Sand2Snow duo to travel 15,000km on epic expedition to China
Two courageous young adventure seekers are about to embark on an epic journey which will see them run, raft and cycle almost half way around the world, to support the work of Self Help Africa.
Maghnus Collins Smyth and David Burns will set off in early April on their 'Sand2Snow Adventure', which will see them traverse more than 16,000km from the Middle East to China's east coast on a journey that they expect will last close to nine months.
It is not the first time that the two 27 year olds have lent their backing to Self Help Africa - for they raised close to €20,000 for the organisation back in 2009 on a year long cycle marathon from Ireland to South Africa and back.
During the upcoming expedition, along the Silk Route from Turkey to Shanghai, Maghnus, from Limerick, and David from Coleraine, plan to:
Cycle from Istanbul, through the deserts of Turkey, Iran and Iraq
Traverse Pakistan and northern India by bicycle to Kathmandu, Nepal
Run a marathon a day for over 30 days through the Himalayas, across the Tibetan Plateau
Run from Tibet into China and the source of the Yangtse River in Quinhai Province
'Pack raft'* from the source of the Yangtse, Asia's longest river, a distance of approximately 6,500 kilometres to its mouth in Shanghai
* Pack rafting - The two participants will use a small inflatable raft will allow them to carry their equipment overland and around any stretches of river that are too dangerous to navigate
Speaking about their upcoming trip, Maghnus and David said that they were really excited at the prospects, and delighted with the support and generosity they had experienced so far, for their fundraising efforts.
"We chose Self Help Africa as the charity to support because we think it's an incredible organisation, doing great work, and approaching the challenge of eradicating hunger and poverty in the right way.
"When we cycled through Africa in 2009 we had the chance to see some of Self Help Africa's projects in both Ethiopia and in Kenya, and can honestly vouch for the work they are doing in Africa".
David and Maghnus are organising a wide range of fundraising events and activities to support their Sand2Snow Adventure' - and are underwriting the entire costs of the trip out of their own pockets. "Every penny that we raise from our fundraising will go to charity," they added.
As Maghnus and David set off this month on their Sand2Snow Adventure from Istanbul to Shanghai, they've invited you to join them - and complete a Step4Step Challenge in aid of Self Help Africa, this Summer.
Runners, walkers, cross-trainers, canoers or any other exercise enthusiast is invited to take part - raise a few euro in sponsorship, and see if Ireland can match the 16,000km feat of Sand2Snow, over the coming months.
To find out more about the Step4Step Challenge click on the link below and download details, or else contact Self Help Africa on 1850 757678 and ask to speak to one of our fundraising team.
Self Help Africa - UK Second Floor, Westgate House,Dickens Court, Hills Lane, Shrewsbury, SY1 1QU Tel. +44 (0) 1743 277170
Self Help Africa - Ireland Kingsbridge House, 17-22 Parkgate Street, Dublin 8, Co. Dublin, Ireland Tel. +353 (0)1 6778880
Self Help Africa Inc. 41 Union Square West, Suite 631 New York, NY 10003, USA Tel. +1 212 206 0847
Self Help Africa is an international charity registered in Ireland and the United Kingdom Registered charity number: 6663 (Ireland), and 298830 (UK) Self Help Africa is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organisation in the United States.
