Getting set for our Matterhorn charity challenge
The ascent of a lifetime begins!
We’ve been hyping it up for a while, and it’s finally happening! On 11th August, our CEO Jamie and founder Darren are set to climb the mighty Matterhorn for charity, along with Kyle Raffo of marketing experts Embello.
This is all to raise money for Help Us Help Others (HUHO), an amazing charity which we’re proud to support. We figured we’d update you on how the training’s gone so far, and how our intrepid climbers are feeling ahead of this monumental challenge!
The climbers
Darren Lake: Pure Cloud’s founder and Group Chairman.
Jamie Lake: Pure Cloud CEO and Darren’s son.
Kyle Raffo: Paramedic, entrepreneur and founder of Embello.
The charity of choice
Next up, the most important detail of all: raising funds for HUHO. Based in our hometown of Tamworth, HUHO are a community-focused charity helping a huge range of people in times of crisis.
And since they’re staffed by volunteers, 100% of the donations they receive go direct to the causes they fight for. You can find out more about HUHO here:
https://help-us-help-others.org/
The target
Our target is £30,000. At the time of writing, we’re on £10,265. Donations are open right up until the end of the year, so we’re confident we can hit our target. We’ll give links to the JustGiving page at the end of this post.
Training
The training regime has been pretty heavy going. The Matterhorn is a tough climb, and our trio have been hard at work getting ready.
Darren, Jamie and Kyle have been spending weekends climbing in Snowdonia and Scotland. This has allowed them to take in some truly stunning scenery, from Tryfan and Crib Goch to the Nevis Range – a well-earned reward for all that work!
They’ve also been on strict personal training regimens, making those gym memberships pay off!
Travel plans
The trio will be arriving in Calais by Ferry on Sunday 7th August. Then they’ll be in Chamonix in the French Alps for a few days to acclimatise. Then it’s on to Zermatt, Switzerland, where the ascent begins. They’ll have around 14 hours to summit, or 2 days if the weather’s bad, so every minute counts!
A word from the climbers
We caught up with the trio before they set off, and asked a few questions.
How are you feeling about the climb?
Darren: “Very excited. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that we achieve summit, and the weather holds out for us.”
Jamie: “Excited! I’ve really enjoyed the training in Scotland and Wales, but I can’t wait to get into the Alps. Nothing in this country comes anywhere close to the scale of the peaks over there. Obviously, there is also a little bit of apprehension there as well as I have never attempted something like this, but fingers crossed it all goes to plan and we summit as expected!”
Kyle: “Super excited! Who wouldn’t want to climb one of the highest mountains in Europe? OK, not everyone. There’s no doubt it’s going to be a tough few days but that’s what makes it a challenge worth supporting.”
What will you be packing?
Darren: “Ice axe, crampons, helmet, first aid kit, a few layers, two litres of water – and some protein bars and Haribo jellies!”
Jamie: “Anyone who knows me knows that packing light is not something I do, so this is going to be tough due to the limited space! I’ll have the standard mountain kit and clothing, but also some more specialist kit like crampons, ice axe and harness. Other than that, plenty of water and energy snacks to see me through, as well as my Go-Pro to capture the footage!”
Kyle: “There’s a long list of essentials – from thermal socks to a trusty head torch but most important is my factor 50. I’m always the first to get sunburnt on these expeditions. Also, seeing a survival blanket on the required kit list isn’t something to worry about, is it?”
What will be spurring you on as you climb?
Darren: “That’s a simple one: raising the £30K for Help Us Help Others.”
Jamie: “This is for charity, so the fact that we are aiming to raise tens of thousands of pounds that will significantly change families and individuals’ lives is more than enough to keep me going. I am also a very focused and determined individual so the thought of reaching the top is also a massive driver, along with the thought of achieving something that not many people in the world can say they’ve done.”
Kyle: “Having that motivation to keep going in the toughest moments is essential. For me, it’s knowing we’ll be making a huge difference to local Tamworth-based families through the charity funds we’re raising.”
Donate now
From everyone at Pure Cloud, we’d like to send the very best of luck to Darren, Jamie and Kyle for this challenge of a lifetime. And finally, we’d like to encourage you to donate!
This is an amazing cause, and every penny goes direct to those who need it. You can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Matterhorn-Summit
If you’d like to find out more about the climb, why not check out this recent article from the Birmingham Chambers of Commerce?
We get roughly 14 hours to summit, however we get 2 days to attempt it if the weather is bad etc.
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