The team left Leyburn at 9.30am on Sunday, January 3 - and reached Portsmouth well in time for the evening ferry to Bilbao. It was not an easy beginning as more snow had fallen overnight. David reported at 10am that they were driving through snow and that the road conditions on the A684 were not good. Further south they were in a queue for about an hour caused by a crash on the motorway. But otherwise they  had a pleasant, uneventful journey.  The ferry will dock at Bilbao early on Tuesday morning. For details about the team and why they are going to the Gambia do read more.

There are five in the team with two vehicles. The team members are: David Pointon (a founder trustee of the Friends of Govi UK charity); Ken Nicholas, a Wensleydale ambulance technician who first went overland to the Gambia with David in 2006; David Milner of Leyburn and Janet and Bob Hughes. The two David's and Bob are members of the Rotary Club of Wensleydale which has given considerable support to this latest venture.

Above: the team working together to raise funds for this latest trip to the Gambia. From the left: Ken Nicholas, David Milner and David Pointon with Janet and Bob Hughes.

Among  their objectives are to deliver equipment and toys to the only school for the blind in the Gambia and to help with practical jobs including making sure that the feeding programme is operating well.  The head teacher, Ali Sallah, has asked David P to hold teacher training sessions during his time there. David P also wants to learn more about what is being done for the blind children who live on the north bank of the River Gambia who cannot access the school at Serrekunda. The charity's trustee in the Gambia, Lamin Saidy, has been researching this, working alongside the government's Special Needs Education Department where Sarjo Bajinka, the former head teacher at the school for the blind, now works.

For more photographs of the snow covered hills of Wensleydale see Pip's Gallery on pipspatch.