RECORD-BREAKING UK CLIMB COMMENCES IN ONE WEEK
Climber Alan Hinkes OBE teams up with Casio to set a new record time for
scaling the highest peaks in the 39 English shire counties

London, 19th August – Casio Pro Trek is proud to announce that it has partnered with Alan Hinkes, the first Briton to climb all 14 of the world’s highest mountains, for a new UK mountaineering challenge.

Alan – awarded an OBE in 2006 in recognition of his mountaineering prowess – will be supported by Casio throughout the challenge to climb all of the highest peaks in the 39 English shire counties in record time. During the climb – expected to take eight days – he will be provided with a Casio Pro Trek watch, tough enough to withstand the extreme conditions and built with potentially life-saving features. The team will also accompany Alan in a van provided by Pro Trek which will carry equipment, a film crew and offer support where needed. Having been caught in a life threatening avalanche this year already Alan will be taking no chances on the mountains.

Travelling across England, navigating peaks from Cornwall to Northumberland, Alan and Pro Trek will be working together throughout the challenge to raise money and awareness of Mountain Rescue England & Wales. The organisation provides a mountain and cave rescue service in England and Wales, made up of 3500 volunteers who offer help to anyone who needs its experience. With national mountain incidents rising 21 per cent from 2008 to 2009*, Mountain Rescue’s 365 days a year, 24 hours a day operation is a crucial service for experienced and novice climbers alike.

Alan Hinkes OBE said: “It’s great to be working with Casio Pro Trek on my latest challenge.
Personally, I can’t wait to attempt this record in the UK and having the right equipment is so important to keeping safe and alert on any trip. Living in North Yorkshire I spend so much of my free time climbing the area so the chance to set a record like this one in my own backyard was a challenge I couldn’t pass up.”

With almost a half of all mountain rescue call-outs* occurring as a result of being unprepared or due to a lack of suitable equipment, all parties involved want to raise awareness of the importance of this. The Pro Trek offers a one-stop vital resource for climbers of all experience.

Tim Gould, Marketing Director at Casio, said: “We really wanted to be a part of Alan’s record attempt as it’s something we really believe in. Alan’s reputation for mountaineering and obvious climbing and adventure talent made him a perfect fit for Pro Trek. It’s designed to be pushed to the limits and offer unrivalled performance regardless of conditions so we hope it can add an extra dynamic to his performance and help him conquer this challenge.”

Penny Brockman from Mountain Rescue said “Alan’s dedication to mountaineering is only matched by his contribution to it. Alan has supported the Mountain Rescue England & Wales for years and his numerous expeditions across the world have really helped to raise awareness of the cause. All the proceeds from this challenge will be donated to the charity so we wish Alan all the best and can’t thank him enough.

Many of the call-outs we get are from climbers who aren’t properly equipped, often simple knowledge of a compass and map could reduce these figures overnight. By getting involved in with this project we hope we can further educate the public and ultimately reduce the risk of needless endangerment.”

Further Information on Alan Hinkes’ routes and individual challenges will be available on the Pro Trek website – www.pro-trek.co.uk/the-record-attempt/

* – Mountain Rescue England & Wales Incident Report 2009

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact:
Dan Bulteel at Hill & Knowlton for Casio
T- 020 7413 3193
E – dan.bulteel@hillandknowlton.com

ABOUT CASIO
CASIO is a leading international manufacturer of consumer electronics. In line with the principle of “creativity and contribution,” the company has been dedicated to developing products that stand out for their cutting-edge technology and innovative design ever since it was founded, in 1957.

Today, the product palette of CASIO around the world includes watches, digital cameras, mobile phones (not in the EU), electronic dictionaries, calculators, musical instruments, projectors, cash register systems, handheld terminals, and electronic components such as LCDs (not in the EU). In total, CASIO Computer Co., Ltd. employs a staff of more than 12,300 people worldwide. The company ships more than 100 million products each year, and in the fiscal year from April 2008 to March 2009 alone, CASIO posted net sales revenue of 518 billion yen (about 3.8 billion Euros). You will find news and product information about Casio at www.casio.co.uk

PRW-5000T-7ER AND PRW-5000-1ER

The PRW-5000T-7ER (above left) and PRW-5000-1ER (above right) are available from all good retailers and www.casioonline.co.uk with an RRP of £425 and £350 respectively.

ALAN HINKES OBE BIOGRAPHY
Alan Hinkes is the first Briton to climb all 14 of the world’s highest mountains – each over 8,000m high, where human survival rate is measured in hours.

In addition to his climbing and mountain guiding work Hinkes writes for magazines and lectures on his exploits. He is an accomplished cameraman (filming 11 documentaries and photographer. Hinkes is a well respected motivational speaker as well as being an experienced trainer, with clients ranging from the Royal Marines to students.

Hinkes, a keen environmentalist, was awarded the OBE in the 2006 New Year’s Honours and has also received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Royal Institute of Navigation and the President’s Award for Outstanding Voluntary Contribution to Water Aid. In addition, Hinkes is involved in charitable work for Water Aid, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Outward Bound. He works closely with the British Mountaineering Council.

ABOUT MOUNTAIN RESCUE ENGLAND & WALES
The mountain and cave rescue service in England and Wales is provided by around 3500 volunteers, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whatever the weather.

Our bread and butter may be the wild and wonderful uplands of England and Wales but, besides being called to help those who become ill or injured in the moorlands and mountains, teams are frequently tasked to assist the police in the search of semi-urban areas for missing persons – the young, the old, the vulnerable.

For more information log on to www.mountain.rescue.org.uk