Climbing Ama Dablam

I’ve been posting a lot of training videos on social media recently, but behind the training is a real purpose and something I am working hard for.

And that purpose and something is Ama Dablam in Oct 2025 a 22350ft mountain based in Nepal.

This mountain is not just a challenge, for me, it symbolises the incredible strength needed to face life’s toughest challenges. This mountain some would say is technically harder to climb than Everest.

This will be my last big climb in Nepal, I love climbing and I’ll still take myself off for the odd adventure climb for sure - it’s great for mental health aswell as exercise. But I just felt after Island Peak and the funds raised for Archie I had to do another push, a push to raise more for such a worthy cause. And it couldn’t just be any climb, it needs to be the “mountaineers” mountain challenge, just as my little girl faces challenges each day.

As I climb Ama Dablam steep faces and face its thin air, I’m will constantly be reminded that growth doesn’t always mean racing ahead. Sometimes it’s simply about finding the strength to keep moving, even when the path is impossibly hard and the pace might be slower than others.

And this climb is about meeting this challenge with courage, just as Georgia does every single day.

You may have read the recent article in the papers.

A beautiful story that shows how she has met challenges since birth but has made it finally to school at age 6 1/2. Under the care of several clinics at the hospital, Georgia is faced with an array of health issues, & she has never made it on to the charts of her “red book” for her growth ln height and weight, & struggling to grow with delays in bone development too, they believe this is all linked to a syndrome however right now they don’t know what it is so is referred to as SWAN (Syndrome Without A Name). Even if we had a name it wouldn’t change anything. But sometimes it would just be easier to have a one name to define and summarise what she has.

She is looked after by gastroenterology who manage her recently diagnosed Eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic immune system disease.

As well as global development delays, or intellectual disability as her recent community paediatrician advised, and our Georgia is behind in a lot of areas but we do everything to try and help her grow so she doesn’t feel so lost with her peers.

Non verbal with makaton signing as her main communication tool, it really does amaze me everyday how clever she is using sign to communicate. She does have her own wee talker to help and a speech therapist guiding her along the way.

Hypersalivation , low muscle tone, Bowel problems, Asthma and painful hand eczema, clinodactyl in her wee pinky fingers, orthotics keeping an eye on her feet for support and under the care of optometrist in hospital as a need for glasses was highlighted with the chromosome micro duplication.

Just a few things …… and you will agree Georgia’s mountain is far steeper than mine.

So you see that every single day demands her strength. Every small step is growth. And she keeps going… So I will too.

The girls do need me at home and I know they miss me. I know it’s not easy on Ange working away as Georgia needs more attention and she has many appointments to attend. But the wife understands and supports me as I’m climbing for Georgia.

To grow through challenge.

To raise awareness.

To raise funds.

To help others.

Growth is not always easy. It’s born with struggle, in resilience, and in refusing to give up. Georgia shows that strength every day. Now, I climb to honour it.

Join me on this journey — my last big climb in Nepal and help make every step count and donate so we as a family can give back to The Archie Foundation, who in turn can help other children with medical needs and help their families too.

Forever thankful

Davie