While students made the most of their half-term break, there was no rest for Coleg Gwent IT lecturer Alun King when he walked from north Wales to south Wales to raise money for Help for Heroes.
Taking just six days to trek the 177 miles along Offa’s Dyke, Alun, from Pontywaun, was managed to raise £500 for the charity.
He said: “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 October 22 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, and, fortunately, dry weather.
Alun and Edward were fortunate enough to encounter some very hospitable locals.
Alun said: “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.”
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.
You can read Alun’s full blog about the trek at http://inglepingle.co.uk/2011/10/north-wales-to-south-wales-in-six-days-ouch-part-1/