One week to go and fundraising reaches £120,000!

It's exactly a week today that we hope to be attempting the Matterhorn, and we are absolutely delighted that our fund raising total has reached a fantastic £120,958 today. Thank you to all who have supported us so generously for the Haven in Wessex. We are really grateful and if sheer motivation will get us to the top we should have no problems. 

As ever if anyone else would like to donate you can do so easily at  www.justgiving.com/matterhornchallenge

When John Woodman first started talking to people about climbing the Matterhorn for the Haven, the second person he spoke to was Malcolm Le May. Here are Malcolm's recollections of that conversation and what he has had to do to get fit for the climb. Below are photos of Malcolm last year and the new 2013 Malcolm!

'It seems an age since after puffing and blowing my way up a Scottish mountain in pursuit of elusive animals, John and I discussed the Matterhorn Challenge - firstly over a gin and tonic and then several bottles of red wine! I can't honestly say I remember agreeing to do the Challenge. A few weeks later at a Hampshire party, the idea had evolved into a fait a compli. I realised to stand a chance of completing it I had to reduce my considerable girth and get fit!

I used to climb in my youth, but that was a long time ago and never as serious as what we are now undertaking.

At the end of January I started going a rigorous exercise regime by going to the gym and also gave up booze. With the help of an excellent personal trainer and considerable encouragement from my family,I've shed a few pounds (4 stone in fact!). I have been rowing and cycling and straining
sinews I'd forgotten I even had. Furthermore and much to everyone's surprise, I've remained off the sauce for 6 months, 13 days and 4 hours - not that I'm counting! It has had an interesting impact on stock prices - drinks sector down but  apparel up - none of my cloths fit me anymore! Friends in my local pub - the Brushmakers' Arms in Upham (the teams official base camp) are slowly getting used to me drinking diet coke, lime and soda or whatever other strange non-alcoholic concoction I ask for.

Seriously, it has been a worthwhile effort and the generosity of people simply underscores the teams belief in the importance of this charity and what it is trying to do. We all know people who have and are suffering from breast cancer - at least 4 friends have been diagnosed in the period we have been training - breast cancer is a terrifying and lonely disease and what the Haven does helps enormously during a very difficult time for sufferers.

Recognising all that, I can't wait to achieve our goal and retire to a glass of very fine claret. My follow on challenge will be to keep fit and the weight off!'