My name is Tim Batstone and in April I am leaving the comforts of my Oxfordshire home and heading to the Himalayas to attempt to climb the highest mountain on earth – sometime in May.

Nothing too remarkable about that other than that I am not exactly a spring chicken. I am going to be 67 years old (with a body showing a commensurate amount of wear and tear).

If I succeed (note carefully the word if) then I will be one of only two British old age pensioners, and in the top 10 oldest people full stop (according to google), who have reached the summit of Everest.

I am not completely deluded, having last month warmed up by climbing Aconcagua – at nearly 7,000m the highest mountain in the Andes during which, by the way, I discovered that spending freezing nights close to the jet stream is not fun - unless of course you enjoy having your tent flipped upside down by the wind (whilst you are trying to sleep).

(Mindless) endurance challenges have always appealed to me – for example some 40 years ago I spent 70 days circumnavigating Britain on a windsurfer (earning a little mention in the Guinness Book of Records) and have since done various swimming, running, cycling and mountaineering challenges too. Everest has long been on my to do list and I am excited to have finally got round to tackling it.

Full disclosure, the preparation has been challenging physically and has exposed one or two issues – I had an injection for an inflamed ankle in November which had me on crutches for a couple of weeks and I have a slight meniscal tear in my knee from coming down Aconcagua (too quickly), for which I have just had (and don’t recommend!) an injection under my kneecap. I guess it’s all a reminder of why people my age don’t generally do this.

In any event, I feel that I am giving myself the best chance with the guide, Kenton Cool – 19 Everest summits to his (apt) name – in my corner and by the way you can follow our progress through Kenton’s Instagram account.

As well as fulfilling a lifelong ambition the project seems like a fantastic opportunity to raise money for this great cause - with which I have a strong personal connection.

A few years ago, I started collapsing without warning. It began with an episode every couple of months and eventually became at least a daily occurrence. My family got quite good at catching me but I nonetheless had a number of hospital visits.

My heart was stopping when I collapsed so I was fitted with a pacemaker – unfortunately that made no difference. Eventually, I was tried with an anti-seizure (epilepsy) medication which miraculously put an end to the fainting – and there have, amazingly, been no episodes for over two years now ….

I am in awe of medical science and the folk who do the research and develop drugs like the one (Lamotrigine) that in all probability saved my life… And I am raising money for Epilepsy Research Institute UK, an excellent charity that specialises in research into the brain and specifically seizures… My target is £250,000.

It would be fantastic, and a giant motivation, if you felt able to sponsor me – any contributions however small would be hugely appreciated… Further, if you have any friends or contacts who you think might also like to support the cause, then please do share the link.

Many thanks for taking the time to read about my project … and for any contribution you feel able to give. Every penny will help encourage me to take that ‘one more step’.

Chomolungma here we come!