Blogs

Rich Harris’ account of their hike along the Costa Blanca continues…

The Hostel in Benidorm looked like something out of 'Fools and Horse's' episode; high rise block in the noisy centre - little sleep for us that night!

We then walked 20+ miles to San Juan, on the outskirts of Alicante, the hostel overlooked the beach, but the weather was changing; high winds, rain etc. We spent our 'rest day' walking around El Campello town looking for a non-existent launderette and sight seeing. All I wanted to do was sit down, eat, drink and sleep!

It was at this stage that we started to make contact with our Spanish colleagues from the conservation organisation SEO Birdlife.  One of the main reasons for our adventure was to heighten awareness of SEO in Spain and it's purpose; to save the Spanish Imperial Eagle from extinction.

We were met by Mario and Carmen, who took us to the centre of Alicante to meet other members of the group and be interviewed by numerous journalists and have photo's taken. We are not chaps who enjoy the 'limelight' but we held steady, took a deep breath, thought of the Eagle and did our duty!

Next day was a real challenge; 'yomping' to Santa Pola, about 25 miles on the very busy N332 road.  Thankfully, the splendid hotel called Marina Palace was easy to find, the staff took pity on us and 'gifted' us with a free health spa entry to sooth out aching limbs. This was one of our favourite stopovers, as the hotel offered a buffet in the evening, all you could eat for £5! I felt like a naughty schoolboy, going up for my 6th pudding!

Rich and Bill’s adventures continue next week.

A big thank you goes out to Nigel Davies and Allison Grundy who both ran the BUPA Great North Run 2007 half marathon and raised a whopping £1100 between them.  Here, Nigel tells us a little bit about his experience in his first ever race:

‘As my first half marathon and first ever running race I found the challenge of taking part in the GNR very enjoyable and rewarding. Although I was unable to finish in my planned target time of 2hrs10min I did manage to complete the run in 3 hours after sustaining an injury to my calf on mile 9. I was able to continue at a jog/walk pace for a further two miles and pushed myself into a run for the final two miles, wanting to finish running and not walking.
 
The atmosphere at the start, during and end of the run was unbelievable and the sense of achievement when crossing the finish line quite overwhelming. I now look forward to many more runs in the future and will certainly include running for a charity as part of the package for all future runs’.

Rich Harris and Bill Jefferies, intrepid explorers and supporters of the RSPB, walk 200 miles along the Costa Blanca, Spain to increase awareness for the plight of the Spanish Imperial Eagle and raise funds for SEO Birdlife and the RSPB.  Over the next four weeks, Rich will be telling RSPB supporters of his trip, in his own words.  The first instalment is below – come back next week for part II!

By Rich Harris
You may not know of our adventure? So this maybe of interest to you. We certainly saw some wonderful, wildlife-rich areas en route and can even recommend cheap, high standard hotels on the route - and one to avoid!

Bill and I caught the coach from Alicante to Denia, at the Northern end of the Costa Blanca. The journey took three hours, but only cost £6 (9 Euros!). We walked 45 miles in the following two days, from Denia to Calpe to Benidorm. The walking was difficult, very steep, mountain narrow roads, but the views were breath taking!

The area was rich with birds and some raptors I could not identify due to sweat in my eyes and no bird book to refer to. Due to the very poor summer in the UK there had been no opportunity to get close to acclimatising at all and with the temperature in the high 70's throughout our 'hike', dehydration was a constant possibility.

By the time we struggled into Benidorm on the day three,we were having trouble with our feet. Blistered and very sore, we sought out local chemists for additional packs of plasters, inners for shoes and the applying of three pairs of socks!

Rich’s story continues next week with the next instalment – from a Benidorm to Santa Pola

Matthew and Tom Lawfield, RSPB members from Haverhill, Suffolk, have returned home safely after walking Lands End to Muckle Flugga, the most Northerly point in the UK. They raised money in sponsorship both before and during the walk, raising £2000 for the RSPB.

The route, which took them three months and covered 1,250 miles, included some of the most remote and inaccessible countryside the UK has to offer. Asked why they did the expedition, Tom said ‘we wanted to see the whole country and raise money for the RSPB at the same time. Walking the length of it seemed like a challenging option.’

Tom was exuberant about his experiences. ‘It was such an amazing opportunity to share this walk with my Dad. It’s an experience I’ll never forget’. He went on ‘A challenge like this is half mental, half physical. If you don’t pace yourself and get into a routine then it’s much tougher’.

Tom is keen to recognise the contributions that RSPB members made during the expedition. ‘We would like to say a massive thank you to all those people who helped us in various ways along the route. Your help was invaluable’.

Asked whether they would do the trip again, neither ruled it out. ‘There’ll be other trips’ Tom said with a wry smile.

The trip has raised £2000 for the RSPB, and money is still coming in. If you would like to donate, email lawfield@btinternet.com

The London Community Team will be at the Whyte & Mackays Earls Court Boat show from 1st - 9th December.
 
Come and see us on stand 1N69 to find out how you can get involved in our Save the Albatross Appeal. 

We will be having a grand raffle with the top prize of a limited edition albatross print worth £350.  There are lots of other prizes including jet boat trips down the Thames, Avocet cruise on the River Exe, family trips on Thames Clipper boats, a signed book by Kate Humble and of course the opportunity to purchase lots of fluffy albatrosses!