Climbing Everest for IBD 2022
David Brock is raising money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK
Story
*Covid update - unfortunately the expedition has been delayed for a second year, now leaving on 1 April 2022. Rest assured that despite the pandemic and the mental and physical challenge of having to deal with another year’s delay, I will continue to train hard and hope to do everyone proud when we do finally get to go.
Original post:
As those who know me will attest, for the past 5 years I have been training (and saving) hard towards trying to achieve my long-term dream of climbing Mount Everest (8,848m) this year (2020) driving them all mad along the way with mountain talk and missed events whilst away on expeditions!
What many people don’t know, however, is that in November of 2017, I thought that dream had been taken away from me, when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease which, together with Crohn’s disease, affects 115,000 people in the UK alone and millions more worldwide. IBD is a chronic, lifelong condition, which has no cure, no obvious cause and whilst manageable for some, can be debilitating for others.
Following my diagnosis, with the support of those around me, I have slowly regained my fitness and in the summer of 2018 qualified to climb Everest with a successful expedition to Bolivia, summiting illimani at 6,438m, with a further successful expedition and summit of Peak Lenin (7,134m) in Kyrgyzstan in 2019.
As additional motivation to help me tackle Everest, I will be raising money for the UK’s primary IBD charity, Crohn’s & Colitis UK. They do fantastic work, helping to fund research, improve awareness of the condition and provide support to UK sufferers of IBD. My goal is to raise £1 for every metre I ascend up the mountain (£8,848) to encourage me every step of the way, along what will be the hardest challenge I have ever taken on.
If you are able to support in any way at all, be that by donating to or sharing this page with potential sponsors, you will be helping to support a fantastic cause and I will be incredibly grateful.
Thank you!
David
p.s. if you'd like to track my training, progress or learn more about IBD (or mountaineering!), check out my blog at www.brockclimber85.com
Original post:
As those who know me will attest, for the past 5 years I have been training (and saving) hard towards trying to achieve my long-term dream of climbing Mount Everest (8,848m) this year (2020) driving them all mad along the way with mountain talk and missed events whilst away on expeditions!
What many people don’t know, however, is that in November of 2017, I thought that dream had been taken away from me, when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease which, together with Crohn’s disease, affects 115,000 people in the UK alone and millions more worldwide. IBD is a chronic, lifelong condition, which has no cure, no obvious cause and whilst manageable for some, can be debilitating for others.
Following my diagnosis, with the support of those around me, I have slowly regained my fitness and in the summer of 2018 qualified to climb Everest with a successful expedition to Bolivia, summiting illimani at 6,438m, with a further successful expedition and summit of Peak Lenin (7,134m) in Kyrgyzstan in 2019.
As additional motivation to help me tackle Everest, I will be raising money for the UK’s primary IBD charity, Crohn’s & Colitis UK. They do fantastic work, helping to fund research, improve awareness of the condition and provide support to UK sufferers of IBD. My goal is to raise £1 for every metre I ascend up the mountain (£8,848) to encourage me every step of the way, along what will be the hardest challenge I have ever taken on.
If you are able to support in any way at all, be that by donating to or sharing this page with potential sponsors, you will be helping to support a fantastic cause and I will be incredibly grateful.
Thank you!
David
p.s. if you'd like to track my training, progress or learn more about IBD (or mountaineering!), check out my blog at www.brockclimber85.com