I’ve wasted my life. Every now and again you meet someone who makes you realise how little you’ve achieved. Okay, so I’ve climbed all over the world, brought up two daughters, and written three books. I have the feeling Dermot Cosgrove, an ex-Foreign Legionnaire who is just about to walk across Iceland to raise money for Irish Dogs for the Disabled, could do that in an afternoon.

Dermot joined the Foreign Legion at 19, as you do, maybe he was bored one day. I have visited Calvi in Corsica where a unit of the Legion is based. All day long you can watch lean, muscular young men running around the bay. Let me assure you one glimpse at these fellows, built like world champion boxers, tells even those emboldened by too much Van de corse, that these are people with whom you do not fuck. His time in the Legion introduced him to land distance walking and gave him experience of gruelling hikes over rough terrain.
Dermot served with great pride and distinction across the globe; including service in the First Gulf War. He even served twice in Somalia with UNTAF & UNOSOM. Although he has long hung up his kepi blanc, this native of Ennis has continued to work as a security consultant for over twenty years mainly in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia; he also has combined his two lifelong loves of hiking and birdwatching into a guided tour business, where clients can avail of his expert ornithology knowledge and his vast walking wisdom by joining him on tours in Ireland and across Europe.

Dermot now uses his long distance walking skills to raise funds for charities and has raised over 13,000 euros in a previous long distance walk. The charity close to his heart is Dogs for the Disabled who provide highly trained dogs that can give not only emotional support but help give people independence by assisting people with the tasks of everyday living and giving people that vital sens of independence.

 

What does an assistance dog do?

Disability can lead to isolation, loss of confidence and feelings of low self-esteem. Not only that but for many people living with a disability being unable to do even a simple task like picking up the post can leave them feeling depressed and dependent. Dogs for the Disabled trains dogs to assist with practical, everyday tasks to help a person with a disability to live life to the full, breaking down barriers to the outside world and helping to improve confidence and stress levels.

 

These are just some of the range of tasks that an assistance dog trained by the charity will be able to help with:
Open and close doors
Help a person dress and undress
Bark to raise the alarm in an emergency
Retrieve items such as a telephones or dropped articles like keys or a bag
Empty the washing machine
Fetch the post
Switch the lights on and off
Press a pedestrian crossing buttonHelp people to walk by providing a stable base and forward motion

‘Walk for the Dogs 2’. This is a serious expedition, over rugged terrain with little access to support should anything go wrong.

Dermot explains “The planned departure date is now July of 2019 and with the aim of walking from the Northern most point on mainland Iceland at Rifstangi, 3kms below the Arctic Circle, to the Southern most point at Dyrholaey near the town of Vik.” The route is now close to 600kms with the final section using two of Iceland’s most famous hiking trails the Laugavegur & Fimmvorduhals trails. Although Iceland during the summer is often called ‘the land of the midnight sun’ due to the extremely long hours of daylight, with full darkness not present for some months, it is still a wild place which so close to the Arctic circle can experience extreme weather at short notice, which can challenge even the most prepared and experienced hikers.

You can follow Dermots adventure on Twitter @dermotcosgrove and his Facebook page Walk for the Dogs; ; there he plans to post regular updates throughout the walk. You can also donate by clicking HERE

 

 

 

Why not make a small donation to help Dermot on his way and maybe bring a dog into the life of a disabled person and make the impossible possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dermot has inspired me, I really must go to Iceland it looks amazing it has some amazing Hiking trails.

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