Whilst working in the outdoors I have always felt I am contributing to positive memories and attributes of young people and adults, and the outdoors was a great medium for them to express themselves.  It is also an amazing environment for all people to experience personal challenge and be taken out of their comfort zones in breath-taking environments.

The ambulance service taught me that we all need a lot more of the outdoors, and that we weren't designed for 4 walls and concrete.  Even a small walk from our house can have such a positive impact on our mental wellbeing.  Though I am staying on the stairs, I am reflecting on my past exploits in various mountain ranges, not the Himalaya as I've never been, and the relationships and support networks that made all that possible.

Now with COVID-19 hitting us, we are in those 4 walls more than ever, and I would very much like to raise peoples awareness of the outdoors as a therapeutic tool.  I'm not great indoors, I like to keep busy and be outdoors wherever possible.  So this is a mental challenge as it is a physical one.  This effort is to support our mental health services as we slowly make our way out of this lockdown, and probably exert a pressure up on those services more than ever before.

As it is the infamous month of the year to be summiting the peaks below, and Mental Health Awareness Week as well during May, I found this a fitting challenge.  I will be attempting to climb all 8,000m peaks with the help of friends and family to contribute to the final totals.  With the figures below, it isn't hard to see why this might be a bit of a challenge.

I am looking for 5 or more volunteers per day, you only have to do it once and any contribution is appreciated, whether it's 5 flights or 100 flights.

THE PEAKS

1. Shishapangma, 8,027m - 2,432 flights - Summited 3rd May 2020
2. Gasherbrum II, 8,035m - 2,435 flights - Summited 6th May 2020
3. Broad Peak, 8,047m - 2,438 flights - Summited 8th May 2020
4. Gasherbrum I, 8,068m - 2,445 flights - Summited 10th May 2020
5. Annapurna, 8,091m - 2,452 flights - Summited 13th May 2020
6. Nanga Parbat, 8,126m - 2,462 flights - Summited 16th May 2020
7. Manaslu, 8,163m - 2,474 flights - Summited 19th May 2020
8. Dhaulagiri, 8,167m - 2,475 flights - Summited 22nd May 2020
9. Cho Oyu, 8,201m - 2,485 flights - Summited 25th May 2020
10. Makalu, 8,463m - 2,565 flights - Summited 29th May 2020
11. Lhotse, 8,518m - 2,581 flights
12. Kangchenjunga, 8,586 - 2,602 flights
13. K2, 8,611m - 2,609 flights
14. Everest, 8,850m - 2,682 flights

This is 35,137 flights of stairs in total, with an average of 1,134 per day to be completed.