Mumford & Daughter

This is why Justin couldn't join the Jolly Jape ... he was pinned down on the sofa by lovely new baby Martha .

You're on the 2012 list Justin!

24 hours from Kick Off

Nearly there now Japers, and the team is confirmed as follows:

Me, Kev, Georgina + Laura + Harry, Megan + Will, George + mates (tbc), Peter (+ wife?), Luke, Trig, and Lisa

14 Jolly Japers - ta da!

I'm sure we're all fully prepared and in the zone?

Fundraising stands at a magnificent £2700 - mainly down to Kev's super efforts, well done mate x

See you all at the Pen y Gwryd tomorrow night (or Saturday morning)

Team Motto

Good Evening Jolly Japers!

We're getting close to the challenge now and I've set the gold standard in preparedness as usual by forging ahead this weekend with my sis on our traditional (Founded 2010) May Bank Holiday Lidos Celebration...

...the plan was 3 Miles, 3 Lidos, 1 Day and we absolutely nailed it like the top athletes we are with 2 Miles, 2 Lidos, 1 River, 1 and half Days ... and a bit of healthy snacking en route.

What a BRILLIANT trip - have a chortle at the pics on sister blog http://waterbloggedsisters.blogspot.com

Anyhow, here's a great motto and appropriate glamour girl poster to hold in our heads and hearts as we look forward to our Jape in June.

Ill prepared, moi?

OK, so I don't have any appropriate walking boots ... but I do have three cozzies and I'll be trialling all of them over the next 24 hours....on my way to meet Sister Nic to head off for heavenly swim in The River Cam tonight, then 3 miles in 3 Lidos tomorrow .... may need to divert on the way to stock up on expedition supplies - Lincolnshire Plum loaf avec le fromage of course!!

Packhorses Needed

Aarggghh...all this gear we seem to need for The Jolly Jape we're going to need a camel train to carry it all!

Check out the Big Fundraiser!

http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/local/raising_awareness_and_funds_in_helen_s_name_1_2707779

Still waiting !!!

Hello everyone, I hope your are all well and prepared for a dip in cold welsh water only to be warmed up by warm Welsh sunshine!! I've been in training by turning the shower to cold every morning (and then straight back to hot). Baby Mumford continues to be fasionably late so I really hope I will still be joining you. I will let you know.

The clock is ticking

Three weeks tonight thats 504 hours thats 30 thousand 240 minutes, thats 1million 814 thousand 400 seconds we will be on the road to Wales so we need to do everything possible to push the fund raising totals up. i have even gone to the trouble of setting up a wall on face book to try and pick up that bit extra, lets face it we can all do with a bit extra, especially the boys when we jump into those lovely ice cold lakes ''hey lads''. So we need to focus on our equiptment and supplies make sure we have all the necessaries small dan you bring the vasseline and i'll sort out the Baby powder.

New Japer on board

Welcome to Peter Mc Farlane who has succumbed to the lure of The Jolly Jape and signed up today .... look out for his personal blog posts

invite for walk

i am going for a walk around grounds and up to frog hollow but will be early monday afternoon,i know some will be working hard but i,m not because i cant stand the constant bragging of my room mate any more,i will try and catch him up in the sponsership race but he has done well,cant wait for the trip a good break for all of us even though it will about kill us,if your interested text in the walk but dont worry if you can,t

Paperatzi

Sorry not sure how you spell it.
A word of warning look out for them our Jolly Jape is world wide news I was caught by the Melton Times "painful" you might add, keep your eyes peeled.

Intensive Training

Kev and me are setting the standard for intensive challenge training by completing a hardcore hike across the Vale of Belvoir yesterday..

...thanks to lovely Paul Gibbins for organising and keeping spirits up throughout the day with the target of a tasty curry at The Manners to round off the day - lovely!

Not so sure about the distance measuring skills - my legs were telling me we'd covered more than 10 miles by the end of the day!

It was a great walk though, in great company and we're feeling inspired to carry on with weekly post work happy hiker pootles over the coming weeks if you fancy coming along....

New Target

I have just increased my Target to £1,750 as I reached £1,500 yesterday, if any of my teammates would like advice on raising money do not hesitate to ask, just over one month away now to the big day so lets go for the final push with our sponsorships

Belvoir Team Piccies

Glamour shots!

shoes

got my new walking shoes so will be bedding them in

Vertigo Sickness....

Thanks Danny for showing me these vid's - has NOT helped at all with my fear of heights!

vasaline

been for a long walk today and i am definatly taken some vasaline as chafing has stareted so beware and prepare

See? Nothing to worry about....

Here's a comforting vid clip of fellow wild swimmers this weekend in Snowdonia...

...scroll forward 2 or 3 mins to avoid the rather disturbing shots of Mountain Rescue airlifting some poor unfortunate; that's NOT the kind of inspiration we need! I suggest you also turn down the volume to avoid the irritating whine rock soundtrack, but stick with it and you'll see why we should all feel absolutely fine about our own abilities!

http://wildwelshswims.blogspot.com/2011/04/wild-welsh-swims-llyn-idwal.html

As the sun is out will be walking a little later do not want to pass out,just had a healthy lunch,bacon and mushrooms lovely with brown bread so one thing was good for me

Hurrah for Spring Holidays!

Hello Japers

Easter is upon us, hurrah! All those lovely Bank Holidays ahead of us to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air - and NO WORK!!!!

Make sure you keep up all that intensive training for The Jolly Jape .... maybe time to dip a toe in the sea?

Have a brill break with lots of choccie eggs, sunshine and soft breezes xxxx

i bet you had stabalisers on your penny farthing for a few years first thought

That Bike

I had a Bike just like that when I was little

And then there were Five...

Hello to the lovely Katie aka Miss Storry on to the team and onto the blog - WELCOME!

Excitement is building (in my uncluttered mind at least!) with lots of blogging, planning and fundraising already - Big Kev is going great guns and has left me standing in the dust with his magnificent efforts doubling my current tally (Dammit! I'm not competitively jealous AT ALL! No, not me!)

http://www.justgiving.com/teams/jollyjapers

Small Dan is off the starting blocks tonight for his chosen local charity too - he'll be telling you all about that soon....

In the meantime, enjoy this fab fab weather, dust off your cozzies and get a little sun on your skin x

btw - no sarky comments please on who is being Timmy!!!

Those Lovely Pools

Welcome aboard Small Dan, have you seen the swimming pools, must have been the closed season when they took the photo, can't see many deck chairs or parasols never mind I'll take my own dont forget your Bucket and Spade, Cheers Mate.

Think of these lovely lakes on a sunny day like today..

Now Japers, here's a little reassurance .....

http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks/walk_b/1089/

.... "this route must rank as the easiest"

Ha! Who said I was rubbish at planning? (Anyone who knows me pretty well actually, and they'd be right of course)

Anyhow, this Fen Girl is starting to psyche herself up to the vertigo and bad knees - and looking forward to swimming in these 3 beauties....

i am so looking forward to the challenge of the walk up snowden to see how long i can stay afloat in the water for,also looking forward to have time away with frinds to raise money for various charitys.

What have I let myself in for?

I have been to the area around Snowdon many times on Holiday's and tried to get to the summit only once and that was by Train. I failed, it was stopped halfway due to bad weather, nothing is going to stop me this time. Now as for the descent I've no option, what goes up must come down. BRING IT ON!! Come on you JOLLY JAPERS

Pre training Boot Camp

Hello all you Jolly Japers, We are holding pre training boot camp sessions... I teach at ABC boot camp in West bridgford and Ruddington. Sandra and I thought it would be great to hold a Special Boot Camp for all Jolly Japers in the local area to raise more money for the charities and of course help us all increase those all important fitness levels to help us with our challenge! Whos in???

Here we go...

First post on a new blog to record the trials and tribulations of The Jolly Japers as we set off on our intensive training programme...

On June 11th this year a select band of brave souls will be setting out TO CLIMB SNOWDON & SWIM BACK DOWN!

The basic idea is to ascend in the normal kind of way (via Pyg track) then swim in the three icy lakes on the descent (Miners track) - Glaslyn, Llydaw and Teryn.

I've set up this blog for all team members to post up their thoughts and plans ... and to encourage all your ditherers out there to get your cozzies on and COMMIT!!!

Lots more to follow I hope...