You can have good and bad years can’t you, and 1865 was both for Abraham Lincoln. He won the American Civil War, but was then assassinated. So said out speaker Andrew Fairbairn, who also told us it was the year Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland and that the Matterhorn was climbed for the first time. As we all know, Andrew likes to set himself a challenge every now and then (remember the walking, cycling and kayaking expedition from Lands’ End to Muckle Flugga?) and this was a subtle way to introduce his next adventure. He intends to make a solo climb of the Matterhorn.
The mountain, which is some 4,478 metres high, is located on the Swiss/Italian border and Andrew has been planning this project for some time. After what we hope will be a successful ascent, he intends to give talks about his experiences and encourage organizations to use the presentation as a fund raiser for their favorite charity.
We wish Andrew well and look forward to his safe return.