This year I am going to climb Carrantouhil, Ireland’s highest mountain to 
raise funds for ACET and am looking for sponsors. If you are willing to support me and/or ACET, please do, if not, read on regardless!
I’ve been looking after ACET in Ireland for 2 ½ years now, after bidding Dell a fond farewell! I learned loads during the 8 years at Dell, getting my MBA and an MSc in Development Management along the way, but the plan had always been to move back into the not-for-profit sector at some stage. When the ACET job came along, it seemed like the right opportunity so I jumped! I’ve included more information about ACET at the bottom of the mail.
It has been a rollercoaster, getting the organisation back on a safe financial footing, building up the team again and refocusing the work to ensure we were making a real difference in the lives of our clients and providing education services where we felt they would be of most impact. We’ve moved offices, rebuilt a website, built up a mailing list, and are rebuilding our volunteer base. Which hopefully means we’ll be even better able to provide services to our clients despite the current economic mess our country finds itself in!
As part of this year’s fundraising, on August 8th, I am leading a group of hikers, who are all raising €300 sponsorship, to climb Carrantuohill, the highest peak in Ireland. It is part of Macgillicuddy's Reeks, a rugged twelve-mile ridge which stretches along the southwest corner of the island, not far from the Atlantic shore. The weather conditions on this mountain are very changeable so it can be a reasonably challenging undertaking! (Yeah, I know, many of you live near the Rockies, the Alps, the Andes, or the Himalayas, so this doesn’t really compete, but it’s as good as we’ve got!) I’m hopeless at asking for money, but would like to significantly beat this sponsorship goal myself to make it a really successful venture. The cause is worthwhile, honest!
For those that want to sponsor me check out our website and click on the donate button! If all else fails, just send a cheque to the ACET office (14 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland).
OK that’s more than enough begging and pleading! Ciao! Richard
raise funds for ACET and am looking for sponsors. If you are willing to support me and/or ACET, please do, if not, read on regardless!I’ve been looking after ACET in Ireland for 2 ½ years now, after bidding Dell a fond farewell! I learned loads during the 8 years at Dell, getting my MBA and an MSc in Development Management along the way, but the plan had always been to move back into the not-for-profit sector at some stage. When the ACET job came along, it seemed like the right opportunity so I jumped! I’ve included more information about ACET at the bottom of the mail.
It has been a rollercoaster, getting the organisation back on a safe financial footing, building up the team again and refocusing the work to ensure we were making a real difference in the lives of our clients and providing education services where we felt they would be of most impact. We’ve moved offices, rebuilt a website, built up a mailing list, and are rebuilding our volunteer base. Which hopefully means we’ll be even better able to provide services to our clients despite the current economic mess our country finds itself in!
As part of this year’s fundraising, on August 8th, I am leading a group of hikers, who are all raising €300 sponsorship, to climb Carrantuohill, the highest peak in Ireland. It is part of Macgillicuddy's Reeks, a rugged twelve-mile ridge which stretches along the southwest corner of the island, not far from the Atlantic shore. The weather conditions on this mountain are very changeable so it can be a reasonably challenging undertaking! (Yeah, I know, many of you live near the Rockies, the Alps, the Andes, or the Himalayas, so this doesn’t really compete, but it’s as good as we’ve got!) I’m hopeless at asking for money, but would like to significantly beat this sponsorship goal myself to make it a really successful venture. The cause is worthwhile, honest!
For those that want to sponsor me check out our website and click on the donate button! If all else fails, just send a cheque to the ACET office (14 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland).
OK that’s more than enough begging and pleading! Ciao! Richard
General ACET info:
ACET is an organisation established as a Christian response to HIV & AIDS
We have been working in Ireland for 16 years and provide practical and emotional care for families affected by HIV. Most of our client families are also significantly affected by long-term injecting drug use and other significant issues. We have worked with about 100 families, some for about 15 years, and in one case we have worked with 4 generations of the same family! Our work is practical, with some counselling back-up. We ensure our clients get to medical appointments, adhere to their ARV therapies, deal with other medical issues and we help them deal with other figures of authority as they need to. In the process we help them articulate goals for their lives and break these down into actions they can take in the short term, helping them work through these and reviewing them regularly. In doing this we help clients take a greater degree of control over their lives.
We have been working in Ireland for 16 years and provide practical and emotional care for families affected by HIV. Most of our client families are also significantly affected by long-term injecting drug use and other significant issues. We have worked with about 100 families, some for about 15 years, and in one case we have worked with 4 generations of the same family! Our work is practical, with some counselling back-up. We ensure our clients get to medical appointments, adhere to their ARV therapies, deal with other medical issues and we help them deal with other figures of authority as they need to. In the process we help them articulate goals for their lives and break these down into actions they can take in the short term, helping them work through these and reviewing them regularly. In doing this we help clients take a greater degree of control over their lives.
Our youth programme provides 1-1 mentoring to our youth clients within a group environment. Generation Text is an after school creativity club, where each child is matched with a trained volunteer. During holidays there are outings and other activities designed to provide these young people with a safe place, people they can trust and the opportunity for fun activities where they can simply be children again. We also provide education and training services on HIV and related issues, including sexual health education. We work in schools, universities, camps, conferences, support groups, churches, addiction support agencies, and wherever else we are invited.
It is all steep snowfields up the side of the mountain today, and we zig-zag our way up. 
As we ascend, the pace gets slower and slower. 
It is hard work, and Gerry is struggling to breath and his head is pounding again. 
We keep slogging on - it may be slow and tough, but it is beautiful. We get within sight of the col, which would mark our turning point to the ridge up to the summit, but heavy winds and snow blow in. 
We debate for a few minutes but it is clear we won't get to the summit through this so we turn back. 
We spent the first while wondering if we gave up too easily, but the snow turns very heavy and it becomes clear we made the right call. When we get to the bottom we see people heading back to the refuge from all directions.
So off came the layers and on went the sunscreen!
Off we set again in stunning conditions, 
stopping only to take parting photographs.
and to get the crampons back on again when the going got slippy!
Finally got back to Imlil by 6ish - probably an 10 hour hike or so?! We had some dinner, chatted for a while, but headed wearily off to bed fairly promptly.
Takes a while to get crampons sorted out - Gerry's are borrowed and not set for his boots - and then we are off.
Route is straight up the valley as the sky brightens and the sun slowly appears. 
Slow slog up the valley to the col at the top (3700m). 
Not much to say about it really, which is a shame, as it is beautiful. 
If I was a poet, I could possibly give you a wonderful description of the scenery that would do it justice, but I'm not!
At the col we took a break to snack and congratulate ourselves on getting this far!
weaving between rocks, 
and scrambling up the steep bits. 
Gaps in the clouds gave us fleeting views of other peaks and ridges. 
Gerry has been suffering for most of the day, and the rests aren't helping much. 
He can't get his breath, and has a splitting headache. 
As we walk he drifts to the back where he frequently has to stop to fight for breath.
the ridge leads to a more gentle slope to the summit peaks of Ras. 
There are two peaks, separated by a narrow snowy ridge about 30 foot long. 
There is a narrow snowy couloir between cliffs that leads down from the ridge to (hopefully) a more gentle slope below. I say hopefully because a group of spanish skiers arrive one by one to the summit while we are sitting there, and cheerfully don their skies and disappear down the slope.
Means there are less photos of the way down - although it was still a great walk. 
Ploughing and sliding through the deep snow was lots of fun. 
We make our way back to the refuge, to recover and debrief. 
I'm feeling better after dropping altitude and a bit of a rest. 
We manage to commandeer the fire for an hour or two, and got nice and warm before dinner. We were planning another early start, so headed off to bed early, hoping it will get rid of all headaches.