When his colleague and buddy died at the age of 43, Al Sylvester pulled on his walking boots for the long trek to Scotland. He tells MARION SAUVEBOIS why raising money for Prospect Hospice became his mission

WHENEVER pain, exhaustion or frustration threatened to hamper his progress on his 900-mile trek across the country, Al Sylvester only had to glimpse at the name of his late friend printed on his shirt sleeve to find the strength to carry on.

On August 16, the former RAF mountaineer embarked on the solo Walk to Freedom from Land’s End to John O’Groats in honour of Dean Singleton, who passed away at Prospect Hospice in 2011, at the age of 43, after a protracted battle with skin and liver cancer.

Many believed covering the length of the country alone with just a 42lb backpack for company was sheer madness – and at his lowest points, Al was inclined to agree.

But no feat seemed too daunting to keep alive the memory of his “brother”, colleague, one-time flatmate and expert matchmaker, who introduced him to his wife Clare.

“He was like a brother and I miss him,” said Al, of Faringdon. “When we met I just saw this spark of an individual. He had a difficult life. He was fostered and then he was adopted. But he was a strong quiet individual who had a passion for life. That’s one of the hardest things – that he was taken away so soon.”

Al and Dean met in 1992 while based at RAF Stafford, where they risked their lives to rescue stranded alpinists and hikers. Their central base meant they could respond to calls from the Peak District, north Wales and even the southern counties and their busy team attended around 40 incidents a year.

When Al transferred to Kinloss in Scotland, Dean followed him two months later and they went on to become flatmates for three years.

After leaving Mountain Rescue, Dean joined Wiltshire Constabulary and moved to Swindon while Al remained with the RAF in Shrivenham.

“Dean and I covered lots of big rescues,” he added. “We put our lives on the line together. You can see some pretty horrible things on callouts and he was always someone I could talk to and share things with.

“One day we were on a big call out. We had a body and a man who was severely injured. It took 14 hours but we got him out alive. Dean really came to the fore. He was the one keeping the team going, encouraging everyone. If you needed someone at your side it was Dean.

“When the troops were low, he would be the one saying ‘Right, let’s go to the pub now’.”

Dean was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2000. It later spread to his liver.

He was admitted to Prospect Hospice three times in the last month of his life. He eventually passed away on June 20, 2011 – sixth months after marrying his second wife, Linzi.

Following his death, Al pledged to support Prospect and raise awareness of the care delivered by hospices across the country. So far he has collected nearly £24,000 through the Walk to Freedom and is in no rush to halt his fundraising appeal.

Al has led more than 15 expeditions around the world over the years, including the RAF’s first ever 677-mile unsupported attempt to reach the Geographic South Pole, an experience which saw him lose his thumbs to frostbite in the -35o conditions.

Yet, this latest solo trek to Scotland proved the most demanding and draining he has ever accomplished.

The extent of the challenge was truly brought home when Al’s brother, who was due to accompany him for the first 10 days, had to admit defeat after just a few days of strenuous walking in battering rain.

“I’m relieved it’s over. Dean would be like ‘What are you doing that for, you dufus?’ It was 39 days of relentless walking.

“I’ve been on expeditions before but never like this. When I was in the South Pole I had a team of four but with this I was fighting my own challenge.

“The pain in my feet has been relentless. But pain is just weakness leaving the body.

“The weather was horrific for the first four days but on the fifth day, which was my birthday, the rain stopped.

“There were times when my legs would just no want to go anywhere. And I would argue with myself; a lot of it comes down to your attitude. You don’t want to keep going on bad days but you know you have to.”

Through this emotional and physical rollercoaster, Al never stopped talking to Dean. His monologues took more the form of arguments, with Al spewing choice expletives at his friend for getting him into such a mess in the first place.

Yet Al only had to remind himself of the essential part Dean played in his life for nearly 20 years to regain focus and power on through.

This included Dean’s ruse to lure him to his house, only to introduce Al to his blind date for the evening – the woman who would become his wife.

“There were times when I had a few choice words with him in my mind. It was hard and emotional.

“But I owe him a lot. He introduced me to my wife. And there was always the thought that I would do something for the hospice. The people in the hospice were just phenomenal. And I didn’t realise hospices were charities. They need our help.”

As disheartening as the difficult days were, surprise visits from friends, family and even Prospect Hospice’s chief executive Angela Jordan along the route spurred him on on the good days.

“The highlight was having more than 120 people visit me along the route, during my breaks,” he added.

“My friends and family have been amazing. I was the most supported unsupported walker. And Dean’s widow Linzi coordinated everything behind the scenes and on Twitter and Facebook. It has all helped to keep his memory alive.”

To make a donation to Al go to virginmoneygiving.com/AlSylvester.

START:
Land’s End, Cornwall. August 15

finish:
John O’Groats, Caithness.
Sept 23

DISTANCE: 900 miles

money raised:
£24,000