Hi I am Julie Lampton from Aspen, Colorado USA. I have lived in Aspen for 24 years enjoying a great lifestyle, having worked for the Wheeler Opera House, the Aspen Musical Festival, the Great Divide Guitar Store as well as teaching skiing over the years.
The real excitement began when I was fortunate to go on our very 1st big trek to Kalipatar above base camp Everest. I fell in love with Love Hope Strength, our purpose, adventure, and the lovely people of Nepal. With 4 more treks to Machu Picchu, Kilimanjaro, Mount Fuji, and Kauai I was completely hooked and discovered a passion and love for a cause that means so much on so many levels. The yearly trips were not enough and I began to go to Wales for the Gathering each January to be with Mike and Jules and the whole Alarm family, as well as the UK chapter of LHS. I also began working bone marrow drives at concerts when time would allow.
Mount Snowdon is important to me for a few reasons. Primarily it is symbolic to me of Mike’s initial commitment in a hospital room to climb Mt. Snowdon, and the impetus so to speak, of a charity that would explode exponentially over the course of a very short matter of time. As a result of Mike’s original dream that he shared with his friend and co founder of Love Hope Strength, James Chippendale, the organization now has over 45,000 people ‘On the List’ with over 600 matches as well as copious funds raised through our trips, to countries providing needed medical equipment, facilities, or whatever needed to help in the fight against cancer. Mike received chemotherapy again this Tuesday at Bangor hospital and once again had Mt. Snowdon as an inspiration. Our tireless crusader ‘marches on’ Saturday. Mike Peters makes the world a better place and me a better person.
Mount Snowdon represents a small victory to me as well. I survived the climbs for cancer but had a mishap on our trip to Kauai. I broke my leg 2 years ago while surfing with Donavan Frankenreiter, one our musicians, but at least went down in A Blaze of Glory’.:) In the last 3 months I have been able to resume hiking and biking and hope to ski again this winter. Mike hiked in Colorado with LHS in June and it is my absolute privilege and joy to be able to hike with him and his beloved Jules in Wales. It is particularly sweet as Mike got good news in the hospital about his bloods taking the right direction. I can not wait to cross the pond and hike with my dear friends.
Love Hope and Strength!
