What, it's even higher than this???!!!!

Back in October 39 Kiltwalk champions signed up for the challenge of a lifetime - the Kilimanjaro Kiltwalk, or Kiltiemanjaro as we're calling it.

10 days in Africa to trek the highest free standing mountain in the world, all in the name of Scotland's children.

Since then as a group we have been discovering all kind of information about our challenge....

- It's 4 times higher than our own wee Ben Nevis
- Every day will bring a new climate, from jungle to polar
- There's a 2km glacier at the top!
- It's made up of 3 volcanos
- It's going to be cold at the summit, down to -26 c

That last fact has led to the obvious question " do we have to wear kilts"? The answer to which is an equally obvious "yes" which means we're trying to figure out what warm garments we can wear underneath!

We also have two pipers with us (Spud and Haggis, Kiltwalk veterans) determined to play us "over the top" and one of our walkers intends to address a haggis (a "meat" one, not the piper) at the summit too.

Of course it's all in aid of Scotland's children and the group are all frantically raising the £2,995 required, with all sorts of fundraising events taking place.

And then there's the question of fitness...this is going to be HARD.

Hence today's photo of Simon Clark (who will celebrate his 41st birthday on the summit) and who dragged his best mate Kenneth Knowles up a munro on Sunday.

"Climbed my first munro last weekend. Killer. A real eye opener for how much work I need to do between now and October. Consider my fitness to be ground zero as of now. Did it in my shorts to try and weather the knees a bit - baltic at the top - smile on the attached pic isn't telling the whole story! "

Well it's more than i've done Simon!