‘Dedicated Des’ Lally and friend taking on hiking challenge for military charity

16 September 2024

Starting on 23 September, Des Lally and his friend Barry Jones will be walking from Conwy Castle to Cardiff Castle to raise funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

Both Brecon residents, Des is a mortgage consultant but his father was in the Army for 26 years. Barry is currently serving his 24th year in the RAF, and his two brothers were also in the RAF but have now retired.

The route will cover over 170 miles and will include climbing Yr Wyddfa, Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan on the way, with over 9300’ of ascent. The pair are unsure how long it will take to complete the route but have given themselves a week to be safe, knowing that Barry will have to be back at work on Monday morning!

Des and Barry are no strangers to completing challenges for charity, and their previous experiences have attracted quite a lot of interest from their local community. Des expanded: “I climbed Pen y Fan 365 times in 365 days, took part in an ultramarathon that went through the Arctic Circle, and played touch rugby for 24 hours on top of Pen y Fan.

“These events attracted coverage from local and national press, media & radio including BBC Breakfast, BBC Wales, ITV Wales & Sky News to name but a few.

“Barry has completed Race the Sun, the Cardiff Half-Marathon, and has been involved with Brecon Corries for the last 16 Years on a volunteer basis and has experience with local press & BBC Radio Wales.”

Des and Barry are ready and prepared for their challenge, with their biggest concern being the unpredictable Welsh weather. They have chosen to raise funds for SSAFA because of their personal connections to the military, but they are also raising funds for a handful of other charities with causes close to their hearts.