Millennium Dome

In a departure from my usual custom, I am writing here about something I am going to do, rather than something I have done.  February 23^rd is Rotary Day and my friend Mukesh Malhotra has persuaded me to celebrate the 110^th anniversary of the founding of the  Rotary movement by participating in a sponsored climb of the Millennium Dome in London, now better known as the O2 Arena. Not having a great head for heights, I was at first reluctant, but on reflection, I can see the benefits to the organisers of the event if I attend, with all the additional media attention that would be created.

                                                                  Millennium Dome

Climbing is not something of which I have a great deal of experience, but I am determined to give it my best shot. The most important thing is to be properly prepared, and I have looked online at the sort of equipment I might need, such as ice axes and crampons (these look as though they could damage the roof of the building, but I guess the organisers will be insured against such things). I also thought it best to have with me a mountaineering tent, just in case the weather closes in and I have to spend the night up there. Then, of course I will need some means of making a hot drink, so I will need a stove, kettle and gas cylinder, as well as a lot of fresh water, and tea bags. Mukesh says a thermos flask will be enough, but what if it runs out?  You can’t take chances in extreme conditions. Then there is glare from the sun at high altitudes, for which I will need heavy duty sunglasses and lip protecting stuff. The list is growing bigger by the day. It won’t be cheap, but I am determined to have suitable kit for this expedition, as I don’t want to slow everyone down through being ill-prepared.

                                                               Deadly weapons?  A climber wearing crampons

As far as preparation for the physical exertion of climbing the dome is concerned, there hasn’t been a great deal I can do.  Shepperton is not situated in a mountainous area, so I can’t practice scaling peaks, but I have taken Daisy for a walk up St Ann’s Hill to do some altitude training. I didn’t wear the crampons as they don’t seem very effective in mud. I did, however, try out the new sunglasses and white-coloured lip salve. They seemed to work quite well, although I think I may have frightened some of my fellow dog-walkers.

 The view from St Ann's Hill

Anyway, the main purpose of the climb is to raise money for Charity, specifically End Polio Now and Walk for Water. Both these causes are supported by Rotary, and with the Polio campaign in particular, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has promised to increase every £1 raised by Rotarians to £3 through funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It helps to have friends in high places. Did you know that through Rotary’s efforts over the past 30 years, Polio, which was once endemic throughout the world including Europe, is now restricted to just three countries? Our campaign is designed to finally eliminate this terrible disease from the world.

If anyone who happens to be reading this blog would like to sponsor me by making a small donation to these worthy causes, all you have to do is go to https://www.justgiving.com/Mike-Gicquel/  and follow the simple instructions. All contributions, however small, will be seriously appreciated. I will of course report on the expedition when it has been completed.