Thanks for taking time to visit my just giving page to raise money for 3 very worthwhile causes in memory of my Dad, Graham Reeve who passed away very suddenly earlier this year. He was my hero, my biggest supporter, a true gentleman, the kindest person and the best Dad in the world and it seems very unreal that he is not with us today and he is missed so much. He did so much for us right up to his very last day and I couldn’t have asked for more from him. He gave us the absolute idealistic childhood being brought up on the farm with so many wonderful memories that city kids will never know from haymaking over the summer holidays to milking cows and feeding cade lambs to riding the ponies and all the pets. His love of animals and nature was passed on to me. Wonderful holidays in the caravan to Scotland and Wales and boating in Scotland and the Norfolk broads. He didn’t want a big send off, just family, at what was a very difficult day for us he didn’t want us to have to deal with a lot of people and he didn’t want a wake, he always said that you should have the party before you die and I thank everybody for respecting that request, I know a lot of people wanted to go to his funeral and hope this will be a way to remember him.

For those of you who never knew my Dad this is very much about raising money for some worthwhile charities. You never know when you may need the help of any one of them. Think about your own families and friends, every little helps and I thank everybody for anything they can give.

I picked these three charities Help for Heroes, Macmillans cancer support and Midlands Air Ambulance. Being an RAF veteran and then working for the RAF for 24 years I worked with and became friends with some amazing people. Many who still serve in the armed forces. The world these days more and more seems to be run by power crazed nutters. Our armed forces are more and more valuable and vulnerable.

Anyone of us or our friends and family could need the air ambulance at any time or cancer could be just round the corner for any of us. My Mother had cancer at the start of covid and thanks to a lot of people she recovered.

I see the air ambulance which is based just up the road from me flying over enroute to tasks most days so you just never know it could be you! Being a farmer just about everything we do can kill you! Farming has one of the worst safety records just by the nature of what we do.

Every little helps and there is a separate link to each charity so if you wish to donate you can choose. Every donation means a lot to me and will be more than gratefully appreciated. All money raised is going to the charities, nothing towards me going on this trip, I have already paid for it myself so don’t think you are paying for me to go on holiday.

The Trek

In October I am setting out on a mammoth 16 day, approximately 100 mile trek across the Himilayers in the Solu Kumbu region of Nepal from Lukla to Gokyo Lakes onto Mount Everest base camp and back to Lukla climbing Gokyo Peak and Kala Patthar on the way. It will be 16 days of strenuous trekking reaching altitudes of 5500m (18000+ft) so the effects of altitude could be a real threat. It’s remote, most of the locals may never have seen a motor vehicle, all goods are flown into Lukla and transported by yak or carried by porters, it could be very cold, a times there will be no running water, limited internet and phone access. The trek starts with a flight into Lukla supposedly the worlds most dangerous airport. It’s a tiny strip in perched 9000ft up on the side of a mountain with a 2000ft drop at one end of the runway and a mountain on the other end. It is also the most stunning beautiful and awe inspiring place on the planet. The trek takes me into the Sagarmartha National Park along the Dudh Kosh river and climbing to the sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar before heading to Gokyo. Then my first goal is Gokyo peak before it is back down to join the main trail to Everest base camp my second goal and then my third goal an early morning climb up Kalar Patar with stunning views of Everest and the infamous Kumbu icefall before heading back.

Training and preparation for this trip has to be hard particularly fitting it round running the farm and started in May. The farm has always been a family team effort and although my Dad couldn't do a lot of stuff he was always doing lots of little bits. I planned this trip when I was feeling overwhelmed by everything with only Ian my little brother and me now to run the farm and I needed to refocus.

The first big thing was actually booking it. It is never easy for us to get any time off and I saw it advertised at a good discount, thought about it for ages before discussing it with Ian who is more than in favour. Mid October is really the only feasible time to do this. Then there was all the paperwork, kit, visas, insurance, flights and other stuff to sort. I got a lot done straight away but still got bits I keep thinking of to sort.

Training started in May. Lots of walking! Fortunately I do a lot with the farm and my part time job at Melton Market. Running up and down the stairs increasing the amount of times. This is bloody tedious and boring but effective requiring a lot of will power at times. I have got the exercise bike out and lots of other exercises on top of the farm work not only to make the trek doable but to get the best experience out of it. Also trying cut out bad foods. I love food! I hate dieting! The exercise is going really well, not to bad with the eating, I have had a few relapse days though. I just now need to really push hard for the final six weeks before I go. Fortunately I get a fair amount of exercise on the farm and I was a bit of a gym buddy before covid and having done a fair amount of hill walking over the years I know how hard it has to be.

Mount Everest! Sagarmartha as it is called by the Nepalese, Mother goddess of the earth is the translation, Chomolungma to the Tibetans on the other side. The scene of so much triumph and tragedy, it’s top is at a height where human life cannot survive, only accessible for a few days every year and it may take the ultimate sacrifice to attempt to get there. She’s a real goddess and if she doesn’t want you there you’re not going! Why wouldn't you feel privileged to walk in her shadow. The sherpas and porters are the true heros, these places would not be accessible without there help.

This is my second attempt at Everest base camp, last time was 20 years ago and without the Gokyo lakes bit. I got so close but it just wasn’t to be inexperience and lack of confidence let me down but I always felt afterwards that I could have done it so I went out got more experience at high altitude trekking and did higher and harder!. It was also one of the most amazing and memorable trips of my life! I came back with the urge for adventure realising that these wild places are assessable. I have explored the Amazon, climbed Kilimanjaro, done the Inca trail, worked with elephants in Thailand and a lot more since. I have never earned large amounts of money despite working all hours under the sun just saving up between trips, only going every 2 or 3 years and making things last . This trek is very much a head challenge probably more so than a physical challenge.

I was that quiet introverted kid at secondary school that always got picked on and was always left out on everything and I thought I was completely useless at everything. The teachers to me only seemed interested in the top pupils. As soon as the going gets tough some will completely turn there backs on you. Secondary school was more about getting through each day than learning. I never told anyone, I just came home, disappeared out to my ponies or up into my bedroom. Family, good friends from primary school and horses got me through. Mum and Dad actually sent me to an all girls private school, god knows how they afforded to put all three of us through private education, we are not by any means rich. Unfortunately I had absolutely no interest in education after this and became quite a rebellious teenager and things got worse before getting better. I messed up a lot in my teenage years. I never dreamed I would be able to do the stuff I have done. This was for clever , rich people!

The change for me came when I discovered a love flying by accident at the age of 17. It took me two and a half years to get my licence flying once a month at first. It took me a year before I did my first solo about 14 hours. I knew absolutely nothing when I started and remember sitting through the briefing on my first lesson not having a clue what the instructor was going on about. It was a wonderful feeling when it all started to fit together and make sense. Bits of it I found hard, surprisingly I enjoyed the ground work, a lot came just by practise and feel, it definitely wasn’t work , I had no expectations of myself when I first started.

The thing I am most proud about was it was totally self financed. I had just got my first proper job in a toy factory as the junior do anything bod after being kicked off a youth training scheme and thought I was a multi millionaire. This was what gave the confidence to apply for the RAF and to do bigger things and a love for learning and adventure. I don’t always believe everything I am taught though. For some bizaar reason and I have absolutely no idea why they gave me student pilot of the year in 1988 and also when I went back to college in later years I got the top student award so somewhere along the line I got it right.

I was brought up knowing the value of hard work and giving up the less important things to achieve the bigger things pays off. The journey for me to do this trek started many years ago and who knows to where after I get back.

I return to EBC with experience on my side verses age, aches and pains not on my side, I guess I am going to be the oldy of the group now. Nepal is one of those places that once visited holds a special place in your heart, the people are lovely and the Sherpas are legendary. It is wild, vast, stunning and home to the highest places on the planet and you go away with a longing to return. It is a poor country and gets its fair share of natural disasters and relies heavily on the climbing and trekking industry.

Photos all from my 2004 trek.

This isn't about me though, it's all about the charities! So if you can please donate, every little helps. Thank you for taking time to read this.