To Hell and Back

I've just got in from a walk along the cliffs towards Land's End. Faint lines of swell appeared below me in the turquoise sea, promising a nice if small wave at Sennen a little later - one, moreover, that will be blessed by the extraordinary weather we're having here in the far west of Cornwall lately. As I wandered the cliffs, I fancied I saw a solitary figure paddling deep into the big blue, away to the west... Was this an illusion, or was it Olaus McLeod, a surfer from Hayle who this morning, at first light, set off on a large surfboard to paddle his way to the Isles of Scilly? I'm not sure, but check out To Hell and Back for details of McLeod's crazed mission. Yes, the sea conditions are as benign as they could be for his crossing (though the stretch of water beyond Land's End can never be taken for granted; it is one of the most dangerous in the world), but once McLeod makes land at the Hell Bay Hotel on Bryher, Isles of Scilly he has yet more work. Tomorrow he will run the 2007 Tresco marathon and then, on Sunday, he will leave the Hell Bay Hotel and paddle back to Sennen. Why is he doing this? Well, clearly he likes oceanic and endurance challenges, but he's also raising money for two eminently worthy causes - the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.  McLeod - who only started paddle surfing last December - is aiming to raise £1,000. He's well on his way and I reckon that if, by the time he gets back to Sennen, he has hit his target figure that'll be a job very well done. Check out To Hell and Back for details of how to make a donation.