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A trek of a lifetime in support of local hospice

Up to 30 of Willow Wood Hospice's intrepid fundraisers should have been finalising their preparations to spend four days trekking through the Sahara Desert.

The team would have been sleeping under canvas, eating Berber cuisine and scaling the magnificent sand dunes which can reach up to 800ft in height.

Instead, the hospice’s first overseas trek has now been postponed until November 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

However, the postponement means more fundraisers will have the chance to join the team next year. 

The ‘mission’ is not for the faint-hearted with up to six hours walking each day, but offers the opportunity for the trip of a lifetime.

Participants will be eating traditional Berber food, prepared in the same way that is has been for thousands of years and transported, along with sleeping bags and other kit, on the back of a camel.

The trip will provide a real insight into an ancient way of life, as the Berbers have lived in North Africa for at least 5,000 years. 

With no light pollution, the Sahara Trek also offers an opportunity to stargaze like no other. 

Willow Wood say it will be gruelling and you will need to meet both physical and mental challenges, but it will also offer one of the best experiences of your life.  

You’ll see dawn break over the dunes, including those of L’erg Zahar, which is also known as the screaming dunes due to the eerie sound made by the wind whistling across the surface, although local legend has it that the screams are from the village buried deep under the sand! 

Safety will be paramount and the tour will be led by an experienced Trek leader as well as the Berber guides and a doctor.  

Rosie Molloy, manager of the Denton shop, and Denise Royle, manager of the Ashton shop, will be along as the Willow Wood representatives. 

There’s no denying that the Sahara Trek is a big commitment; in time, in fitness and, of course, financially. Willow Wood will support your fundraising efforts over the course of the year and welcomes any questions you may have.  

More information is available at www.willowwood.info or email fundraising@willowwood.info 

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