Kilimanjaro Training on the Taff Trail

Having done a few off-road hill climbs in recent weeks, yesterday's training venue was the Taff Trail. John just wanted to get a bit of distance into his arms, and the Taff Trail looked ideal.

Starting at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, the Taff Trail follows the River Taff northwards. A beautiful picturesque walk, it was great to see so many people out on their bikes, joggers and fellow walkers, enjoying the lovely Welsh scenery. We set out at 11.45 on the West bank with John again using his old light weight titanium framed wheelchair. With the beating it's been having in recent weeks, it's starting to creek and groan a little!

"I've put some more air in the tyres and it feels so much better,"John cheerily declares as we set out. Within minutes we come across an unexpected sight, groups of men playing Australian Rules Football, but there's no time to stop, this is a non-stop trek! We cross the river after 15 minutes and set out into a more densely wooded area. John's in high spirits and he smiles at everyone, passing the time the day with anyone who cares to make eye contact.

On each little rise, when the effort required is greater, John does his steam train impression, and free wheeling down the other side he is like a teenager, swerving side to side and challenging cyclists to see who can get through small gateways first. John always wins!!

Meandering gently upwards, we come to a weir, the site of a rowing club. We stop briefly to enjoy the view and using his well practiced dog whistle, John convinces a pink collared lady Alsatian to have her photograph taken with him. She certainly wasn't camera shy! The path itself is still in excellent condition, and John's wheelchair is running easily, reducing any risk of his usual weekend dumping on the floor.

We start to hear the sound of leather and willow, and on the opposite bank a cricket match is taking place on a picturesque ground on the banks of the river. We joke about the likelihood of a big hit sweeping the ball all the way to the river. Within striking distance we then pass another cricket match with youngsters involved, accompanied by the sound of ladies screeching in delight. Ah, a ladies rugby match is taking place on the adjacent pitch, with all of the accompanying sound effects.

Getting to the outskirts of the built up parts of Cardiff, we come to an unmarked cross roads. The path close to the river goes underneath a road bridge, but this is far from accessible to normal wheelchairs with a tough uphill rugged stretch blocking our path. We ask a couple out walking their dog about the trail and whilst the route under the bridge is the trail path, we are directed on a more circuitous, road-based route. That would be too easy of course, so for the first time on this walk, we work with John to get his through some difficult terrain.

Pushing on northwards towards Castle Coch, and the trail starts to change, and 'the push' a little more demanding. One hour 45minutes in, we see a sign for a cafe in a fruit picking farm. We cross the river, but sadly, the cafe is closed. We re-cross and plough on, the trail now no longer a man-made path and presenting more of a challenge.

With every intention of getting to Castle Coch, we start to come across access gates to different sections of the trail. Managing to squeeze through a gap by the side of one that was too small to allow a wheelchair access, we come to a second that we can just about manoeuvre John's chair into, to get through. 100 metres later we are blocked by a much smaller access gate, and public access, no-longer means access to even the most intrepid of wheelchair user.


6 miles out from our starting point, we are forced to turn around, a mile short of our intended destination at Castle Coch. The route back is gently downhill, and we cover it at a decent pace, although John could have done it far quicker. The trail is much busier as we get in closer to the City Centre, and sport is still being played on green patches of land, almost everywhere, once we are south of the M4.

2 hours later we finally stop at the Secret Garden cafe, half a mile from our final destination. Deciding not to pack food and beverage for this trek, John is grateful for some food and his favourite drink, a nice cup of coffee. Having covered eleven miles in just under four hours, John is in great shape, but my knees and ankles are aching, and the one thing I've learned from this trek, is that I need new walking boots.

Refreshed, we cover the last half a mile, with John swaying playfully back and fore in his wheelchair, whilst I do my best impression of the tin man from the Wizard of Oz, my ankles, knee and hip joints, all refusing to work as per manufacturer instructions. As a training walk it has been very worthwhile, and we have all learned a little bit more about ourselves, our trek team members, and what we need to do to get ourselves completely ready for what will be a much more difficult challenge. The importance of well fitted kit, being key!

Safely home, John's shoulders and arms are stiffening up. He takes a quick bath and then relaxes on the settee to enjoy some sport on the TV. He wakes several hours later wondering what hit him. By Sunday morning, after a rare good night's sleep, his soreness has completely gone, and he is raring to go again. Thankfully he had told his old mate and London Marathon great, Chris Hallam, that he was going to pay him a visit today.

We are spared, and unlike the incredible recovery of the 67 year old 'bionic man', out soreness can have another day to recover!

"I really enjoyed that push," says John. "Four hours non-stop was just what I needed, and it was a lovely route. It was great to see people out on their bikes and jogging, and I'm just surprised we did not see more families out enjoying it. What a fantastic activity for kids, it's free, and there's also an opportunity to learn about the history of the old River based industry and nature."


If you would like to discuss a sponsorship opportunity for John's Kilimanjaro Challenge please email Simon at simondeacy@pjs-speakers.co.uk or telephone 01600 729180.

You can also make a donation to John's Kilimanjaro Challenge through the Just Giving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fullcircleltd/