Despite the fact that he lives on the Somerset Levels (or perhaps it’s because of this) Samaritan Volunteer Paul Brown finds mountains hard to resist.
And that’s why he’s taking up the challenge to climb Aconcagua, a mountain in Argentina, in November. 23,000 feet at its peak, Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside the Himalayas and considered to be an extreme climb in terms of altitude and low temperatures.
Paul, aged 63 and recently retired, is a Samaritan with Yeovil, Sherborne & District and recently joined up as our 1,000th volunteer, will be climbing to raise funds for the Branch.
Commenting, Paul said: ‘It would be very easy in my retirement to relax in front of the TV, catch up on the latest series of Killing Eve and crack open a bottle of red. But I now have plenty of time, and lots more to give, and I’ve always wanted to help others. Having just qualified as a listening volunteer with Samaritans, I now know from the inside what an incredible organisation it is. I want to help Samaritans in any extra way I can and doing this climb will hopefully contribute towards the necessary funds required to enable more volunteers to undertake the incredible Samaritans training programme.’
Paul is no stranger to climbing having already got Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus in Russia under his belt. ‘The biggest challenge is getting in training on the Somerset Levels as its not known for its peaks’ continued Paul. ‘But I will be focussing on running and reducing my intake of red wine (!) in preparation for the trip.’
Paul will be one of 6 adults departing for Aconcagua on in November. The climb, depending on weather conditions, is expected to take 23 days. Paul will be taking a Yeovil Samaritans banner with him which he looks forward to unfurling with pride when he reaches the summit.
To support Paul, and raise funds for Samaritans Yeovil, Sherborne & District, visit his JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-brown129