The Bigger Boat Challenge – referencing the 1975 movie hit, Jaws – could be the toughest yet for Karl Jackson and his Coleg Cambria colleagues.
Taking place over two days from Friday October 25, the 12-strong team from the college’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham will kayak around two lakes and hike a 22-kilometre route across Gwynedd and Powys in aid of Dementia UK.
“Every year we try and come up with unique, adrenaline-fuelled activities that will test our limits while, more importantly, raising as much money as we can for incredible causes,” he said.
“This one will see us battle the elements, cover many kilometres on foot and take to the water in kayaks on two of North Wales’s biggest lakes.
“The team and I are training hard already but I’m sure as always the weather and route we are taking will throw up a few surprises!”
This is the latest in a series of adventures led by Karl; in recent years he and fellow Cambria staff have completed the Skye is the Limit Challenge, the Welsh Three Peaks and the Crazy 7 for Stepping Stones North Wales and collected more than £1,000 for Menstrual Health Project (MHP) by completing the Cairngorm 4000s, a three-day hike across 4,000ft+ mountains in Scotland’s eastern highlands.
He and lecturer Paul Standring also conquered the four-day Freezing Fingers expedition in bleak, wintry conditions over the Rhinogydd mountain range in Snowdonia.
This time, the Cambria cohort will begin at the tip of Bala Lake before paddling in teams of two for more than 6km. They will then walk to Lake Vyrnwy, including a 700m woodland ascent over difficult terrain.
After camping for the night, the pairs will return to their kayaks for another paddle, this time around the perimeter of the lake in extremely cold and windy conditions, which will take up to three hours.
“We are fortunate to always receive so much support for our charity escapades, and I’m sure this time will be no different,” said Karl.
“It’s going to be cold, wet, incredibly windy and risky at times, but we will be well prepared and ready to take on whatever comes our way.
“We are doing this for Dementia UK, an incredible organisation that does so much good for people all over the country – thank you in advance for helping us to help them.”
Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family. Its nurses – known as ‘Admiral Nurses’ – provide free, specialist advice, support and understanding to anyone affected by the condition, whenever it is needed.
Every day, Admiral Nurses help people affected by dementia have the best life possible for as long as possible. They are there when people need them most, providing health advice, offering compassionate emotional, and psychological support.
Joanna Sullivan, Head of Community Fundraising, Events and Innovation at Dementia UK, said: “We are so grateful to Karl and his colleagues at Coleg Cambria for taking on this inspiring challenge for Dementia UK.
“One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime – either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, not only for the person with dementia, but also for the people caring for them, and their wider family and friends.
“Thanks to the hard work of our amazing fundraisers like Karl and his colleagues, more families than ever will be able to access the life-changing support offered by our Admiral Nurses.”
