Raised: 118%
Target: £2,000.00
Raised so far: £2,350.00
Donate now

My story

 

Trek to Mt Everest in Aid of Cancer Research UK

Every single penny you kindly donate goes to Cancer Research UK

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all.

Firstly, let me start by thanking you for visiting my Cancer Research UK fundraising page. Please read on and find out why I am doing what I am doing.

Unfortunatley, back in 2005 my Grandad was diagnosed with both Lung Cancer and Cancer of the Liver. Despite putting up a vailiant scrap and despite the best efforts of the medical staff at Salisbury hospital he passed away 2 days after Christmas in 2006. He was 80 years old.

Like most 'Grandads' of my generation he fought in the 2nd World War and joined the army as a teenager.  Initially, he joined the Hampshire regiment as a Private, he later transferred to the Royal Engineers (REME) and finally he served for the Army Air Corp. When he finally retired he had reached the rank of Major.

As well as fighting in the 2nd World War he served in Northern Ireland, The Korean War (under the UN) and all over Eastern and Southern Africa.

I am immensley proud of the fact that he was the first ever soldier from the REME to receive the MBE and of course he got to meet the Queen!

He received the MBE for bravery for operations he carried out whilst serving in East Africa. He lead a small team to locate and rescue an RAF crew that had crashed landed in the mountains on the wrong side of the border in Somalia.

He was a top man and we all miss him greatly.

Hence, I felt compelled to try and do something to raise awareness of the devastating effects cancer can have and help raise money to hopefully one day find a cure.

So, please help me if you can!

The Actual Challenge Itself:

The trek to Mt Everest Base Camp is a tough one and is graded as extreme by Charity Challenge. I am of course expecting it to be an incredibly difficult challenge but a thouroughly enjoyable experience too.

The trek starts in a small mountain village called Lukla which is located at an altitude of 8,752ft (2,652m). We fly into Lukla in a small prop plane with Yeti Airlines(!) and the runway is the highest and the shortest in the world. By all accounts it can be quite an experience all of it's own............

I have been told to expect our group to include around 15-20 other fundraising trekkers, plus a small team of sherpas and a few Yaks! We start our climb immediately upon landing at Lukla to try and get some of that thin mountain air into our lungs.

We then spend the next 7-8 days trekking further and further, and higher and higher into the Himalayas. Taking care to aclimatise along the way. We are expected to make our attempt to Mt Everest Base Camp on day 8 or 9 at an altitude of 17,678ft (5,357m)!

The following day we trek even higher to a peak called Mt Kalla Patthar which is at a pant wettingly high altitude of 18,635ft (5647m)!!! This will be the highest point of the whole trip and apparently it offers spectacular views of both Mt Everest above and Everest Base Camp below (fingers crossed no clouds that day!).

Unfortunatley, I have also been told that not everyone might make it due to the dangerous effects of High Altitude Sickness (this generally can kick in above 12,000ft). Hopefully, good old Aspirin should help keep any headaches at bay.

Then once the heady heights of Base Camp and Mt Kalla Patthar have been overcome, the trip is downhill all the way and we will be allowed to actually have a beer once we get lower into the valley! Hoorah!

Here are some more facts about the trip:

- No hotel beds for me - It's camping all the way.

- Temperatures at night as low as -20C!

- A total of 120 kms of trekking at high altitude.

- No showers - Just a basic washbowl of luke warm water each day and trusty wet wipes!

- Higher altitude than any mountain peaks in the alps.

- Our fires for cooking will be burning with Yak dung!

- Link for further information: http://www.charitychallenge.com/expedition_details.jsp?id=780

Training/Acheivments to date:

- I have lost 36 pounds of lard from my belly and counting.........

- I gave up smoking on Saturday 21st of July 2007.

- Summited Snowdon in July 2007, the highest mountain in Wales at 3,650 ft (1,085m).

- Summited Scaffel Pike in August 2007, the highest mountain in England at 3,209 ft (978m).

- Ran the Congleton Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Sun 7th of October 2007 in 2 hours and 3 minutes! www.congleton-harriers.co.uk

- Ran the Asics Reading Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday 2nd of March 2008 in 2 hours and 9 minutes (with serious man flu!)www.asicsreadinghalfmarathon.co.uk

I am personally covering the entire cost of the trip to Nepal. This also includes a personal donation of £100.

So, every single penny you donate goes to Cancer Research UK.

In return for your generous donations and help I promise to do my best not to let you all down. I will make it to Base Camp!

So how do I donate?

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Cancer Research UK will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So, please, please, pretty please sponsor me!  Many thanks!!!!

Raised Offline:

Marc Cresswell: £100

Michael & Pam White: £20

Jane Walker: £10

Becky & Warren: £50

Gordon Nicholson: £20

Adam Young: £5

Terry Baulk: £30

Kristian Kaye: £20

Sandra Pickersgill & Friends & Family: £200

Cheers!

Marc

Good luck my friend Donation by Gavin Pike 01/06/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Great effort Marc. Well done for wearing the shirt.. You might get to like it some day!! Donation by Alan & Sue Mooney 26/05/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

well done mate Donation by julie widdall (yell) 16/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the experience. Donation by Oliver Fraser 16/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck diving buddy, I heard Yak Dung might work in your hookah...worth a try Donation by Andrew & Marna 16/05/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Loving the fact that you went up a small hill in Wales to prepare for the biggest mountain in the world - Good luck mate! Donation by Steve and Tash 15/05/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck mate! Donation by Richard Lill 15/05/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Lazy g*t Donation by Jonn Barnes 15/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Wish I was coming with you big guy! Have fun!! Donation by K2 IT 15/05/08  

£155.00

Good Luck Marc Take care of yourself and come back in one piece mate with another great achievement conquered! Donation by Glenn, Abby and Ella Prince 14/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Nice one Mark! Donation by Jo Boocock 09/05/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Good Luck Marc Donation by Derek Cox 09/05/08  

£20.00

Good luck mate!/ Ed Donation by Ed Gunner 08/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Well done for all of you effort so far. Good Luck! x Donation by Kirsty Gates 08/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good Luck Marc from all at The Change x Donation by The Change 08/05/08  

£200.00

Good luck Marc - it won't be easy but it will be worth it! Donation by Yasemin Pereira 07/05/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

good luck from all at A Prompt Donation by Adrian Paget 07/05/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

What's the difference between a Climber and a Golfer? Golfer goes: Whack, Sh*t! Climber goes : Sh*t, WHACK. Good luck feller! Donation by Mike and Viki 07/05/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good Luck Marc x Donation by Kathy Loran 07/05/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good Luck Mark Donation by Jenny Cullis 07/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck and have a great time... Donation by Phil Kaye 07/05/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck - you must be nearly as fit as your old man!! Donation by Dave and Jill Barnes 07/05/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Best of luck from all at Socomec. A really worthy cause. Can't wait to see the pictures. Donation by Socomec Sicon Ltd. 07/05/08  

£100.00

Go for it and enjoy it! Good luck Marc :-) x Donation by Maria Standen (Allen!) 01/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good Luck Marc, and well done for all the donations you have raised already! Donation by Louise Birch 01/05/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Marc - looks like your putting in a great amount of effort so I am sure you will make it!! Donation by M Ryder 01/05/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Good Luck Marc. Take a couple of steps for Tanya's Dad who sadly passed away with lung cancer in December. Will be thinking about you. All the best.. Donation by Lawrence Overman 30/04/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Good luck marc! Enjoy the trip. Lots of love x x Donation by Sara Cresswell 30/04/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Great stuff Marc. What a trip it is going to be! Donation by Geoff Stradling 30/04/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Good luck! Great cause! Enjoy the experience Donation by Iain 29/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid
Donate now
 
* Total raised online: £1,895.00
  Offline donations: £455.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £386.41

* Charities pay a small fee for our service.
Find out how much it is and what we do for it.