Sport Relief - Up a Long Creek
Monday, February 22, 2010
Fred and Dougie set off to paddle Up a Long Creek in the
freezing cold for Sport Relief
A stand-up comedian and a drummer in a rock band sitting in a boat sounds like the set-up to a joke. But Fred MacAulay and Dougie Vipond are about to put mind, body and reputation on the line by taking on the biggest challenge of their lives in aid of Sport Relief 2010 – traversing the length of the Caledonian Canal, from Fort William to Inverness in a tandem kayak.
At 8am on Monday 22nd February, with temperatures due to be below freezing, Fred and Dougie will set off on their extraordinary journey. Before them lies three days of extreme paddling right across the heart of the Scottish Highlands, through some of the world’s harshest wilderness landscape. This is a seriously difficult undertaking. Rising to the Sport Relief challenge, there will be no glamorous entourage, no frills and absolutely no creature comforts. They will be literally thrown in at the deep end, going back to basics carrying all of their own food, drink and equipment required for the duration of the trip. They will be camping at the waters edge and cooking for themselves whilst attempting to keep up the motivation to get through a challenge that would be extraordinarily tough in the bright summer months let alone in one of the coldest winters in history.
Taking to the water near the west coast at the top of the world famous Neptune’s Staircase, the cross-country trip will see them having to negotiate a number of un-navigable locks along the way where the paddling pair will need to lift and carry their 25 foot long kayak in and out of man-made waterways and freshwater lochs. Fred and Dougie’s punishing schedule will involve them spending a night on the exposed shores of Loch Ness and finishing in Inverness on Wednesday evening.
The team will be accompanied by kayaking expert Neil Baxter who has given them essential technique and safety training, but it will be up to the brave duo to work together as a team to complete the challenge which will be both mentally and physically punishing.
With such a mammoth challenge ahead of them, Sport Relief is calling for people across Scotland to get behind Fred and Dougie and show their support by donating at sportrelief.com/creek. Every penny donated to Sport Relief will go to transform the lives of poor and disadvantaged people both at home in the UK and in the world’s poorest countries.
With less than three days to go until the challenge, Dougie Vipond said: “When Sport Relief asked me if I was up for a challenge, I had no idea that I would end up in the Highlands in February paddling my way through freezing cold waters with Fred MacAulay, then having to share a tent with him - but I am ready to rise to the challenge!”
Fred MacAulay added: “This will certainly be one of my greatest challenges yet, let’s just hope we don’t end up the creek without a paddle! Get behind us and show your support by sponsoring us now at sportrelief.com.”
The pair’s water borne adventures will be aired in Up a Long Creek, an hour-long documentary special for Sport Relief due to transmit on BBC Scotland on 17th March.
Fred and Dougie are rising to the challenge as part of Sport Relief 2010. You can rise to your challenge by entering the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st March. Glasgow is playing host to one of the largest Sport Relief Miles in the UK, with other Miles happening all over Scotland. To find and enter your nearest Mile visit sportrelief.com.
ENDS
For more information, photographs and interview requests contact:
Fiona White (Project Manager) – f.white@comicrelief.com – 07931 384 001
Elise Clayton – e.clayton@comicrelief.com or 0141 422 6847/07507 597102
freezing cold for Sport Relief
A stand-up comedian and a drummer in a rock band sitting in a boat sounds like the set-up to a joke. But Fred MacAulay and Dougie Vipond are about to put mind, body and reputation on the line by taking on the biggest challenge of their lives in aid of Sport Relief 2010 – traversing the length of the Caledonian Canal, from Fort William to Inverness in a tandem kayak.
At 8am on Monday 22nd February, with temperatures due to be below freezing, Fred and Dougie will set off on their extraordinary journey. Before them lies three days of extreme paddling right across the heart of the Scottish Highlands, through some of the world’s harshest wilderness landscape. This is a seriously difficult undertaking. Rising to the Sport Relief challenge, there will be no glamorous entourage, no frills and absolutely no creature comforts. They will be literally thrown in at the deep end, going back to basics carrying all of their own food, drink and equipment required for the duration of the trip. They will be camping at the waters edge and cooking for themselves whilst attempting to keep up the motivation to get through a challenge that would be extraordinarily tough in the bright summer months let alone in one of the coldest winters in history.
Taking to the water near the west coast at the top of the world famous Neptune’s Staircase, the cross-country trip will see them having to negotiate a number of un-navigable locks along the way where the paddling pair will need to lift and carry their 25 foot long kayak in and out of man-made waterways and freshwater lochs. Fred and Dougie’s punishing schedule will involve them spending a night on the exposed shores of Loch Ness and finishing in Inverness on Wednesday evening.
The team will be accompanied by kayaking expert Neil Baxter who has given them essential technique and safety training, but it will be up to the brave duo to work together as a team to complete the challenge which will be both mentally and physically punishing.
With such a mammoth challenge ahead of them, Sport Relief is calling for people across Scotland to get behind Fred and Dougie and show their support by donating at sportrelief.com/creek. Every penny donated to Sport Relief will go to transform the lives of poor and disadvantaged people both at home in the UK and in the world’s poorest countries.
With less than three days to go until the challenge, Dougie Vipond said: “When Sport Relief asked me if I was up for a challenge, I had no idea that I would end up in the Highlands in February paddling my way through freezing cold waters with Fred MacAulay, then having to share a tent with him - but I am ready to rise to the challenge!”
Fred MacAulay added: “This will certainly be one of my greatest challenges yet, let’s just hope we don’t end up the creek without a paddle! Get behind us and show your support by sponsoring us now at sportrelief.com.”
The pair’s water borne adventures will be aired in Up a Long Creek, an hour-long documentary special for Sport Relief due to transmit on BBC Scotland on 17th March.
Fred and Dougie are rising to the challenge as part of Sport Relief 2010. You can rise to your challenge by entering the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st March. Glasgow is playing host to one of the largest Sport Relief Miles in the UK, with other Miles happening all over Scotland. To find and enter your nearest Mile visit sportrelief.com.
ENDS
For more information, photographs and interview requests contact:
Fiona White (Project Manager) – f.white@comicrelief.com – 07931 384 001
Elise Clayton – e.clayton@comicrelief.com or 0141 422 6847/07507 597102
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