Lads boozing their way to Iraq fear frostbite and death could kill off epic trek

A pair of Brits plan to drink their way to Iraq in a mammoth 2,600 mile hike through a freezing Europe.

Mitch Jones, 27, and pal George Sweeney, 29, embarked on one hell of a journey on Wednesday which they hope will raise £10,000 for charity.

We may only be sliding into autumn now but the lads will still be on the move when temperatures plummet and bring a serious danger of deadly frostbite.

Mitch admits he could soon find himself hobbling after hopping off the Eurostar in Lille, France with a dodgy ankle.

The football fan from Nutbourne, West Sussex told the Daily Star: "We're ill prepared and haven't been blessed with luck in the run up.

"I sprained my ankle playing football two months ago and it's still giving me a lot of grief which has killed off my training programme and I've spent more time in the pub than on the road."

But he claims a drink here or there sets him up nicely for the hours he and George will be resting after a brutal day of walking.

"At least its prepared me for the premium stuff as we cross through regions known the world over for their premium stuff. French patios, Belgian cellars, Bavarian beer halls and Balkan market drinkeries," Mitch adds.

"Some days could be a stumble more than a walk."

  • Girl chokes on vomit and dies on theme park ride as family beg operators to stop it

George from Newport, Wales joined Mitch in deciding on the trek to have something to look forward to, but it has since become a concerted effort to do good.

Together they have set up a JustGiving page for anyone impressed with their mission to donate to War Child.

Mitch said: "With what's happening in Afghanistan, we want to bring attention to the journey faced by refugees fleeing that region of the world and to give help to children living in countries plighted by war.

"Iraq is a long way from Afghanistan, we want to show anyone who's following our journey what a peaceful and hospitable place it is, after so many years of turmoil."

  • Poor spelling caught out model 'going on holiday with fake vaccine passport'

While the duo have faith in the generosity of strangers on their travels, one thing they are less confident with is the weather when winter creeps in.

Mitch continued: "With a journey like this there's so much that could go wrong. We will be wild camping along the way, exposing ourselves to the elements.

"We've been led to believe that we'll be trekking through several feet of snow in these regions. We can only hope that the kindness and hospitality of strangers will offset any mild danger of frostbite and death."

Speaking to the Daily Star on day two of the trip however and the idea of losing their fingers to the cold is a long way off.

For more incredible stories from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here

Mitch added: "Today's going good, it's a lot hotter than yesterday so different struggles but we're making good process.

"Target for today is 30km and then we'll up it by 5km every few days. Bags are properly heavy but we're powering through

This is not the first time Mitch has set himself a wild, continent-spanning challenge.

In 2018 he cycled a similar distance to see England's opening World Cup fixture at the Volgograd Arena in south-west Russia.

Mitch and George's journey can be followed on @englandtoasia. To sponsor them click here.

Source: Read Full Article