More Zodiac Images

Phil heading up the final pitch Our home for 4 days

The final metreToasting success

Success for Phil on Zodiac

Just got back from the US after a great climb with Major Phil Packer, Andy Kirkpatrick, Paul Tattersall and Ben Pritchard of Zodiac on El Cap. An amazing effort by Phil considering it was his first route... oh and that he can't really use his legs. Here's a few pics, I'll post more later.The team in El Cap meadowPhil on Day 1

Phil on Day 2El Cap by Moonlight

T minus 12 hours

Drove into a snowy! and wet Yosemite valley this morning but with better weather on its way it looks like we will be heading up to El Cap tomorrow with Major Phil Packer.  The hope is for Phil to make it to base of Zodiac uner his own steam but I imagine this could be one the cruxes of this challenge for him.  The ground is only a steady rise but its pretty rough and with Phils limited range of movement its going to be tough.  But I'm sure he'll be equal too it.  

If we can manage to get to the route start in one piece, then we'll head off Sunday morning hoping to top out Tuesday or wednesday.  For more info and regular updates chcek out www.philpacker.com and don't forget to donate

Getting closer to Yosemite

Phil was down in London today training for his El Cap climb with Andy and Paul. This video from the Telegraph shows Phil's rather natty paragliding harness/seat. He's already passed his million pound target in money raised for Help for Heroes I wonder how much we can get to with this challenge?

Congratulations Phil

Just seen on the BBC news that Phil Packer has completed his London marathon today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8041374.stm
Phil has almost no mobility in his legs but managed to complete the course on crutches over the last 14 days. A massive physical and mental effort by Phil, who is trying top raise a million quid for the Help the Heroes challenge, he's now up to £725,000.

In just over 3 weeks I'll be part of a team assisting Phil with his next challenge, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite. He's obviously a really tough cooking and I'm really looking forward to spending some time on "the big stone" with him. You can read more about Phil's story and donate at http://www.philpacker.com/

Back to El Cap but with a difference

In a months time I'm heading over to Yosemite for the first time in almost a decade. Yosemite is of course home to El Cap probably the most magnificent bit of rock we've got. During my previous visits Ive been lucky enough to climb El Cap 10 times, sometimes with a party of friends, sometimes on my own, sometimes fast (ish - in a day) and sometimes more slowly (8 days I think on Wyoming Sheep Ranch). So why go back?

Well if I was good enough I could go free climb the Salathe but I'm not. Instead this trip will be something a little different. The plan is for myself, Andy Kirkpatrick and Paul Tattersall to join Phil Packer. Andy and Paul are "experienced big wall cats" but Phil as far as I know hasn't climbed before. However that's not the crux of the challenge. In February last year when serving in Iraq Phil lost the use of his legs in an incident following a rocket attack in Basra. As a paraplegic Phil has taken on a variety of challenges in his aim to raise a million pounds for the Help for Heroes charity, which assists injured servicemen and women. So far he's raised half of that amount through rowing across the channel and presently he's halfway round the London Marathon on crutches (his hobble round will take 2 weeks).

For me as well as a chance to return to the amazing El Cap and hopefully get some good photos and film, it's exciting to be involved with someone taking on a challenge that will be genuinely be pushing their very limits. You can read more about Phil's fund raising efforts here
http://www.philpacker.com/