On 2 September 2005, three young climbers will be embarking on the expedition of their lives to ascend Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. In a bid to raise sponsorship and awareness for Regain - a registered charity to help those who have become tetraplegic as a result of a sporting or leisure accident - Nick Williams, Andy Sloan and Matt Ward, will be pushing themselves to their physical limits to make the 8,201m summit which lies on the Tibetan border with Nepal.

The climb is expected to take us four weeks, accounting for acclimatisation and establishing camps above base camp, and will be made from the Tibetan side of the mountain. We have been training exceptionally hard over the past year with preparations including climbing trips to Wales, Scotland, France and Russia, and have spent many hours carrying weights up and down the back stairs of our workplace much to the bemusement of our colleagues. Having been caught in severe storms, fallen down crevasses and even arrested at gun point by the Russian military during our time in the mountains (not on the back stairs), we are pretty much ready for anything and hope to raise over £5,000 for Regain.

Our progress can be followed on www.EverestNews.com (Summitclimb Cho Oyu Expedition Autumn 2005) and donations made quickly and easily through this site. Any and all contributions will be gratefully received. If you would like to know more about the charity, please visit www.regainsportscharity.com. If you would like to contact us please call 0207 296 5940.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Regain - The Trust For Sports Tetraplegics 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.

Many thanks for your support. Andy, Matt and Nick