Published: 20th Sep 2023
We are writing to you as a group of 3 consultants from South Tees to request your generosity and helping us raise funds for our trust.
We are undertaking a once in a lifetime bicycle challenge of riding the Himalayas over 10 days covering over 530 km. We are riding with a group of 7 other NHS consultants and dentists working in the Teesside, Wear and Esk valley.
We start from Manali on the 16th of September and over the course of the next 10 days we would ascend 7633m in total. The cycle ride will pass through the 2nd highest motorable road in the world ‘Khardung La’ at a staggering height of 5359m, before we end the cycle ride in town of Leh in the northern India. This will be challenging for most of us who are novice but enthusiastic cyclists, taking up the towering mountains and riding up to 80 km at a stretch on a few days. None of us have the experience of riding in high altitude and have never experienced altitude sickness which will be a challenge in itself.
To enable us to complete this ride successfully we have committed to training for the last 5 months often riding up the Moors, the Northumberland hills, the challenging Durham beast. As a final challenge in preparation, we completed the coast-to-coast challenge starting from Whitehaven to Tynemouth in 2 days.
Apart from the physical commitment in preparing for the challenge, it would be wrong to not acknowledge the greater commitment and support we have received from our respective families (most spouses are NHS staff as well) and our children. We are indeed blessed to have their support.
In this context, we are raising charity and all the money raised will be shared equally between the 3 trusts – South Tees, North Tees and Durham and Darlington trust.
We would be incredibly grateful for all your support in helping us reach our target of raising £5000 or more.
If any of you have previous such experience, we would be grateful if you could email us privately and suggest any valuable tips to keep us safe.
Thank you all sincerely in anticipation for your massive support.
Prashant Mallya
