Photos from Uganda

I wanted to include some photos from my first trip to KMS - in March-April 2009. I met some great people - Paul Lugyya, Chris Tendo (Chris is pictured during an organ lesson top left with the bottle of water); Ronald (the pianist,  right) and many others. I enjoyed seeing the native wildlife, including a big spider (right, near the Nile River). I loved the dusty roads and general feeling of happy, busy chaos that Kampala evoked (above right). The deep green and sandy red combination is typical of the hot, fertile Eastern African climate. KMS is currently situated in the bottom floor of the YMCA building in an area of Kampala called Wandageya; the red plaque marks the spot (top right). It has grown from small beginnings in 2001 to a busy Music School serving hundreds of aspiring Ugandan musicians.

Half Way There!

I've just updated my Just Giving total, and have passed the £3000 mark - that's 50% of my target!

Really pleased - thank you to all who have donated so far.

I can post from my Blackberry!

I have worked out how to email my posts direct to the blog! Useful, as it means that I can post using my Blackberry Smartphone-and so post as I go along on the walk.

How things have changed since Wainwright's day-from paper and ink to PC and phone.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My Motivation...

No one has asked me why I'm doing it....!

Well, that's probably not surprising - I'm raising money for Uganda, and that's been clear from the start. But there's a deeper motivation for 'walking the Coast to Coast for KMS' that I want to share.

The danger of earnestly doing something 'for charity' is surely the pride - either personally felt or perhaps sometimes assumed by those looking on - that can cancel out the apparent selflessness of the charitable act. It is all too easy when outwardly being selfless to be inwardly harbouring selfish ambition in the name of kindness.


I am prone to that selfish ambition, so I want to own up straight away! I am thrilled that people have donated so much to my Ugandan cause, and glad that I can 'do something'; but at the same time I know there is a certain inward smugness that I can feel. 'Look what I'm doing...!'  Which is why it's important for me to share a deeper motivation; to shine the spotlight off of me lest anyone mistakenly think too highly of me... 

The deeper truth is that I am motivated by a love for Jesus Christ.


I am a Christian believer - and as such I have come to see not only that I am fallen and broken, but have been loved and served by God in the Person of Jesus Christ. He gave up His life for me - to rescue me from a death that I deserve but cannot escape - and it is my joy to call Him 'Lord' - to be owned by Him and, often in weakness, look to serve Him.


When I went to Uganda in 2009 I was moved by the poverty I experienced; it gave a deeper meaning to one of my favourite Bible passages, Philippians chapter 2, which explains that though Jesus is God, He humbled himself - first by becoming a man, then by dying on the Cross. He became poor that I might become rich...and If He humbled Himself for me, I desired to respond by becoming humble for Him. 


That desire took me to Uganda in 2009 and 2010, and it is a thread that runs through to this C2C project.

So - there is selfish ambition! Hopefully in owning I can drain it of its power. 
But there is also something else - an honest desire in me to honour Jesus Christ Who has given Himself for me. 

Kit List...

I'm often asked what I'm taking ('Tent...?'; 'Thermarest...'?; 'Piano...??), so I thought at the risk of appearing obsessive, I'd share my Kit List...
Kitchen

Stove

Gas canister

Pot and grabber

Matches

Spork

Food

Teabags

Coffee

Powdered milk

Snacks

Cereal

Clothes

Fleece

Waterproof

Waterproof trousers

Thermals

2 sets clothes (baselayer, walking trousers, socks etc)

Non-walking clothes (jumper/polo shirt)

Hiking boots

Flip flops

Maps

8 OS Maps

2x Footprint C2C Maps

Trailblazer C2C Guide

Bathroom

Trowel

Small Shower Gel/Shampoo/Shaving Gel/Razor/Deoderant/Travel Tooth things

1 all purpose washing liquid

Trek Towel

Tissues

Bedroom

Small Tent

Spare Pegs/Rope

Sleeping Bag

Thermarest

Travel Pillow/case

Survival

Headtorch

Penknife

Whistle

Silver Blanket

Compass

First Aid Kit

Water

1.5 litre Camelback

2x 1 litre bottles

1x 500 ml bottles

Water Purification Tablets

Entertainment

Books

Blackberry

Radio

Journal

Bible

Pen

There we go...I think that's everything, including the Tent and the Thermarest...(but sadly not the Piano...).

Test Walk to Hathersage

On Saturday I walked from my flat on the Western edge of Sheffield to Hathersage and back. I wanted to try out the weight of my Coast to Coast pack fully laden. Though I don't know the exact weight, it was heavy enough. After an hour or so of wiggling my aching shoulders into various positions, I found it fairly comfortable.

 (what's that blue thing growing out of my back...?)

The walk was eventful in other ways too. I saw a few dead animals, and the usual mix of walkers, runners and cyclists. Due to the heavy rain, the run-off from the Redmires Reservoirs was a deluge -

I was very grateful that the rain help off all day, making for an easy trek along the easy-to-see path:

On the way I discovered that running with the pack was easier than I expected. So I ran down some of the steeper bits off Stanage Edge. 

The journey from my home to Hathersage (about 10K/6-7 miles) took about 2 hours 20mins. After stopping for lunch, and a coffee and flapjack in the best cafe in Hathersage (Elliotts - see http://www.cafe.southlakesgroup.org/elliotts-hathersage.html), I started the return journey.

I started back about 3pm, with an ETA back home of about 5.30pm. I was keen to get back earlier, so just before 4pm, once I got to Stanage Pole - about 5K from home, and the point at which the path starts its descent - I thought I'd try running again.

It was easier this time, and once I'd started I thought I'd continue, as I was making good ground. I managed to keep it up, and ran all the 5K to my flat, arriving back just after 4.30pm.

A good day!

Five facts about the Coast to Coast...

Here are five things I've discovered about the Coast to Coast Walk...



1. During its 200-odd miles, the walk ascends and descends the equivalent height of Mount Everest.

2. Though the walk passes through three National Parks, crosses the Pennine Way and at times joins both the Cleveland Way and the Lyke Wake Walk, it is not itself an 'official' national trail.

3. An athlete one completed the walk in 37 hours.

4. Wainwright, who devised the walk, never carried a compass.

5. The route crosses Britain at neither its narrowest or widest point; it was chosen for the quality of its terrain and scenery.