Harrogate man to brave Antarctica
A RETIRED Harrogate firefighter is set to scale the tallest peak in Antarctica this autumn for local charity Henshaws Yorkshire.
Tim Ralph, 53, is in training to climb Mount Vinson to raise money for the charity, where he works with visually impaired youngsters.
When the experienced mountaineer reaches the 4,897m summit he will have scaled the highest mountains on six of the seven continents – known as the Seven Continental Summits – with just Mount Everest left to conquer.
The father of two has taken to dragging a tractor tyre around the streets of Harrogate to simulate the weight of a sled.
To further improve his fitness, he is pulling the tyre while walking on skis fitted with wheels.
He said: "This is the final mountain to ascend before I take on Everest and complete the set of seven.
"I have been climbing for twenty years but only decided to start tackling the globe's highest mountains when a friend gave me an inspirational book listing things to do before you die.
"I started with Kilimanjaro five years ago and have scaled a further five of the continental summits since then."
His recent climbs include the 6,194m high Denali in Alaska and the 6,969m Aconcagua in South America.
See this week's Harrogate Advertiser for more But it is hard to prepare for extreme temperatures and the prospect of sleeping under a tent in minus 30c conditions.
“Mount Vinson is not as challenging as some of the mountains, but the weather conditions will be considerably more hostile.
“Also, as with all mountains near the two poles, the barometric drop increases the impact of altitude which will make the mountain seem higher than it is.”
Tim is aiming to raise thousands of pounds for Henshaws Yorkshire, a charity which teaches practical and independent living skills to youngsters who suffer from visual impairments and varying disabilities.
He is now looking for sponsorship from individuals and businesses ahead of his trip.
Henshaws Yorkshire chief executive Caroline Smale said: “Everyone at Henshaws is in awe of Tim’s commitment to climbing the seven summits and we are delighted that he has decided to raise money for Henshaws Yorkshire.
“We all wish Tim the best of luck with his training and will be looking out for him on skis dragging a tyre around the town!”
l To sponsor Tim visit www.justgiving.com/henshaws2antarctica or call Henshaws fundraising team on 01423 814500.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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