A fundraising SSE employee will be getting back on his bike and cycling 450 miles in just six days to raise funds for Marie Curie.
Andy Gale, Operational Change Manager based at St Mellon’s in Cardiff, will be joined by friend Tony Jones as they use pedal power alone to travel from Edinburgh Castle to Cardiff Castle.
The men have dubbed the challenge ‘Castle 2 Castell’ and will complete the ride without the aid of any support vehicles, luggage carriers or mechanics.
Andy said: “Two years ago Tony and I cycled from the Hospice in Penarth South Wales to Holyhead North Wales (280 miles) in four days - a journey we called “our long way up” - and we raised £2,000 for Marie Curie.
“Having taking a year off, we are now taking the train up to Scotland on a one way ticket and cycling back home to Cardiff. We are raising money for Marie Curie again and hope to raise more than £1,000.”
The men will board the train north on Sunday, September 20 and will set off from Edinburgh Castle at 9am the following day. They expect to reach the gates of Cardiff Castle by 4pm on Saturday, September 26.
The journey will cover 450 miles, climbing more than 10,000 feet – split into stages of 74 to 80 miles per day - the route taking them via the Lake District , Manchester and Gloucester before finally crossing the Severn Bridge back into Wales.
The lack of support vehicles means that if anything breaks on the bikes, the men will need to make the repairs themselves and carry all the equipment they might need.
Marie Curie provides care and support for people living with any terminal illness across the UK. To support the challenge, visit https://www.justgiving.com/Tony-Jones15/. You can also follow the ride via Twitter at @Castle2Castell.