In less than 3 months time my brother, John, and I will be attempting a HUGE challenge to raise money for the very important work of Air Ambulance NI.

THE CHALLENGE…

To complete the Mourne Mountain 7 summits challenge, wild camp overnight, then…do the 7 summits again the following day! We know it’s bonkers…but that’s the whole point of a challenge, right?

This is without a doubt a big and bold endeavour and will test our grit physically, mentally and emotionally…that part we are certain of!

John and I are both avid hikers and can be found in the mountains at every opportunity, yet, neither of us has ever undertaken a challenge like this before. We have regularly climbed all of the major Mourne summits over the years but 14 peaks in 2 days…well, that’s something completely new for us both and we are excited to test our endurance!

Training has commenced in earnest, because although John and I hike in the Mournes often, we don’t often hike together. So last week we took to the trails to see how compatible our hiking paces are – turns out pretty good actually (phew!). We also had opportunity to test our grit levels because we had picked to hike on a particularly breezy, pre-Storm Ciara day and it was a tough old job. Heads down into the wind we traversed Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Meelbeg and spent the entire day in low-hanging cloud. The winds were fierce but we got on with the task and had a really enjoyable walk together and talked through plans for our upcoming challenge.

Keep an eye on this space and my social media platforms if you follow me on any of them to see how training progresses. We hope to raise £1000 for Air Ambulance NI and will be so grateful for your support and donations. Check out their website to read some of the stories about their incredible work.

Here’s the JustGiving Page if you would like to make a contribution to the life-saving work of Air Ambulance NI and cheer us on as we embark on our Double Seven Summits Challenge set to take place at the beginning of May. Many thanks!

Kelly & John