Things are looking up for a fundraising father and daughter from The Hangers as they’re heading to the Alps for an Italian job.
Most 69-year-olds with a damaged knee would take it easy but Neil Blackley and his daughter have other ideas.
While most of us will be gathered around our televisions watching football, the Froxfield fundraisers will be scaling Italy’s highest peak in aid of a disabled charity.
Gran Paradiso is not for the faint hearted as their climb up the 4,061-metre peak will involve hiking in crampons on glaciated trails and a final 130-metre vertical ascent.
They’ve also set a high target as the pair hope to raise at least £10,000 for Yateley Industries for the Disabled from next Wednesday’s trek.
“I haven’t used crampons or an icepick before and I haven’t climbed on a glacier,” said Mr Blackley, who confessed to feeling “apprehensive” about the climb.
“We will have a day’s training for this and on the day we will start out around 5am to ensure we can have time to reach the summit and get back to the refuge on the same day.”
Mr Blackley chose YIFTD because it’s one of the few remaining workshops in the UK that hires only disabled people like his daughter. But the future of the centre and its 100-strong workforce is uncertain as the good cause, community hub and foodbank relies on donations to survive.
To make a donation look for Yateley Grand Paradiso on www.justgiving.com