In the early hours of July 6th 2024, I'll be climbing Yr Wyddfa with a group. We should arrive at the summit in time to witness the sun rising over Eryri. Weather-permitting, it'll be glorious!
The ascent will be my most strenuous hike since my SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) Heart Attack in April 2023, and it feels like the perfect challenge to aim and train for. We'll be climbing 1,085m in the dark. The whole hike is nine miles long and will take about seven hours in all.
I'm glad to say that in mid-February I finally received medical approval to undertake the challenge. This was a great relief. I tend to forget that my heart is compromised, and it never occured to me that medical approval might even be necessary, let alone not automatic. Anyway, thankfully, I have it.
I'm sure we'll have an absolute blast, but it's for an important cause. All the members of the group will be climbing to raise money for Samartians, the amazing volunteers who support people in mental health crisis.
Several people I know have found the support of Samaritans invaluable at difficult moments in their lives. In my own case, some 36 years ago, I was supported by a Samaritan to hang on to some hope that I was worth something and that things might eventually get better. Climbing a mountain in the dark is hard. It really helps to have someone with you. I'm incredibly grateful for the sunrises that I've had since then.
Another reason this climb means a lot to me is that in 2018 my lovely brother, Dave, died, of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 48. He loved the mountains, and we scattered his ashes near the summit of Snowdon. It means the world to all his family that we can think of him there. He was an extraordinary person, who was himself a great friend to people with mental health challenges, and I'm glad to be able to do this climb with him very much in mind. He is so dearly missed.
If you can afford to sponsor me, even a tiny amount, you will be helping Samaritans to continue their life-saving work. If you don't have enough just now, please don't feel bad. Just remember you might know someone in need of some encouragement or the Samaritan's number (it's 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org). Sponsor me here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/wendy-dossett-samaritans
Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich cefnogaeth. Mae'n golygu'r byd. Thank you so much for your support. It means the world.