A GRANDDAD is getting set to walk 150 miles over dales and down valleys hoping to raise £1,000 for the charity which helped keep his grandson alive.

Amos Pascal Harker, now six, had to endure a seven hour operation at nine weeks old after being born with a rare liver condition known as Biliary Atresia.

The condition happens when inflammation develops in the bile ducts in and outside the liver at around the time of birth scarring the organ, even after surgery to clear the blocked ducts there can still be problems as the child gets older.

Amos’s operation was a success but it is highly likely that the primary school pupil, who lives in Ilkley and still needs to have regular check-ups, will need a liver transplant at some stage.

His 56-year-old granddad Muppet, who changed his name by deed poll and works as a community development worker for Bradford empowerment organisation CNet, is hoping people will dig deep in their pockets to show support for his sponsored hike.

This will be the fourth walk he had done over the years raising £4,000 so far for the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation - he hopes this year’s stroll which starts on Saturday, July 23 will notch up his next £1,000.

In the past Muppet has walked coast to coast routes, the Dales Way along the Pennine Way taking a day’s distance of more than 20 miles regularly in his stride.

“It’s going to be the best of my hits where I’ll be revisiting parts of my most favourite walks taking in some of the highest peaks and some of the lowest valleys.

“It will be a bit more of a challenge than previous years because I’m getting a bit older and I’m going to have to camp in some places so I’ll be having to carry my tent and other bits.

“There’s about half a dozen Dales I’ll be taking in en route and some of the prettiest valleys. pars of the route will take me along the Pennine Way, the Dales Way and Coast-to-Coast,” said Muppet who lives in Thorpe Edge.

The first day of his walk will go 26 miles from Haworth to Malham, then 19 miles the next day from there to Ribblehead, followed by 26 miles to Tan Hill then 14 miles onwards to Low Rise to reach Hardraw another 21 miles away then Kettlewell which is 18 miles more, ending up 26 miles later in Dent.

Muppet said: “Amos is a typical lively six-year-old who doesn’t known the meaning of walk or slow down! Without the work that the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation does, Amos and many other children would not be alive today, so this is my way of saying thanks.”

To make a donation go to justgiving.com/M-Uppett3