tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73479992871640580572011-07-31T03:48:04.380-07:00BJMathernoreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-33950025419784638512010-08-25T04:11:00.001-07:002010-08-25T04:11:35.404-07:00

7 Peaks In 7 Days For Autism   -    My trip to India was cancelled due to flash floods (see link).  Determined to challenge myself and raise awareness for autism, I conquered 7 peaks in 7 days in 3 countries instead.  It was a total of 44 hours hiking and 6,420 metres of ascent and descent!  For more photos of the challenge click here...For videos of the challenge click here...To everyone who

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-45027668302335439222010-08-13T06:05:00.001-07:002010-08-13T06:05:43.822-07:00

Unfortunately I am not going to the Indian Himalayas. :( The area that I was going to, Leh, has been hit by devastating floods last week which has left a death toll of 185 and 200 people still missing. It has barely been reported by the British press. Please pray for the people of Leh and their lives that they will need to rebuild. The decision got made yesterday (Thursday) to cancel the trip.

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-53906627595873868422010-08-09T02:53:00.000-07:002010-08-09T02:53:01.584-07:00

I would like to sincerely thank everyone for their support, kindness and generosity for the 'teampetertrek' project. The support, both financial and emotional, from family, friends, school colleagues and parents from school, has been overwhelming. The donations, sponsorship and fundraising have exceeded my expectations, meaning it has already broken the £3,500 barrier (including gift aid). All of

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-57501830609122176742010-08-01T01:38:00.000-07:002010-08-01T01:41:01.524-07:00

I set off hiking on Friday with Frank only to find my knee was sufferring from too much excerise. I was gutted! The hike was cancelled and I drove home dejected. I'd covered 46 miles during the week either running or walking. Two days later, and after resting, wearing a knee support and a good massage my dear old dad, my knee's feeling much better. Confidence is crucial now, and if I think I

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-81434335846451220932010-07-29T09:25:00.000-07:002010-07-29T09:25:38.037-07:00

I've just walked through the door after hiking 16 and a half miles.  So far this week, covered 46 miles by foot training!  Is it weird to take a photo of yourself?

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-33458541319777369892010-07-27T13:49:00.001-07:002010-07-27T13:49:41.116-07:00

http://www.wolverineden.com/

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-8413720250508543362010-07-25T15:02:00.000-07:002010-07-25T15:02:32.982-07:00

To cap off my training weekend, I woke up tired but determined to get more miles under my belt.  I headed to the lakes to summit Helvellyn, a hike I did a couple of months ago.  Much to my own annoyance, I forgot to take my jacket with me, and ended up very glad it didn't rain at all! It took 5 hours in total but I wanted to do 6 hours in total so did another hour hike when I got back to good

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-37926127276851679062010-07-24T07:52:00.000-07:002010-07-24T07:52:02.106-07:00

It really is no rest for the wicked! I broke up from school yesterday and have just completed a 16 and a half mile walk (the half definitely counts!) in 5 hours 40min. I walked a 5.5 mile circuit that I know 3 times, and I walked the first lap with Honey.  The highlight had to be the couple who thought I was joking that I was on the 3rd time around!  Now, a can of pop, pasta and a pizza for tea

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-12282860144337778832010-07-20T08:46:00.000-07:002010-07-24T08:46:52.735-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-85584745164948772592010-07-18T12:46:00.000-07:002010-07-18T12:46:26.559-07:00

Hiked 21 miles today. Went from Standish to Wigan to Pemberton to Orrell to Gathurst to Shevington to Appley Bridge to Parbold to Wrightington to Standish to Worthington and home. Pretty tired now!

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-43589092293334443642010-07-16T10:22:00.000-07:002010-07-16T10:22:56.184-07:00

Arrrggghhh!!! Ok now I've got that out of the way, it really does feel pressing and I don't feel as in shape as I should be.  But I think that's just because it's so close now.  I've got my injections done, received my VISA sorted, and thanks to Philippa Russman now have my 4-season sleeping bag ready.  Been mega busy at work over the last 3 weeks so am now chomping at the bit to get out on the

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-84919357748530675822010-07-07T14:18:00.000-07:002010-07-07T14:18:48.969-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-15013803944800482272010-06-26T11:05:00.001-07:002010-06-26T11:05:41.308-07:00

Training hike today - 18 and a half miles, 6 and a half hours - I didn't know my body and feet could feel so sore and tired! Trekking the Himalayan mountains in only 7 weeks now for the National Autistic Society. Please could you sponsor me? www.justgiving.com/teampetertrek

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-72288186679573948692010-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:002010-06-25T10:14:25.877-07:00

25th June 2010: Fundraising and training going very well! Your support has been incredible!  I've paid for the trip myself now (£1860).  So, just in case you weren't sure, ALL of the money that gets raised goes STRAIGHT to the NAS.  I've paid for the trip completely by myself.  Follow my progress in my preparations: teampetertrek.blogspot.com/  and twitter.com/teampetertrek £134 raised at

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-79791722393747444432010-06-19T17:40:00.001-07:002010-06-19T17:40:20.227-07:00

£690 raised at the Crown Fundraiser on 19th June - (Quiz, Games, Raffle, Disco) Thank you so much everyone! Paul x

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-61401004573537941782010-06-08T10:16:00.001-07:002010-06-08T10:17:06.976-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-21394174377715104682010-06-07T08:50:00.000-07:002010-06-07T08:51:50.672-07:00

Talk about Autism is a new campaign by autism charity TreeHouse, supported by TalkTalk. The campaign aims to increase public understanding of autism. TreeHouse wants everyone to watch young people and their families, including Nick Hornby and son Danny, talking about autism in our film – and then to join in the conversation.

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-55703082227098875162010-06-04T14:11:00.000-07:002010-06-04T14:13:27.901-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-29306948190921289622010-06-04T09:43:00.001-07:002010-06-04T10:04:06.841-07:00

Now that was an exhausting 2 days! I needed to do two mountains back-to-back, because when it comes to August, I'll need to be able to do it for a whole week. So, on Wednesday I climbed Helvellyn, England's third highest mountain. I took the Wythburn route which took 2 hours to get to the top, and then 3 hours down in a long-winded loop route. The weather was scorching so the sweat was

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-49367414040495388242010-06-04T09:42:00.000-07:002010-06-04T09:42:56.292-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-35953249218646885152010-05-26T09:07:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:07:10.715-07:00

Paul BJ Mather is fundraising for National Autistic Society - JustGiving: "I will be completing a weeklong trek through the Indus Valley, in Ladakh, In the Indian controlled Kashmir.� The trek will cover 16km per day through tough Himilayan terrain.� The trek starts out at Leh, in Ladakh, sitting over 3000m above sea level, this gives the challenge of coping with Acute Mountain Sickness,

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-3401313696952509232010-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:002010-05-16T13:09:22.848-07:00

£15 - helps pay for one of their Autism Helpline advisers to send information about autism support to five worried parents£25 - pays for the first stage of training a volunteer befriender, who will spend a few hours a week with a person with autism or their family, offering much-needed support or friendship£50 - gives ten people access to our Autism helpline, a crucial service providing

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-4980607322308798392010-05-16T13:01:00.000-07:002010-05-16T13:03:30.728-07:00

Did you know that in one year:2.6 million people visited their website38,000 queries were dealt with by their helpline1,650 families were supported by our Parent to Parent support line2,788 families attended their help! family support programmes432 places were available for children in their schools388 children attended their out-of-school clubs344 adults were supported by their Prospects

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-73972437767586405202010-05-13T06:23:00.000-07:002010-05-13T06:23:36.176-07:00

Making The News: Hesketh-with-Becconsall All Saints CE Primary

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-7304538876742169722010-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:002010-05-09T13:30:23.416-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-18660387160699444932010-05-09T02:30:00.000-07:002010-05-09T02:30:34.309-07:00

This is the town I will fly to: Leh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-26931786832090574322010-05-08T12:06:00.000-07:002010-05-08T12:06:52.721-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-30568912741909834192010-04-25T12:24:00.000-07:002010-04-25T12:30:57.304-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-26505781525817712932010-04-20T13:10:00.000-07:002010-04-20T13:10:59.950-07:00

Well, in the last two weeks me and Honey have been walking for at least an hour a day, which included taking in Snowdon and Yr Eifl in Wales!  Snowdon was great, especially within a month of getting to the top of Scafel Pike  (I've heard Ben Nevis is a bit of a drive away!)

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-56801400154272398202010-04-12T23:50:00.000-07:002010-04-12T23:51:52.362-07:00

Want to understand more about autism? Sort the truth from the fiction with our autism myth buster.Myth: Autism (including Asperger syndrome) is a rare condition.Fact: Autism (including Asperger syndrome) is no longer a rare condition and is thought to affect about 588,000 people in the UK today.Myth: All people with autism have a extraordinary ability like the Dustin Hoffman character in the film

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-77101731796271587062010-04-12T13:59:00.001-07:002010-04-12T13:59:48.120-07:00

Watched this tonight, what amazing people: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/young-autistic-stagestruck

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-27813077224432271132010-04-03T08:08:00.001-07:002010-04-03T08:08:56.280-07:00

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=253&a=21390

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-23523533204570312822010-03-21T02:42:00.000-07:002010-03-24T09:48:16.094-07:00

Boy, that was tough! I managed to climb it yesterday, taking 9 hours in total. (set off at 6:50am on a Saturday to get there) I definitely had the stamina but lacked a little 'direction'! I went the wrong way going up so it took me 4 hours to get to the top. When I got to a certain point, the weather lifted so I could see where I was going. Tired but determined, I could see the Pike in the

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-3044128095947028142010-03-18T14:14:00.000-07:002010-03-18T14:14:10.877-07:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-72233841966172917032010-03-12T14:28:00.002-08:002010-03-12T14:47:59.478-08:00

Here is a map of where I am going. I've learnt more about where I'm going in the past 24 hours than I have in the last 7 weeks!

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-89262260214536784882010-03-12T11:50:00.001-08:002010-03-12T11:54:55.917-08:00

Well the secret is out and there is no going back! Sponsorship has started which is a great feeling. However, this week's cold hasn't helped. Itching to get out to train but haven't been able to. And what my sister and dad are doing is truly inspirational (see justgiving.com/teampeter).

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-23843080688173105202010-03-03T14:13:00.000-08:002010-03-03T14:20:21.349-08:00

A quote from George Mallory (Everest Mountaineer):"So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge...and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself, upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-14703586626925998192010-03-03T10:54:00.001-08:002010-03-03T10:54:56.474-08:00

http://www.dontwritemeoff.org.uk/

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-31194681675414446652010-03-03T10:45:00.000-08:002010-03-31T14:38:34.690-07:00

I must be mad!I can usually be seen teaching children at All Saints Primary, in Hesketh Bank, but on August 14th I will be leaving for the Himalayas and trekking 71 kilometres to raise money for The National Autistic Society. I've never even walked up Ben Nevis, but now I'll have to take on high altitude and 5 days of continuous trekking.It will all be worthwhile if I succeed in raising £3,000

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-57048851779908419862010-03-01T11:27:00.001-08:002010-03-01T11:29:19.484-08:00

http://www.autism.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2493

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-55025206241919324262010-03-01T11:10:00.000-08:002010-03-01T11:18:25.089-08:00

BJMathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347999287164058057.post-66293247558503423892010-02-24T14:01:00.000-08:002010-02-24T14:01:04.433-08:00

A minority of people, about 20%, have some symptoms of altitude sickness if they ascend to about 2500 meters (8000 feet) above sea level and sleep there. However, most people will acclimatize to 3000 meters (10,000 feet) with relative ease, perhaps having symptoms after the first night. Acclimatizing to heights of 3000–5000 meters (10,000–16,000 feet) is much more difficult, and it is here that

BJMathernoreply@blogger.com