Dear Louise
Thanks for all that advice.It is good to know that it is possible to do it. It is also encouraging to see how many made it to the top but I wont worry if i dont.
Take care
Hilary
Actually just been looking at waterproofs for my OH and found that the trousers I swear by are a really good price of £40 now. If you’re interested google for “Marmot Driclime pants” They are so brilliant, warm and waterproofish (you have to be in a very heavy blizzard to get wet) but they dry very quickly and here’s the real clincher for me you don’t get sticky, some waterproofs aren’t very breathable so you get condensation build up and you get wet on the inside which then gets cold and sticky, that’s truly horrible so you want breathable trust me.
But they’re not technically waterproof just so you know. Serious mountain climbers use them as a midlayer.
Basically in order to be snug as a bug in a rug you want to try and do the following:
Base Layer:
Wear a nice warm base layer, eg wool/silk thermals that let your skin breath and dries quickly (think sweating). NOT cotton. You can get technical fabric base layers like Helly Hansen, which we call smelly helly’s (only if you wear them for 5 days mind you 
Mid layer: those marmot driclime things I mentioned. They’re made of a silky fabric called Pertex, great stuff lets the moisture out but prevents it getting in, is such a tight weave it’s what they make parachutes out of apparently, really nice stuff I wish all my clothes were made of it. I want a mastectomy bra made of it.
Top Layer:
This is your windproof/waterproofs layer, eg a shell made of gortex, this is where you can very easily spend a large fortune. Be shameless try things on in the shops and then hit ebay
Oh and a good fitting backpack really helps even if it’s just a day pack as you shouldn’t have to carry a lot on a guided tour, this really comes down to your body shape though.
And as boots well they must be well fitted, the better fitted the less your feet hurt at the ned of the day.
If you’re near the lake district then you should check out Keswick, it’s outdoor clothing central. It’s my kind of shopping.
George Fisher in Keswick is the place to have boots fitted if you want to do it properly but I understand that they can be expensive if its not something you do a lot.
I find KSB boots fit me really well. I’ve had mine for 6 years now and they’re showing no sign of wear or tear but they’re £90 now (I was lucky and found mine for £30) but thought I should mention it as you do get what you pay for but they do last.
If you really want to save some dosh without comprimising then go and try things on at blacks or somewhere like that (they’re not bad prices BTW) and then google for sierratradingpost and buy stuff there. It does mean importing it for the US but you can take advantage of the fact that £1 = 2
A *lot* of my clothes are from sierratradingpost.
Perhaps if a few of you clubbed together you could save on the shipping too, but it’s way worth it.
Hope this helps some of you not spend a bomb but be nice an cosy.
Lots of Love
Angie
Oh and unless you *know* that you’re boots won’t rub, eg you’ve climbed Nevis in them before then you’ll want to take some compeed.
Always have water, waterproofs, food and compeed. Make that the top of your checklist
You can hire boots actually. Try googlng for Ben Nevis Boot Hire or something like that.
I so wish we could put links here it would *really* help with this kind of info 
Thanks Louise and Vertangie brilliant info and advice. I went into Blacks and had a chat to one of the young male assistants and he couldn’t believe I was going to attempt Ben Nevis. I probably looked really old to him. I’m 51 not that bad surely…
Sandra
Wow - thanks for all the advice - I’m off down to the lakes next week for a wee holiday so will check up on Keswick (assuming taxotere this wednesday doesn’t floor me lol)
The good news is…on Sunday it was such a lovely day I suggested to OH that we went for a gentle stroll (we live on the edge of one the Galloway forests so I thought it would be good practice!). After the first 15 mins (and bearing in mind I’ve just completed 4 x fec and 20 rads sessions lol) I was thinking OMG I can’t walk at all - buttttttttttttttttttttt I suddenly got my second wind, and we were out walking for almost 2 hours, up hills, overs dykes, down hill, all over the place - I was well impressed and OH even more so lol
We’re now going to go regularly (assuming taxotere allows lol) - so I may then stand some chance of being one of the ones that actually makes it to the top!!!
take care all
Margaret x
Hello Margaret
Congrats on your walk sounds as if you had fun.It is encouraging to see that you can manage that while having treatment but Who is gong to be waiting half way up for me!!! It was good to see that Louise managed it and that so few didnt make.it.I am hoping to go on a four mile hike this weekend weather permitting and also going to visit my family in Kent with sponsorship form ready to wave at them.
Enjoy Keswick
Best wishes
Hilary
Hi all
Well I’m starting my tax tomorrow - so we’ll see how far I can walk next weekend lol !
Om the upside, my sponsorship is sitting at £701 - amd my OH has finally got off his proverbial backside and started collecting names! - he has £206 so far - hopefully he can get the rest before october lol
Hope everyone is keep well - and the training is starting !!
Take care
Margaret x
hello margaret
good luck tomorrow and well done on getting so much sponsorship. Trying to do a walk each day in my boots but do look a bit overdressed for popping to the shop for a pint of milk!! Hopefully better weather is on the way which will make finding excuses harder!
Best wishes
Hilary
Hi Hilary
Just a very quick note - 4 days after 1st Tax and it’s all I can do to climb the stairs, never mind Ben Nevis - will have to keep fingers crossed that side effects wear off quick in June !!
No training here anywway - it’s flipping snowing!!
take care
Margaret x
Hello Margaret
Just take care of yourself, woke up to six incjes of snow this morning which is really unusual as it hardly ever snows heavily here Fareham near Portsmouth but it does look beautiful. Definately no long walks today though
Best wishes
Hilary
Hi fellow Ben Nevis climbers,
How’s the training going. I had a really good session in the gym today, feel a bit more positive now. Apparently they will do a personal training plan specifically for the Ben Nevis hike. Sounds good. Haven’t got my boots yet or walked up any hills though.
Good Luck
Sandra
Have calculated that I’ll be at the end of my last Tax then probably so won’t be able to join everyone for the climb.
But I will be at the bottom, with hubby and collie dog in camper can ready to dish out fairy cakes and hot chocolate or something like that.
I do a mean buffet.
Lots of love
Angie
Hello everyone
Looking forward to the cakes and hot choc already. perhaps I could stay in the camper and your collie do the walk for me!
Hope the treatment is going well Margaret.
Managed to do a couple of walks this week but have still not found any hills to climb but we are off to North wales in July so might have a bimble up Snowdon, there again might sit at the bottom eating ice cream!!!
Hope you are all well
Best wishes
Hilary
Hi all
errr - treatment not going well Hilary lol - Taxotere was a nightmare, to the extent that I couldn’t walk after it, never mind do any more training. Hol in the lake district was abandoned. Tax now stopped and back on fec. Still can’t feel my feet - so not much walking going on. Think I’m going to be sitting in the camper van lol - waving you all up!
Only one more fec to go though - so maybe I can get back into training before October!!
love to all
margaret x
Hello Margaret
Sorry to hear that the treatment is not going well, at this rate the camper van is going to be full. They will have to add a caravan for those of us that want a snooze.I keep kiding myself that October is a long way off but know it isnt. I have now got to £450+ with sponsorship so it all feels more urgent.
Hope you are soon feeling better and that you can rearrange that lake district holiday
Best wishes
Hilary
Lost this thread somewhere along the line - well done Hilary on getting to the £450 mark - my OH is still around the £200 mark - have to kick him up the bum to do something soon lol.
I’m about to write to local companies for sponsorship and am using the BCC press release pro forma to contact local papers (3 of them so surely one will run a feature !!), and local radio station. We are also running car boot sales over the next few months with a percentage of the proceeds going to BCC.
Would love to say the training is going well - but at the moment it involves an occasional half mile walk around the town - I really must get started soon - good news is my sponsorship is nearly at £800 now!! (but frightening really - kinda mens I have to get to the top … somehow lol
Margaret x
Hello Margaret
Well done on getting so much sponsorship. You might shame your hubby into trying to catch you up!
I am trying to walk ambit each day but have not managed any huge distances although I have got all the gear now so that might encourage me to work a bit harder.
How is your treatment going not too awful I hope
Take care
Hilary
Hi Hilary
At least you’ve got the gear- that’s more than me! I did manage to get one pair of good walking trousers while we were in the lakes - reduced from 40 quid to 15 so not bad.
Regarding my treatment - as I said earlier, my Tax was stopped and they put me back on fec for the last 2. So last wednesday was my last chemo ! -unfortunately, sods law, it all went wrong - chemo leaked causing a huge swelling up my arm - had to stop the infusion and put lotions, potions and ice packs on it - then had to carry on with the infusion but in my bad arm !
But at least it’s over with - have to see onc this coming wednesday to discuss starting herceptin - having read the ‘why do they play down the side effects’ thread on herceptin - I’m hoping it isn’t going to stop me climbing Big Ben lol - I’ve just booked a holiday for first week of august in fort william - so training will cme into play then hopefully haha!
take care
margaret x
Hey again ladies.
Right that’s it the campervan will be there, I will finish it before I start chemo.
The collie will be there to egg you on (or maybe walk).
I will try and make some food that will be eaten at your own risk and I’ll raise donations for BCC with them too. I have some cunning plans.
There will be pink iced fairy cakes, hot organic chicken soup and organic fairtrade hot chocolate (green and blacks anyone)?
As I will be undergoing chemo at the time you can bet that there will be no chances taken preparing the food I promise, it will never drop below 72deg C etc.
Actually come to think of it should then send all of us away on a professional food hygiene course before doing that to our immune systems… thank the force that I have the Pru Leith cookery bible and it’s health and safety advice. I smell a new thread coming.
BTW if anyone wants to see the campervan I’ve started a new section in my own website about it which has some pics of it’s restoration (only 20% through) google for chemo and campervan and you’ll find adventures of an Angie. I’m going to be blogging about the chemo and the campervan so all the friends I have in the world can just read my blog instead of all asking me the same questions