Hiking at The Hawthorns: Family join Blind Dave to prepare for Great Wall of China trek

The keen Baggies fan, known as Blind Dave, has this time even persuaded his wife and children to take part in the trek along the Great Wall of China.

The family will be following in the footsteps of the Albion, led by Ron Atkinson, who went on a famous tour of China in 1978 - including a visit to the landmark.

And to acclimatise for the energy-sapping 60-mile walk, Blind Dave called in a favour from officials at West Bromwich Albion to help them prepare.

WATCH: Blind Dave and family in training at The Hawthorns

Over recent weeks the family have been pounding up the steps of the stands of The Hawthorns - the highest ground above sea-level in the football league.

His wife Debbie and three children, Grace, Georgie-lee and Dannie, have been striding up and down the East Stand before heading off - to the Far East - on Monday.

Cash raised from the challenge will be donated to Dave's long-term supporters and West Brom's charitable cause, The Albion Foundation.

The 60-year-old, famous for being the first blind person to run seven marathons, in seven continents, in seven days, said: “We’re going to attempt the Great Wall of China on behalf of the Albion Foundation, but this time the challenge is very different as I doubt there will be running.

“There will be walking and a lot of crawling and climbing.

“My wife and my three daughters have taken up the mantle and it’s going to be a bash and a challenge with a difference – we fly out next Monday.

“It’s five days on the wall and we take on the renovated sections and the un-renovated sections and a lot of steps and they’re not uniform steps, either.

“Until we get there we don’t know what we’re going up against.”

Dave, who has raised more than £3m for charity over the years, said it was ‘not an easy task’.

He said: “The renovated sections could be kinder under foot, but with the un-renovated sections there could be a serious incline, some climbing. It’s not an easy task.

“The steps could be more like ladders and there could be forestry and rural areas.

“We’re on the wall for seven or eight hours a day. It’s a whole experience.

“You’re carrying your life on your backpack. We’ve all been training and doing the best we can and that’s the beauty of the event.”

Dave said he used the steps at The Hawthorns to give them some an idea of the difficulty of the task.

The family will be part of a 22-strong group flying out.

The challenge will contain a series of vigorous inclines and over 10,000 steps, following the winding path along the Yan Mountains, either side of the Gubeikou Gateway.

Trustee for the foundation and West Brom legend, Brendon Batson, will also be lacing up his walking boots for the challenge.

"I've done other things but I don't think I've walked seven hours for eight days, so whilst I'm looking forward to it, I hope the body will hold up," he said.

"The work the foundation does is fantastic. They're recognised as one of the best Foundations in the game at the moment, they do fantastic work. "It's a pleasure to try and support them."

Cyrille Regis had planned to tackle the Great Wall alongside Brendon, before his passing in January.

"It's very much in our minds, big Cyrille, not being with us. It's still such a shock.

"It'll be 40 years since I was in China and first went on the Great Wall, so there's a lot of reasons why I'm looking forward to it.

"This is just another challenge – it's a big one and I'm looking forward to it."

Along with Brendon, the travelling party will include Michelle and Julia Regis, with half of their funds going to the Foundation and the Cyrille Regis Legacy Trust.

Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/teamblinddave2018 or www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jonathan-ward-china to donate.