A STAFFORD hiker is hoping to raise £2,000 for Katharine House Hospice after traversing the entire length of the Pyrenees.
Adam Nixon embarked on his mammoth 44-day, 538-mile trek after the hospice cared for his mother during her fight against breast cancer.
He completed his journey last week and has already secured £1,300 in sponsorship money – but Mr Nixon is determined to secure another £700 to hit his target.
He told the Newsletter how he struggled with dehydration, hunger and exhaustion on the mountain range, which spans the border between France and Spain.
He said: “Imagine putting 17kg on your back, walking up Ben Nevis, then walking 12 miles.
“At the end of the day, you then put up your tent, sort your kit out and cook yourself a meal, then get up in the morning and repeat this again, regardless of wind, rain or sun.
“Do this for 44 straight days and you’ll have some idea of what I went through this summer.”
Getting injured in an environment where he sometimes would not see another human for days was one of Mr Nixon’s biggest fears during the trek.
Family, friends, books, judo, cotton wool buds, spicy food, showers and full English breakfasts were among the things Mr Nixon missed.
However, he did not miss television, celebrities, his sofa and bed and ‘negative people’.
He said: “Mentally you have to cope with always being switched on and never being able to totally relax a you have to navigate and think about food and water.
“Being low on water in extreme heat is one of the scariest feelings I’ve ever experienced.”
Mr Nixon has so far received 53 donations and has raised nearly 70 per cent of his targeted total.
He said: “I know how important it is to give and this is my small way of helping those who are facing pain and illness which is hard to comprehend.
“I’d like to extent a massive thank you to everyone who has donated – whatever the amount.”
Anyone wishing to donate is asked to visit www.justgiving.com/adam-Nixon online.
