Four West Devon friends have completed an arduous long-distance non-stop 61-hour walk across two moors in memory of one of the walker’s father for charity to support the hospital where he was treated.
The adventurous team have raised more than £4,500, but suffered for their efforts. They overcame a missing path, lack of sleep and the suspicions of understandably wary villagers when they were looking for water and somewhere to sleep one evening. In the end they convinced residents they were on a legitimate expedition and snatched an uncomfortable hour’s sleep in a church porch.
The Tavistock, and St Ann’s Chapel residents walked the 117-mile Two Moors Way, from Lynmouth in North Devon on the edge of Exmoor, then across Dartmoor and finishing on the coast at Wembury, near Plymouth in the dark. The challenging trek across rugged terrain in mid-October involved using torches and maps and compasses, rather than digital aids.
Trekker Steve Andrews’ father Roger, a retired telecoms engineer, died of cancer last year, having been given six months to live without treatment or 12 months with treatment. He chose treatment shortly after diagnosis in 2020 at the Velindre cancer hospital in Cardiff.
Steve said: “We had a tricky time wandering around for a few hours looking for a way out of a maze of fields when the track on the map just disappeared. We suspect a landowner closed off the exit. Then when we were looking for somewhere to fill our water bottles in Widecombe we were spotted by locals who were wondering why a group of men were wandering round the village at night. We eventually convinced them we were legit and they kindly offered us the church porch for a nap and an upgraded drink. We’re very grateful for that hospitality.”
Steve said: “My dad got outstanding care and treatment. I can’t speak highly enough about the staff. He had an extremely aggressive form of cancer with glioblastoma, a tumour in the brain, and died last year.
“My family are all extremely grateful to the hospital because they gave him a substantial extra lease of life, so, the least we can do is help raise funds for them. The hospital is run by a combination of NHS and charity funds. This is my way of saying thank you for giving my dad to us for longer and to help give other people the same chance.”
Steve, a military medic, was joined by Royal Marine Nigel Locke, Steve Payne and Lee Wickett. The group undertake a charity challenge each year. Last year, they walked nine of the highest peaks in the UK to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND) in memory of Lee’s dad Mark who died in 2022 from MND. They have so far raised £20,000 over the past three years.
Lee said: “We’re very pleased and grateful to everyone and businesses behind our challenges.”
To donate see the group’s Facebook page Devon One One Seven, or the justgiving page.
