To follow our lead up and challenge progress, follow @theponymemorialtrail on Instagram.

In May 2025, I lost my wife, Lise, and the mother of our two children, to cancer.

Throughout Lise's illness, we were incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing network of family and friends who supported us every step of the way. During her treatment, we met many people facing their own battles with little or no support around them. The group that broke our hearts the most were the children battling illnesses they simply did not deserve, many of whom had their futures cruelly taken away from them.

In Lise's memory, I decided I wanted to take on a challenge and raise money for a charity that supports young people and their families affected by cancer.

When I shared the idea with a few close friends, three of them rather foolishly agreed to join me. Each of them has experienced loss in their own lives, and together we want to do something meaningful to help others facing similar challenges.

I say "foolishly" because we are, collectively, enthusiasts of beer and excessive food consumption. Deciding to spend six days hiking through the mountains is going to be a serious test. Between us, we have a combined age of 265 years. Two suffer from gout, one has a bunion the size of a small city, and another has a flat foot. What could possibly go wrong?

Our journey will begin in Alpbach, Austria – the beautiful alpine village where I first met my late wife, Lise (Pony). From there, we will hike through the mountains before finishing in Venice, Italy.

We are incredibly fortunate to be guided by Alpbach legend Sebastian Mayrhofer, an experienced and certified mountain guide, ski guide and instructor with decades of experience leading groups safely through the Alps. If this kind of adventure appeals to you, I will include Sebastian's Instagram details below – he'd be delighted to help organise your own mountain challenge.

Route

3 September – Arrival in Alpbach

4 September – Alpbach

A short 2–3 hour walk to assess fitness levels, followed by packing backpacks and preparing for the days ahead.

5 September – Austria to Italy

Taxi to Schlegeis (Zillertal), then a hike across the Austrian-Italian border. After lunch just over the border, we continue into the Pfitscher Valley, where we will stay overnight in a B&B.

6 September – Dolomites

Taxi to the foot of the Dolomites before hiking through the Puez-Geisler mountain group to Puez Hut. Accommodation will be in dormitories, but with a substantial dinner and breakfast included. This will be a long day of 8–12 hours, including breaks and a picnic lunch, and will feature our first via ferrata.

7 September – Puez Hut to Boe Hut

Another challenging 8–12 hour day as we hike via the Grödner Pass towards Boe Hut. During this stage we leave the Puez-Geisler group and enter the Sella group, home to the famous Sella Ronda ski area. There will be via ferrata sections both before and after lunch.

8 September – Fedaia Lake

We hike towards Passo Pordoi before taking a cable car from almost 3,000 metres down to the pass. Compared with the previous two days, this will be a gentler walk along the Bindelweg to Fedaia Lake, where we'll enjoy a late lunch before taking a taxi to Lake Alleghe and our hotel for the night.

9 September – Civetta Dolomites

A cable car ride from Lake Alleghe takes us into the spectacular Civetta Dolomites. From there, we face around five hours of walking, with the option of a detour to a mountain hut for lunch before arriving at Vazzoler Hut for the night.

10 September – Venice

A final walk of approximately 2–3 hours from the hut down to Listolade, followed by a bus to Belluno and a train into Venice, where our challenge comes to an end.

Meet the Team.

We'll be sharing our progress throughout the challenge via Instagram:

Walk page - @theponymemorialtrail

Robert "Rorky" O'Rourke – @rorkyorourke

Rupert Smith – @rupertstreetfood

James Povey – @jamescpovey

Friso Bos – @bosfriso

Sebastian Mayrhofer – @sebastian120994

Daniel Smith - @danieldaheim.co.uk_

Please Support Us

Want to join us in making a difference?

We are raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer, and every donation, no matter the size, will make a genuine difference to children, young people and families facing the toughest fight of their lives.

Thank you in advance for your support and generosity. This is a cause that means a great deal to all of us, and especially to me as we remember Lise.

About Young Lives vs Cancer

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world – and that of their family – can feel as though it is falling apart. Their education, mental health and social lives are often disrupted, and the future can suddenly seem uncertain.

Young Lives vs Cancer provides specialist social workers who deliver tailored psychosocial support to children and young people with cancer, as well as their families. They work tirelessly to ensure families receive the right support, at the right time, when they need it most.