams

As Lance Armstrong so eloquently put it 'It's Not About The Bike'. I would change it slightly, it's not only about the bike. It's also about a mountain and a dream. Following my cycling challenge to Dublin and back, I am joining Scope's Everest Trek in 2012. A chance to raise money for Scope combined with the opportunity to stand and gaze in awe at Mt Everest, Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the Earth.

Mountains hold a fascination for me. They always have. It doesn't matter if they are 500 metres or 5,000 metres, there is a majesty, a magnificence in their dignified imposing silence. Looking up to jagged peaks, snow capped and wind swept I always think...'what if it were me'. Me standing up there, looking down on the world below, satisfied with a great climb and a sense of accomplishment.

But while mountains have a desirable 'come on then, climb me big boy' quality, the temptation to learn how to use pitons, carabiners, belays and harnesses sadly never took hold. It passed me by and now at 42 with a young family, it is not something I intend to take up to satiate my 'Mid Life Crisis'.

My aspirations and ambitions to climb the world's loftiest peaks, the Alps, the Andes, the Himalayas have remained contained within the pages of numerous books detailing the exploits and adventures, triumphs and tragedies of others.

But Everest has remained a slow burning ember of desire. I can trace every step, rock outcrop and rock face from both the South and North sides and can picture the infamous 2nd step, the Hilary step and the summit, festooned with prayer flags and strewn with brightly coloured climbers of every nationality, their down jackets, trousers and mountain boots giving the impression of a convention of Michelin Men on the roof of the world. I've read and watched just about everything I can on Everest, its conquest, its allure, its attraction and magnetism for all climbers, its deadly and unforgiving climate, its legacy of tragic deaths and the frozen graves of the ones who never made it, or if they did, never made it down.

Would I like to climb Everest? Yes. Would I like to put myself in the jaws of the crocodile and pray it doesn't snap shut at any moment? No. But it amounts to the same thing. It's a massive risk, a huge gamble, it's Russian Roulette, but out of the 10 pistols only one is unloaded.

Everest is not a gentle walk up fixed routes with a guide, 3 Sherpas and a stack of oxygen to send you merrily skipping to the summit.

It's 29,014ft / 8,850m. It's at cruising altitude for commercial airliners. Oxygen is so low that were you to be dropped on the summit from sea level, you'd pass out and be dead within 20 minutes. But still, what if....? Scrambling up the 2nd step, crampons scraping on the rock and flimsy ladder fixed to the 30 metre outcrop; a merciless drop of 3,000m to your right, which should you look close enough is spotted with colourful dots. 'Rainbow Alley' it's called...the dots are those of climbers who have fallen off the 2nd step and the summit ridge.

What if....? Every step closer to the summit feeling like the summit is moving further away, such is the effort needed. Breathing so hard it feels as if your heart will punch its way out of your chest and your lungs will burst.

But then, the summit is there. You've done it. Elation, emotion, the sheer effort of it comes out in a wave of relief...until it dawns on you...'I'm only half way'. Most deaths occur on the way down. The exhaustion, the lack of oxygen, the effects of altitude in rendering all cognitive processes at best disorganised, at worst delusional, hallucinations peppering thought, drifting in and out of reality and coherence. Life on the edge. Your choice, move and move fast or stay and die. It couldn't be clearer. Life and death. Your move and it's currently 'check' to Everest.

Reality Check

Would I like to climb Everest - yes. Will I ever attempt it - no. The pros are significantly lacking when compared to the cons.

Pros

I like Everest,I would enjoy it, I like mountains, I climbed Kilimanjaro

Cons

It's 8,850m
You don't have technical climbing experience
You don't have $50,000 to join a guided expedition 1 in 6 people die attempting to climb Everest
You don't like heights
You have a wife and 2 daughters
You get cold fingers and toes and frostbite isn't nice

For all my dreams, all the hours spent pouring over pictures, watching documentaries and reading the vast amount of literature on the world's highest and most famous mountain, I won't, unfortunately, be setting foot on the Khumbu icefall, climbing the Balcony, recovering a fresh bottle of O2 at the south Summit and taking that summit photo to top all summit photos. Statistics, inexperience, responsibility and financial reality mean I won't be having a crack at the big one.

Instead, I will be standing at a safe distance, from the lofty viewing perch of Kala Patthar (5,545m), craning my neck up to the summit of Everest. I am sure I will have a moment or two of, 'what if...could I...', but that will pass as soon as the next blast of icy wind hits me and turns my mind to those that have done it and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of climbing the mountain. The mountain which continues to fascinate, continues to pull in more and more dreamers eager to smell the rock, taste the summit and success.

I'll pay my respects to the memory of those that didn't make it and wish those that come to try, the strength and good fortune to make it halfway, but more importantly to make it back down.

I am raising money on behalf of SCOPE, the UK's Cerebral Palsy charity. My trip to Dublin and to Everest are personal goals, but my aim is to help Scope continue their excellent work improving the quality of life of people with cerebral palsy and to raise awareness of the disability.

Please donate online;

http://www.justgiving.com/tonyseverestchallenge

Thank you.

Tony Frobisher

It's Monday, It's 6:30am...let's ride

It's cold, dark, there's thick fog laying in an eerie blanket, hills shrouded and barely visible....the alarm sounded at 5:30am and I leapt from bed, eager to make the most of the chance to put some good miles in my legs and enjoy a training ride while the weather held.

Monday...who on earth sticks a bike between their legs and heads off for 3 hours of cycling, ignoring the fact that the cockerels are still snuggled up and have yet to crow? Me, that's who.

Whatever the Weather

To prepare for my impending challenge to cycle and hike to and from one end of the Malverns to the other and back to Worcester, I decided to check the route out to the start of the hike at Chase Hill, the southernmost hill in the Malverns.

A routine ride, made more interesting by the thick fog that jumped out at you in random patches, the mysterious wide plain of Castlemorton Common, the beautiful villages of Hanley Swan, with it's tranquil duck pond at its centre and Welland, lying at the foot of the Malverns.

But what made it all worthwhile was the sunrise. The sun gave a brief warming glimpse just before 7am and peered through a mottled sky, casting a kaleidoscope of colour and capping a layer of fog which hovered over the fields and wrapped the trees like cotton wool.

This is what it is all about. England at it's best. After a day of continuous, incessant rain the day before, the memories of the deluge disappeared as our glorious weather turned full circle and conjured up a magnificent morning, which gave way to a day of bright sunshine, blue skies and temperatures more associated with June than October. It won't last, it never does.

But these tantalising glimpses are enough to make you realise how lucky we are to live in the UK. Yes it rains, often, but when the weather is at its best, you can't beat it; especially when combined with the stunning green and pleasant land, the innumerable fields, coppices, hills and valleys, rivers and lakes, hamlets and villages.

England's Place Names - Beware!

I turned for home after a recce of the start point of the hike up and along the Malverns. I decided to head back via the beautiful and quiet town of Upton Upon Severn. Set along the river Severn, Upton is noted for three things;

• A magnificent clock tower that stands imposingly looking out over the river and town
• The fact that the town has been flooded more than any other town and is always featured on the national TV news with a reporter in Wellingtons standing inside one of the riverside pubs, with bar stools floating past
• An unusually named street

Ah, I hear you say...an unusually named street...but surely there are many curiously named villages, streets etc in the marvellously strange island of ours. This may be true. However, I offer up the piece de resistance of unusual names, the one that takes not just the biscuit, but the whole pack;

Minge Lane

You read that right. Minge Lane. It exists, though you may have trouble locating it, seeing how often the street sign has been half-hinched by some high spirited souvenir hunter or collectors of Objet d'Art au Double Entendre.

I expect the residents have a nightmare every time they give their address;

Call Centre Representative:

Could I have the first line of your address please Mrs Ramsbottom?

Mrs Ramsbottom :

Err......It's Bell End Cottage, Minge Lane

Call Centre Representative:

I'm sorry, did you say Minge Lane?

Mrs Ramsbottom :

Yes, Minge....as in 'ladies bits'

Call Centre Representative:

You're having a laugh...you're winding me up, ....you think you're fanny....I mean funny

So, there it is. A beautiful ride through splendid scenery, 62km (38 miles) of rolling hills, fields, a memorable sunrise, the constant accompaniment of the Malverns and a whistle stop visit to Upton Upon Severn. Even without the delights of Minge Lane, Upton would still be one of my favourite places. But with the presence of Minge Lane, how much more of a likeable place it is.

Next week, I will be taking my bike and touring the Worcestershire countryside in search of other places with names that would befit a Carry On film....til then I will Carry On Cycling.

Please don't forget that these training rides are not just for the benefit of tiring my legs out, keeping my waistline in check, maintaining a youthful appearance and giving myself saddle sores.

They are all in preparation for June 2011. 650km (410 miles) of cycling from Worcester to Dublin and back in support of SCOPE, the cerebral palsy charity.

Please donate what you can;

www.justgiving.com/tonyseverestchallenge

Thank you.