Everest 2010 – 8,848m/29,035ft

“I wish Geordie all the success and safety in this epic challenge. It is an endeavour that will take him to the limits and probably beyond, and that sort of commitment is hard not to admire! Thank you for supporting him & Help For Heroes.”

- BEAR GRYLLS

APRIL-JUNE 2010 – Mt Everest – 8,848m/29,035ft

First of all I would like to direct you to the video I put together from clips/photos from the expedition… www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZL1OLMt8H8

Everest 2010 – a real case of “what might have been.”

In March 2010 I was flying to Kathmandu, and a few weeks later I had the view of Everest that had been a photo on my wall for the past 3 years. That in itself represented a major hurdle that was overcome but it was only the start of an incredible adventure.

I had trained hard; I had prepared myself mentally and physically and felt ready for all the obstacles ahead. Overall we spent 7 weeks on the slopes of Everest, much of that spent acclimatising, aka resting, at Base Camp.

It was a three-stage process where we first ascended to Camp 1 at 7000m before retreating to Base Camp at 5300m. Prior to returning Base Camp again in preparation for our summit attempt we reached 7500m up the North Ridge. Two weeks, a lost voice and a throat infection later, we all set off from high camp at 8300m to try and reach the summit of Mt. Everest.

I got to within 120m from the summit of my dreams before turning around, despite still feeling strong, because time was at a premium. I was heavily delayed on the ascent after helping a Sherpa and two teammates who were all suffering from severe altitude sickness.

As if I hadn’t been completely aware before, human life is far far more important than the summit of any mountain. These delays however, compromised my summit attempt.

Everest is now unfinished business for me and I intend to go back in 2011 in aid of The RNLI. I should have made the summit this year but sadly it was beyond my control. I am now even more focused and more prepared to make the top than ever before. In any walk of life, things do not always go to plan. It is, however, the way we react to these incidents that matter the most.