There seems to be something quite appropriate about writing an update on Friday the 13th.
For those who believe in bad luck, cursed dates and ominous signs… I’ve decided the best way to celebrate is by continuing my training for a 5,500m trek to Everest Base Camp. What could possibly go wrong?
The good news is that the training has at least started to show some results. I’m delighted to report that I’m now 13kg down since this whole Everest idea began. Given the date, I’m choosing to believe that this particular “13” is a lucky one.
When the training started, my fitness level could best be described as “enthusiastic but theoretical.” Most of my endurance came from sitting through meetings, and the only altitude I regularly experienced was the slight elevation of the office chair.
Since then, things have become a little more serious. There has been walking. Quite a lot of it. Occasionally uphill. Sometimes intentionally.
It turns out that preparing to walk 150km through the Himalayas requires slightly more effort than simply thinking about it while eating biscuits.
The goal, of course, is the trek to Everest Base Camp in April 2027, climbing to over 5,500 metres, where oxygen levels are roughly half of what we enjoy at sea level. This means even simple things like tying your boots can feel like a small Olympic event.
The good news is that every kilogram lost now is one less kilogram to drag up a mountain later. The bad news is that the mountain is still very much there.
The real reason for doing all this remains the same: raising money for Cancer Research UK. Like many people, I’ve seen first-hand how important their work is, and if a few long walks, sore legs and questionable life choices help contribute to that effort, it will all be worth it.
For anyone who wants to follow along with the training, the occasional questionable decision, and the slow realisation of what I’ve signed up for, updates will continue to appear here.
If nothing else, by the time April 2027 arrives I should at least be well practised at walking uphill and wondering whose idea this was in the first place.
(For the record, it was mine.)
Rich treks Everest Base Camp 2027 