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It's the post we've all been waiting for. Click the button to find out how my expedition to Everest actually went...
That really is the question!
With Spring getting ever closer, a number of people have understandably been asking lately what's happening with Everest this year and is this secretly all a hoax so that I could squander your fundraising money? On the latter, absolutely, but please accept my deepest thanks for the Playstation 5, 60" TV and hot tub which have helped me nicely through lockdown ;)
In all seriousness though, I have no concrete answers at the moment about whether the trip will go ahead this year. We are hoping that we will be able to get out to Nepal, but everything is changing at such a rapid pace at the moment it's becoming impossible to predict. If it's not a new variant, it's the restrictions on travel, with silver linings being offered through Nepal starting its vaccine programme and the Khumbu region seemingly opening its doors to mountaineers for the Spring climbing season too. Realistically I don't think I'll know until around a week before our expected departure date (April 1st), so until then I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, whilst also trying to maintain my training and preparedness as best I can.
So what have I been up to lately? Well there's been some more ladders, fixed rope training in the garden, sleeping out in my tent during our cold Winter snaps to remind myself about how to be uncomfortable, comfortably, and since early January nursing a hip, back and knee injury caused from old age and a bit too much desk sitting. Thankfully the injury has finally started to ease after consulting the excellent services of Richard Luddington at Fit Again Sports Therapy, but it has also meant that CrossFit has been out during that time and I've had to rely on more traditional training methods of running and bodyweight exercises to maintain some semblance of fitness.
And if I can't go to Everest this year, where will this leave me you ask? Well I think you all know the answer to that question... what's another year between friends after all? I hear seven is lucky for some, but let's just hope it gets to be year 6!
DB
Update (15 Feb): Alas, as predicted, the trip has been cancelled for another year!
A few snaps and vids from the past few months of training:
Fixed ropes set up in the garden to practise using my ascender and belay device with big gloves
Tent sleeping in the garden
My Mum having FOMO - she'd never slept in a tent before so decided the night to join me was when it was real feel -4C. Fair play to her, she took it in her stride and even described it as "cosy", although I get the feeling giving her my high altitude sleeping bag rated to -48C probably helped a little with that... either way, what a champ!
IMG_2309.MOVSome more ladder practice
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