On November 16th 2007, I left UK for a remote region of Antarctica to visit and climb some unclimbed peaks in the Heritage Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, which are 700 miles from the South Pole. It was extremely demanding. Simon Garrod, formerly a British Antarctic Survey Commander, was with me, guiding this expedition. He really knows how to lead a journey in Antarctic conditions, and enabled these climbs to happen. We were delayed 15 days by atrocious Antarctic weather: high winds, some blizzard conditions, whiteout and heavy snow. We set six camps, explored new areas, went to unvisited glaciers, and climbed three new peaks, in temperatures down to minus 25 degrees C. We turned back on a fourth peak after three attempts, due to dangerous crevesses and ice cliffs. There will be a video / DVD made after the expedition, distributed from the US. You can read more by visiting www.cancerbackup.org.uk/clutterbuck. Blog updates appear on this website. I funded the expedition 100% myself but want to raise funds for Cancerbackup, and awareness of cancer. Five members of my family have been diagnosed with serious cancer. My mother and younger cousin have both died from cancer. My wife, Bonnie was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer two years ago and she was given a bleak outlook. We have two sons, aged 9 and 14. Miraculously, she is now in better health, due to a combination of factors, all of them proactive, rather than accepting fate. Her oncology team at the Guildford Nuffield has been tremendous.. Some estimates predict that 50% of us may get cancer. During the last two years, my family has learned a lot about cancer; and I have contacted Cancerbackup several times for information. Coming to terms with death is also a part of cancer, and a part of life. It is an area which most of us are not well prepared to deal with. There are many things that can be done in lifestyle to reduce the chance of getting cancer, and to be able to fight back if it hits. Cancerbackup helps in all these situations. While I was hauling my sledge up glaciers, I often thought of all those struggling with cancer, and of their battles to overcome all the problems.
Please be generous and support Cancerbackup. Your donation will help others who are affected by cancer. Donating through this page is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to donate: Cancerbackup 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. You can choose whether you'd like to contribute under your own name, or anonymously. Alternatively, you can send a check made out to Cancerbackup with a note saying "Antarctic Challenge" (so that it can be logged as such) to: Cancerbackup Freepost KE7193 London EC2B 2DW Or you can phone Cancerbackup on +44-20-7696-9003 Thanks for your support. It will help many people. Peter Clutterbuck
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