After a lot of
hustle and bustle at Edinburgh airport, the entire group managed to make it
onto the plane for a long flight to the USA.
Excitement rippled through the team and even after many hours of travel,
some were unable to sleep when we arrived, slightly bedraggled at the hotel in
Phoenix.
Despite the lack
of sleep we were on our way early the next morning towards Sedona where a short
preparation trek got us ready for the descent into the Grand Canyon the next
day. At the top of the Canyon, preparations took place; water bottles checked, snacks double checked, boots tightened and rucksacks adjusted. The anticipation rose as the group readied themselves for the challenge they had set themselves.
While the rest
of the team trekked through the heat of the day towards the village of Havasupai
(People of the blue-green water), I was lucky enough to see the views from above
as I made a speedy descent by helicopter.
I rejoined the team at base camp, a few miles further down the canyon.
Emotions ran
high for all the participants as the beauty of the walks, the challenges of descent
and memories of the reason they were there hit home. The trek took place to raise funds for Marie
Curie Cancer Care and whether the participants had been directly affected by
the illness or not, it was close to everyone’s heart.
Climbing out of
the Canyon on the final day was a real challenge with the sun beating down and
a climb of about 300m. Everyone was delighted to reach the rim. Some wondering why they didn’t take up the offer
of a horse as the equestrians gracefully appeared over the rim with not a drop
of sweat among them.
A final dash for
Las Vegas and after a well earned wash and change of cloths the team was treated to a
celebration meal at Hard Rock Café. Then
there were the bars, the casinos and the rest of the night ahead of us…
Well done to all;
it was a real challenge for each and everyone, in very different ways.
Leading for Global Adventure Challenges
