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As some of you may already know I will be departing for Nepal at the beginning of March and from there will be taking part in a 72 day Mt Everest Expedition.

A bit of technical jargon and details for you, standing at (29,029 ft) above sea level Mount Everest is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point. Mt. Everest has two main climbing routes, the southeast ridge from Nepal and the north ridge from Tibet, as well as many other less frequently climbed routes. Of the two main routes, the southeast ridge is technically easier and is the more frequently used route. It was the route used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

I will be climbing from Tibet along the North Ridge. The north ridge route begins from the north side of Everest in Tibet. Expeditions trek to the Rongbuk Glacier, setting up base camp at 5,180 m (16,990 ft) on a gravel plain just below the glacier. To reach Camp II, climbers ascend the medial moraine of the east Rongbuk Glacier up to the base of Changtse at around 6,100 m (20,000 ft). Camp III (ABC—Advanced Base Camp) is situated below the North Col at 6,500 m (21,300 ft). To reach Camp IV on the north col, climbers ascend the glacier to the foot of the col where fixed ropes are used to reach the North Col at 7,010 m (23,000 ft). From the North Col, climbers ascend the rocky north ridge to set up Camp V at around 7,775 m (25,500 ft). The route crosses the North Face in a diagonal climb to the base of the Yellow Band reaching the site of Camp VI at 8,230 m (27,000 ft). From Camp VI, climbers will make their final summit push. Climbers face a treacherous traverse from the base of the First Step: ascending from 8,501 metres (27,890 ft) to 8,534 m (28,000 ft), to the crux of the climb, the Second Step: ascending from 8,577 metres (28,140 ft) to 8,626 m (28,300 ft). Once above the Second Step the inconsequential Third Step is clambered over: ascending from 8,690 m (28,510 ft) to 8,800 m (28,870 ft). Once above these steps, the summit pyramid is climbed by a snow slope of 50 degrees, to the final summit ridge along which the top is reached.

To aid in the acclimatization process, I will be climbing two additional mountains prior to moving over to Tibet and attempting Everest proper, both of these additional peaks are located in Nepal one is called Mera Peak standing at 21,247ft and the other is Lobuche East standing at 20,161ft. Given that the highest Mountain in Western Europe is Mont Blanc standing at 15,782ft these two additional peaks are by no means small!!!! As with all extreme altitude mountaineering there are just too many variables to consider and to guarantee summit success. But that being said if I’m able to stay fit and healthy without injury and with a bit of luck with the weather you can be sure I won’t be giving up easy and will give it my best.

To that end I thought an Expedition like this may be worthy of raising some money for a great cause, One in three of us will get cancer and it’s the toughest thing most of us will ever face. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or a loved one has, you’ll want a team of people in your corner supporting you every step of the way. They provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care. They are Macmillan Cancer Support.

Please follow my link below and if you can spare a bit of loose change it would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all up front and I will keep you updated on how we progress once on the Mountain until then keep safe and thank you for your support.

All the best.

William (Craig)

 

• For many people affected by cancer, Macmillan nurses are a valued and trusted source of expert information, advice and support - free of charge. As of December 2011, there were 3,707 Macmillan nurse posts across the UK, both in hospitals and in the community.  
• Macmillan chemotherapy nurses give chemotherapy treatment to patients, and help them cope with any side effects.
• Macmillan breast cancer nurses support women from the screening and diagnosis stage helping them to make informed decisions. They give practical and emotional support and help some women come to terms with a mastectomy.
• Macmillan paediatric nurses help children with cancer, and their families. They provide support for the child and parents at home and in hospital, and help to keep children at home with their families as much as possible.
• Macmillan lead nurses are senior nurse managers, helping shape the future of cancer and palliative care services in their area.

I will keep you updated on how we progress once on the Mountain until then keep safe and thank you for your support.

All the best.

William (Craig)