The amazing Starkey family are undergoing their 500 mile walk across the Pyrenees in memory of their son Matthew who was a volunteer at Inkwell.
Many of us at Inkwell were good friends with Matthew, he was a popular member of our team. Matthew suffered from depression and found great solace and comfort during his time at Inkwell. His parents are rasing money for Leeds Mind in memory of their son, who sadly took his own life last February.
The Just Giving page set up to fundraise has already reached a staggering £3090. Thats over £1000 more than their target! Tess and Mick Starkey have been updating the page with news and how their journey is progressing, updates are sporadic as internet access has been tricky to find at times with some areas having no internet at all.
The latest news from Tess and Mick is that they are now just over half way, having walked 257 miles out of the 500 miles.
Map showing the 500 mile route from France through to the Spanish west coast
Here are some of the updates which gives an insight into how challenging their mission is, facing harsh weather, little or no creature comforts and heavy back packs.
STARTED THE JOURNEY.
Set out from Stansted, arrived Biarritz, bus to Bayonne and mountain train to St Jean de Pied Port in the French (Basque) Pyrenees boarder town. We had a fantastic welcome at the Pilgrim office and at Auberge de Pelerin (pilgrim hostel). More info soon.
SIMPLE THINGS.
We are learning that the small things in life are so important. A place to sleep, hot water, clean clothes, food. A smile and warm welcome at the hostel. Other small kindness - pilgrims sharing their food, advice & laughter. Little things maybe but so important. X
RUCSAC.
Our packs are light approx 81/2 kilo. We have to add food & water to that. We carry reserve of food in case no shop or cafe/bar when we arrive at destination. Even guide book and info provided at the start, often inaccurate.Villages/towns very quiet this time of year. X
WORST DAY.
On way to Hontanas sunny but high winds and very cold on Meseta. Much colder than skiing in the Alpes! Then 4 miles of cloying, thick muddy track. Boots double size & weight. Imposs to remove. That night cold basic bunk barn type hostel. I wore my hat to bed! Tess
We all wish them well and a safe journey. It’s great to hear they are in such good spirits. If you would like to make a donation please visit their Just Giving page. We will keep you updated on how their journey is unfolding so keep checking our blog for news updates.
