At the end of this month, together with some friends from my old school, I’ll be attempting to cycle through the Alps from Evian Les Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva to Nice.    We are following the classic ‘Routes des Grandes Alpes’ which involves riding around 400 miles (644 km) and climbing about 65,000 feet (20,000m) over five days.   We’ll be taking in several classic Alpine climbs, many of which have featured in the Tour De France.     These famous names include: Col des Saises, Col d’Aravis, Cormet de Roselend, Col de l’Iseran, Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, Col de l’Izoard, Col de la Bonette and Col de Vars.

Needless to say this is going to be a tough challenge and I’m looking for sponsorship to help inspire me!  I’m raising funds for a charity which I have supported for many years, Practical Action (formerly Intermediate Technology).     Originally set up by E.F. Schumacher (author of ‘Small is Beautiful’ an inspiring book I read whilst studying Geography at school), Practical Action works to harness the power of technology to transform the lives of the poorest people in developing countries.    The emphasis is on enabling communities to build on their existing skills and knowledge to produce sustainable and practical solutions to poverty.   Click on the Practical Action logo above for more details.

Please support me (and Rich, Neil, Jasper, Ross and Giles) by donating.   As an added incentive, I will be matching donations up to a total of £5000.   So, please act now and give generously - it will spur me on as I grind up those hills!

Anthony