The sole focus of this expedition is for myself and 3 friends, Dean, Sam and Tom to complete as much of the Arno Trail as possible in a matter of 12 days, expecting to complete a total of 22,700m of ascent over four stages. To put that into perspective Mount Everest is 8,848m high, meaning that in 12 days the team will have ascended Everest from sea level two and a half times (technically Everest base camp is already 5364m above sea level).

The Arno Trail (German: Arnoweg) is an approximately 1200-km long-distance trail through the Austrian Alps. The whole trail takes an average of 63 days to complete and unlike conventional hiking trails the path disappears often leaving numerous perilous glacier crossings, roped climbs and scrambles across high altitude mountains. 

THE CHARITY

Rett Syndrome is a debilitating disorder which most often strikes previously healthy little girls just after they have learned to walk and say a few words and begins to drag their development backwards. Current estimates suggest that Rett syndrome occurs in one out of every 10,000 to 15,000 girls born. More than 99 percent of people with classic Rett syndrome have no history of the disorder in their family, this could happen to any female.

As the cascade of Rett symptoms descends, girls lose acquired skills, normal movement and speech. Girls are left unable to communicate or use their hands to hold, carry or manipulate objects.

Over time, girls who have learned to walk often lose that ability as well. Loss of motor control sets in, essentially locking these girls into bodies that won't work, leaving them without the ability to make purposeful movements.

There is no cure for Rett Syndrome as of yet.