Kilimanjaro then. When the email first went out to all staff at Autovista Group about the possibility of hiking up Africa’s tallest mountain, my interest was perked immediately. I didn’t once wonder if my wife would be ok with me going, leaving her home alone with our children, I assumed that’d be a given! Once I was selected to be in the third group, I have to admit it has been a long waiting game, and seeing and speaking to other colleagues who have been up Kili and returned has made me quite jealous that they’ve already experienced it. However, Africa is now almost in sight, and the planning, fitness training and kit buying is well underway!

As soon as I was told I would be going, I pretty much straightaway decided to make my challenge even more difficult by adding extra activities to my endeavour. I have now completed the first two of those, which are both possibly more physically demanding than climbing Kilimanjaro itself – I ran my first marathon in April, and at the start of June completed a 223 km bike ride in the mountains of Wales. Although I have lost next to no weight at all in doing these (note to self – drink less beer), I feel I am the fittest I have been for a long time, if not ever. I now need to maintain this fitness until February and I will hopefully be in good enough shape to attempt the ascent.

I haven’t yet gone on any long walks as part of training, as I have been concentrating on running and cycling, but once I return from my summer holiday to Italy, and my ride up the Stelvio Pass, I will crack on. Living close to the Surrey Hills as we do, there are plenty of walking paths there to get lost on, and I may even be able to drag my wife and children along with me, if I can get the kids off their electronic gadgets long enough…