Everest 2011

In the Spring of 2011 I will return to Everest and once again attempt to become one of the youngest ever Britons to stand on the highest point on earth. Having got painfully close, a mere 120m, in 2010, I will return to the Northeast ridge but this time even more focused and even better prepared!

One learns more about themselves when things do not go according to plan than when they do. I got so near in 2010 and I will return to the North opposed to going from the South for exactly that reason. I know what to expect, I know I can cope with the altitude at 8720m and I know what to do differently to get to the top.

The biggest challenge of Everest is the “Death Zone,” as it is affectionately known which is above 8,000m. Here the body can no longer acclimatise and human life is unsustainable. The summit of Mount Everest has only 33% as much oxygen as at sea level so weeks of acclimatising are necessary to even give me the opportunity to attempt the top.

The Tibetan Northeast ridge route is more technically challenging than the more frequently used South Col Route and is the same one used by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine during their infamous 1924 expedition. The first ascent of Everest was on May 29th 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and I hope to complete this challenge on my quest to become the Youngest Briton to climb the real Seven Summits.