The 7 Summits Blog
Preparation is almost everything
31st August 2014
31st August 2014
I am always amazed how your body changes in between expeditions and prepares for the next
challenge..
It’s been 45 days since I stood on the top of Mont Blanc after having made it to the top on my own. During that day and a half, I put my body through some extreme “workout”, starting with a long trek up to the Tete Rousse glacier onto some more technical scrambling, 2 + 2 hour sleep and leaving for the summit at 2.30am. At that point I felt incredibly strong and in shape. I remember putting one foot in front of the other on the Les Bosses ridges about an hour before the summit, not even worrying whether my legs would get me to the top. I didn’t have the luxury of time to take the descending easy so when I left the summit around 7.15am I headed back to the Gouter hut with only stopping twice to take photos, rehydrate and grab a snack. I collected my helmet from the hut and carried on heading down.
Since I was in the “first wave” of climbers heading down the mountain, I was lucky not be held up by people coming up on the rock face between the Tete Rousse and Gouter hut. It was a lot trickier going down on the rocks and after a while, putting my dignity aside I switched to a different way of descending – sat on my bum, swung my legs out into the air and with the help of my arms and pulled myself lower. It kept me closer to the rocks however I found my crampons catching the surface, luckily I managed to avoid getting completely stuck and flying face down into the void. I felt a lot safer when I was back on the Tete glacier continuing down the mountain. I made it back to the Mont Blanc tram station where I even had 20 minutes to lay down and relax my shattered body before the 1.30pm tram.
10 hours later I was asleep in my own bed in London.
It wasn’t until the following morning when I realized my body was in agony. I felt muscles hurting I didn’t know existed and if you saw me walking to work that day, you’d have thought I had more problems than just muscle pain! ☺
For the next three days I struggled with even the smallest moving tasks but absolutely nothing could wipe the smile off my face. In the evening of day three I knew what I had to do… an ice bath followed by a warm shower used by many athletes and sports men.
The icy water makes your blood vessels to tighten and drains the blood out of your battered legs. I sat there for 15 minutes then took a warm shower, which helped pumping fresh blood back into my legs. I’ve read studies that suggest it helps with the inflamed area and the tissues to heal quicker. Must admit I felt like a million dollar the following day. After the next expedition, I will probably repeat this as soon as I’m home and not waiting for days! Lesson learnt there.
Each expedition is very different. Mont Blanc was an “express” day and a half climb, my next trek Kilimanjaro will take about 8 days and Everest next May will be a 2-month push. But it’s not just about the length of the trip; my training also varies from mountain to mountain.
At 5,895m / 19,341 feet above sea Kilimanjaro is the forth highest of the 7 summits and all trekkers suffer with altitude sickness. There will be very long hours of uphill walks day after day so I’ve been spending a lot of time on an inclined treadmill with a backpack on my back. I also attend two double- spinning classes a week as part of my daily training so my muscles are now used long workouts.
I also implemented a triathlon type training; after an hour on the treadmill I attend a double spinning then jump into the pool at the gym. When I’m back from Kilimanjaro, I would like to focus on this more.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to do a 30-minute altitude spinning class at the Altitude Centre in Central London. This high intensity session was at a simulated altitude of 2800m in a chamber. Of course it’s something you need to do a couple of times a month to feel the effect but I was pleased when the session ended, my body was actually craving for more.
In three days I’ll be flying out to Tanzania to face my second of the 7 summits, Kilimanjaro. And what my body is craving now is food as if it knows what’s coming up. I don’t mind piling on a couple of kilos pre-trekking, I know I will shred more on the mountains.. you can easily burn 6-7000 calories climbing Kili!
It's easy to say I feel fit now but hiking up in altitude will be another story and the real test of strength and stamina... and I can't wait to be there! :)
It’s been 45 days since I stood on the top of Mont Blanc after having made it to the top on my own. During that day and a half, I put my body through some extreme “workout”, starting with a long trek up to the Tete Rousse glacier onto some more technical scrambling, 2 + 2 hour sleep and leaving for the summit at 2.30am. At that point I felt incredibly strong and in shape. I remember putting one foot in front of the other on the Les Bosses ridges about an hour before the summit, not even worrying whether my legs would get me to the top. I didn’t have the luxury of time to take the descending easy so when I left the summit around 7.15am I headed back to the Gouter hut with only stopping twice to take photos, rehydrate and grab a snack. I collected my helmet from the hut and carried on heading down.
Since I was in the “first wave” of climbers heading down the mountain, I was lucky not be held up by people coming up on the rock face between the Tete Rousse and Gouter hut. It was a lot trickier going down on the rocks and after a while, putting my dignity aside I switched to a different way of descending – sat on my bum, swung my legs out into the air and with the help of my arms and pulled myself lower. It kept me closer to the rocks however I found my crampons catching the surface, luckily I managed to avoid getting completely stuck and flying face down into the void. I felt a lot safer when I was back on the Tete glacier continuing down the mountain. I made it back to the Mont Blanc tram station where I even had 20 minutes to lay down and relax my shattered body before the 1.30pm tram.
10 hours later I was asleep in my own bed in London.
It wasn’t until the following morning when I realized my body was in agony. I felt muscles hurting I didn’t know existed and if you saw me walking to work that day, you’d have thought I had more problems than just muscle pain! ☺
For the next three days I struggled with even the smallest moving tasks but absolutely nothing could wipe the smile off my face. In the evening of day three I knew what I had to do… an ice bath followed by a warm shower used by many athletes and sports men.
The icy water makes your blood vessels to tighten and drains the blood out of your battered legs. I sat there for 15 minutes then took a warm shower, which helped pumping fresh blood back into my legs. I’ve read studies that suggest it helps with the inflamed area and the tissues to heal quicker. Must admit I felt like a million dollar the following day. After the next expedition, I will probably repeat this as soon as I’m home and not waiting for days! Lesson learnt there.
Each expedition is very different. Mont Blanc was an “express” day and a half climb, my next trek Kilimanjaro will take about 8 days and Everest next May will be a 2-month push. But it’s not just about the length of the trip; my training also varies from mountain to mountain.
At 5,895m / 19,341 feet above sea Kilimanjaro is the forth highest of the 7 summits and all trekkers suffer with altitude sickness. There will be very long hours of uphill walks day after day so I’ve been spending a lot of time on an inclined treadmill with a backpack on my back. I also attend two double- spinning classes a week as part of my daily training so my muscles are now used long workouts.
I also implemented a triathlon type training; after an hour on the treadmill I attend a double spinning then jump into the pool at the gym. When I’m back from Kilimanjaro, I would like to focus on this more.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to do a 30-minute altitude spinning class at the Altitude Centre in Central London. This high intensity session was at a simulated altitude of 2800m in a chamber. Of course it’s something you need to do a couple of times a month to feel the effect but I was pleased when the session ended, my body was actually craving for more.
In three days I’ll be flying out to Tanzania to face my second of the 7 summits, Kilimanjaro. And what my body is craving now is food as if it knows what’s coming up. I don’t mind piling on a couple of kilos pre-trekking, I know I will shred more on the mountains.. you can easily burn 6-7000 calories climbing Kili!
It's easy to say I feel fit now but hiking up in altitude will be another story and the real test of strength and stamina... and I can't wait to be there! :)
Mont Blanc solo climb on 17 July
19th July 2014
19th July 2014
Shortly after I returned from a successful expedition to the top of Mt Elbrus in June, I
started looking into doing a solo attempt on Mont Blanc, as a training climb for the next '7 summit' peak.
I was still in a good shape but knew it would be a lot tougher physically and mentally than Elbrus; no ropes, team mates or guide to rely on and I only had a day and a half for the entire trek.
Before continuing the story, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to one of my sponsors: Nuffield Health, who made it possible for me to train in the Wimbledon gym every day for two weeks prior to the climb. I saw the confusion on one of the personal trainer's face, the ' I thought I have already seen you here today".. I am so grateful for the support at Nuffield, the training ground is excellent and within only two weeks I saw a huge improvement in my fitness and I was ready for the climb.
The hike started around 8am Wednesday morning from Nid d'Aigle. First I reached the Tete Rousse hut area at 3167m, I cautiously stayed a few hundred meters from the hut not to be tempted to rest long. This is the spot where team members rope up and put crampons on before stepping on the Tete Rousse Glacier. It dawned on me, the serious trek is about to start. Once I crossed the huge glacier field and ascended to the Grand Couloir, I forgot about the others and how alone I was as I had to face the scary couloir. This narrow path on the steep slope (40 degrees and 30m long) is probably one of the most dangerous parts of the climb where rock falls happen so often many people loose their lives. The day before a 45 year old german man was hit by a rock and he fell to his death. I managed to get across ok and a rather enjoyable scrambling and rock climbing followed on the ridge which led me up to the old Gouter hut. After a short climb on the snow slope I reached the new Gouter hut at 3,835m just after 2pm.
Dinner is served at 6.30pm but I decided to have a giant plate of pasta carbonara at 4pm just before the kitchen closed, and stay up until dinner. When everybody was in the eating area, I went into the dorm and crawled onto bed. I had a couple of hours undisturbed sleep before the other climbers are back from dinner. Next thing I remember was a stunning pink light sneaking through the dorm window around 9pm so I quickly grabbed my camera and took some photos of the sunset. Went back to bed knowing I only had a couple of hours to rest before the summit push.
The 1.30am alarm wasn't needed, I hardly slept from excitement. I shared the dorm with about 25 other climbers and everyone started getting up and ready for breakfast which was served at 2 o'clock. I was out and ready by 2.30am. Headtorch on, crampons tightly fitted on my mountaineering boots, water bottle filled up and wrapped in a fleece, trekking poles fixed, ice axe tucked on the side of the rucksack, extra layers inside and sweets in the gore-tex jacket pocket. No turning back now.
After I climbed a couple of passes the route led me up the north-west face of Dome de Gouter. There's an emergency hut here called the Vallot hut where I stopped to re-hydrate and put a layer on. I had a chat with two guys in their sleeping bag, they hiked there the night before but hadn't left for the summit yet, told me they were going to wait for the wind to die down and the sun to come up. I couldn't wait to get out and continue! A steep snow slope followed which led me to the beginning of the Bosses ridge. Tackled the Grande Bosses first then onto the Petite Bosses; I can tell you both looked pretty 'grande' to me! This was roughly the time when the sun started coming up behind the horizon and painted the sky in the most beautiful colours. To my right, I even saw the shadow reflection of Mont Blanc which was so striking I had to stop to take a photo. The ridge is not the best place for it though, after a good couple of hours of climb and already at altitude, it's easy to loose balance and disappear. It was a good opportunity to grab my GoPro camera from the rucksack and attach it to my chest. Pressed play and carried on with trekking pole in one hand and ice axe in the other
The last part before the summit was an even more exposed ridge but by then I knew the top was so close and I could almost touch it. The last couple of meters felt like walking on clouds and I loved the warm sun touching my face. I even forgot about my worries about not having acclimatized or not being roped to anyone. That was it. The summit of Mont Blanc. At 6.45am, I made it.
I spotted a french guide with his clients who I chatted to the day before and I went up to him. As soon as he hugged me and gave me a kiss on my cheek, my tears were flowing out uncontrollably. The 360 degree view from the top was breath taking, everywhere I looked a peak was smiling back at me. The sky was bluer than I had ever seen it and the weather was just wonderful.
They say, getting to the summit is only half the job so I collected my ice axe, pole and rucksack and headed down. The stunning view was just getting better and better. I made it back to the Gouter hut at 9am and after a quick break I was descending back down on the rock face then crossed the Grand Couloir and down to the Tete Rousse Glacier. I had a quick break here and took my crampons off, the gaiters around my ankle, packed away the jacket and fleece and was wearing a wool top again as the sun was high already high. Caught the 1.50pm tram then the 2pm cable car and I was back in Les Houches. That quickly, it was over. 10 o'clock that evening I was on the flight to London.
My next '7 summit' expeditions are Kilimanjaro 4-14 September and Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia in October with Adventure Peaks.
I've just been accepted by the fantastic IMG (International Mountain Guides) to climb Mt. Vinson in Antarctica with them in November, so a lot more training, photography and hopefully successful summits ahead this year.
I would like to thank you all for the amazing support and believing in me.
I was still in a good shape but knew it would be a lot tougher physically and mentally than Elbrus; no ropes, team mates or guide to rely on and I only had a day and a half for the entire trek.
Before continuing the story, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to one of my sponsors: Nuffield Health, who made it possible for me to train in the Wimbledon gym every day for two weeks prior to the climb. I saw the confusion on one of the personal trainer's face, the ' I thought I have already seen you here today".. I am so grateful for the support at Nuffield, the training ground is excellent and within only two weeks I saw a huge improvement in my fitness and I was ready for the climb.
The hike started around 8am Wednesday morning from Nid d'Aigle. First I reached the Tete Rousse hut area at 3167m, I cautiously stayed a few hundred meters from the hut not to be tempted to rest long. This is the spot where team members rope up and put crampons on before stepping on the Tete Rousse Glacier. It dawned on me, the serious trek is about to start. Once I crossed the huge glacier field and ascended to the Grand Couloir, I forgot about the others and how alone I was as I had to face the scary couloir. This narrow path on the steep slope (40 degrees and 30m long) is probably one of the most dangerous parts of the climb where rock falls happen so often many people loose their lives. The day before a 45 year old german man was hit by a rock and he fell to his death. I managed to get across ok and a rather enjoyable scrambling and rock climbing followed on the ridge which led me up to the old Gouter hut. After a short climb on the snow slope I reached the new Gouter hut at 3,835m just after 2pm.
Dinner is served at 6.30pm but I decided to have a giant plate of pasta carbonara at 4pm just before the kitchen closed, and stay up until dinner. When everybody was in the eating area, I went into the dorm and crawled onto bed. I had a couple of hours undisturbed sleep before the other climbers are back from dinner. Next thing I remember was a stunning pink light sneaking through the dorm window around 9pm so I quickly grabbed my camera and took some photos of the sunset. Went back to bed knowing I only had a couple of hours to rest before the summit push.
The 1.30am alarm wasn't needed, I hardly slept from excitement. I shared the dorm with about 25 other climbers and everyone started getting up and ready for breakfast which was served at 2 o'clock. I was out and ready by 2.30am. Headtorch on, crampons tightly fitted on my mountaineering boots, water bottle filled up and wrapped in a fleece, trekking poles fixed, ice axe tucked on the side of the rucksack, extra layers inside and sweets in the gore-tex jacket pocket. No turning back now.
After I climbed a couple of passes the route led me up the north-west face of Dome de Gouter. There's an emergency hut here called the Vallot hut where I stopped to re-hydrate and put a layer on. I had a chat with two guys in their sleeping bag, they hiked there the night before but hadn't left for the summit yet, told me they were going to wait for the wind to die down and the sun to come up. I couldn't wait to get out and continue! A steep snow slope followed which led me to the beginning of the Bosses ridge. Tackled the Grande Bosses first then onto the Petite Bosses; I can tell you both looked pretty 'grande' to me! This was roughly the time when the sun started coming up behind the horizon and painted the sky in the most beautiful colours. To my right, I even saw the shadow reflection of Mont Blanc which was so striking I had to stop to take a photo. The ridge is not the best place for it though, after a good couple of hours of climb and already at altitude, it's easy to loose balance and disappear. It was a good opportunity to grab my GoPro camera from the rucksack and attach it to my chest. Pressed play and carried on with trekking pole in one hand and ice axe in the other
The last part before the summit was an even more exposed ridge but by then I knew the top was so close and I could almost touch it. The last couple of meters felt like walking on clouds and I loved the warm sun touching my face. I even forgot about my worries about not having acclimatized or not being roped to anyone. That was it. The summit of Mont Blanc. At 6.45am, I made it.
I spotted a french guide with his clients who I chatted to the day before and I went up to him. As soon as he hugged me and gave me a kiss on my cheek, my tears were flowing out uncontrollably. The 360 degree view from the top was breath taking, everywhere I looked a peak was smiling back at me. The sky was bluer than I had ever seen it and the weather was just wonderful.
They say, getting to the summit is only half the job so I collected my ice axe, pole and rucksack and headed down. The stunning view was just getting better and better. I made it back to the Gouter hut at 9am and after a quick break I was descending back down on the rock face then crossed the Grand Couloir and down to the Tete Rousse Glacier. I had a quick break here and took my crampons off, the gaiters around my ankle, packed away the jacket and fleece and was wearing a wool top again as the sun was high already high. Caught the 1.50pm tram then the 2pm cable car and I was back in Les Houches. That quickly, it was over. 10 o'clock that evening I was on the flight to London.
My next '7 summit' expeditions are Kilimanjaro 4-14 September and Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia in October with Adventure Peaks.
I've just been accepted by the fantastic IMG (International Mountain Guides) to climb Mt. Vinson in Antarctica with them in November, so a lot more training, photography and hopefully successful summits ahead this year.
I would like to thank you all for the amazing support and believing in me.
Expeditions confirmed
14th July 2014
14th July 2014
Kilimanjaro, Africa: 4-14 September 2014
Carstensz Pyramid, Oceania: 3-16 October 2014
Vinson Massif, Antarctica: 23 November - 9 December 2025
Carstensz Pyramid, Oceania: 3-16 October 2014
Vinson Massif, Antarctica: 23 November - 9 December 2025
Newspaper article
10th July 2014
10th July 2014
In: Media features
http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/2014/07/09/eating-disorder-held-me-down-now-im-climbing-the-world/
Let's b-eat this!
26th June 2014
26th June 2014
There’s a charity close to my heart and I just wish I knew about it when I was 16…
It is called b-eat and for the past 21 years they have been working with people affected by eating disorders and working in partnership with the media to promote positive reporting about these challenging conditions.
I was surprised to learn there are 1.6million people in the UK who are affected. The condition can affect anyone at any time but girls and young women aged 12-20 are most at risk.
The cause of eating disorders are complex and not yet fully understood but include a mix of genetic, biological and cultural factors. It is not a life style choice, I did not chose to be ill and wasn’t looking for attention. I was young with an unbelievably hectic schedule at high school and after school. I wasn’t eating regularly. Modelling and dancing was one of things I enjoyed doing however when I was told I needed to loose more weight, things rapidly went downhill. I do not blame my parents for not acting sooner, they knew I worked hard but one morning I was so weak I couldn’t get up. My father took me to the doctor who bluntly said, if I didn’t start eating I could die.
Luckily I had the summer break ahead of me and with the loving care of my mother I started eating, and holding down the food. I played sports at school so knowing I could get back healthily at the start of the semester was a great motivation.
There can be a serious long term consequences to physical health if the conditions are not treated quickly.
Nowadays I lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. I don’t follow strict diets but I don’t eat junk food either. I work out, look after my body but also enjoy a glass of wine and the food I eat. I spend as much time outdoors as I can I cherish every moment in life.
As an ambassador I am very proud and happy to raise awareness of the complexity of the issues, causes and risks and challenging the stigma associated with eating disorders. I will continue offering advice for people directly affected their families and others at risk and promoting the message of hope that eating disorder can be beaten with the right treatment and support.
Thank you for reading.
www.b-eat.co.uk
It is called b-eat and for the past 21 years they have been working with people affected by eating disorders and working in partnership with the media to promote positive reporting about these challenging conditions.
I was surprised to learn there are 1.6million people in the UK who are affected. The condition can affect anyone at any time but girls and young women aged 12-20 are most at risk.
The cause of eating disorders are complex and not yet fully understood but include a mix of genetic, biological and cultural factors. It is not a life style choice, I did not chose to be ill and wasn’t looking for attention. I was young with an unbelievably hectic schedule at high school and after school. I wasn’t eating regularly. Modelling and dancing was one of things I enjoyed doing however when I was told I needed to loose more weight, things rapidly went downhill. I do not blame my parents for not acting sooner, they knew I worked hard but one morning I was so weak I couldn’t get up. My father took me to the doctor who bluntly said, if I didn’t start eating I could die.
Luckily I had the summer break ahead of me and with the loving care of my mother I started eating, and holding down the food. I played sports at school so knowing I could get back healthily at the start of the semester was a great motivation.
There can be a serious long term consequences to physical health if the conditions are not treated quickly.
Nowadays I lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. I don’t follow strict diets but I don’t eat junk food either. I work out, look after my body but also enjoy a glass of wine and the food I eat. I spend as much time outdoors as I can I cherish every moment in life.
As an ambassador I am very proud and happy to raise awareness of the complexity of the issues, causes and risks and challenging the stigma associated with eating disorders. I will continue offering advice for people directly affected their families and others at risk and promoting the message of hope that eating disorder can be beaten with the right treatment and support.
Thank you for reading.
www.b-eat.co.uk
Thank you
26th June 2014
26th June 2014
I am overwhelmed by the amount of support and positive words I've been receiving since
endeavouring to climb the 7 summits.
It gives me an immense amount of energy and I am so thankful for everything.
Mom & Dad
my dear friends - you know who you are
Tim M. & Claire K.
Nuffield Health Wimbledon for providing an excellent training ground
and everyone at b-eat
It gives me an immense amount of energy and I am so thankful for everything.
Mom & Dad
my dear friends - you know who you are
Tim M. & Claire K.
Nuffield Health Wimbledon for providing an excellent training ground
and everyone at b-eat
The Climb
15th June 2014
15th June 2014
It’s 3pm on Tuesday 10th of June. I’m back in the comfort of my tent at Base Camp and decided
to sum up the previous 8 days.. It’s not easy!
When I landed in Minerlanye Vody on the 2nd and after waiting for an hour at the airport, a taxi driver turned up and said he would take me to the hotel. The rest of the expedition members arrived by the evening and after Andrey, our guide had checked our equipment in the room, we all went for a meal which was a great opportunity to get to know each other.
The start
There were 2 mini buses waiting for us and our bags outside the hotel on Tuesday the 3rd. These were loaded with food and our equipment and the group was split into half.
It was a bumpy ride but eventually we got to Base Camp. It started raining and it was pretty cloudy but after lunch we got into hiking gear and walked to the mineral water place.
The following day we hiked up the Mushroom rocks and back to BC. The day after on the 5th we took some of our stuff up to High Camp and moved back to BC for the night. On Friday the 6th we all moved up with the rest of our gear. On Saturday the 7th, Andrey took us to Lenz Rocks 4600m to acclimatise and said we had a day off on 8th before the summit bid.
Higher and higher
Both acclimatisation hiked went well and I felt pretty positive. The weather was changing constantly and we had to make sure to have a goretex jacket with us all the time. I wore merino wool as a base layer and found it very comfortable on hot and cold days.
By the time we moved up to High Camp the group jelled together nicely. When we had breaks, we would drink,munch on our lunch and have a chat. We got on incredibly well and I’m so pleased I decided to climb in a group. When you feel down or happy, there’s always someone there.. the moral was always pretty good but there was some nervous excitement in the air before summit night..
Getting to the top
On Sunday the 8th we were still guessing whether we could leave at 1am.. the weather hadn’t been great and although the forecast was good for the 9th, lots of snow had fallen and it didn’t look good.
We spent the rest day eating and chilling out in the hut and before dinner Andrey broke the news.. the good one was that we had an extra guide, Natalie but the weather wasn’t looking great and he thought we had to use our preserved day for the summit. We all ate dinner and went back to our sleeping bag for a 2 hour rest, nobody could sleep. We heard Andrey getting up at 11pm and announced that we would try and summit. We had breakfast soon after and by midnight we were ready to leave the hut. He lined us up in the snow, put our crampons on and half an hour after midnight we started the ascent from High Camp.
The night was nippy but the adrenalin kept everyone awake and we started moving slowly, roped up. After a tricky loo break in the harness we continued to the small rocks and from there we unlocked our carabiners from the rope and went up to Lenz rocks 4600m individually. We made good time and stopped there for a quick break then continued climbing under the stars..
Delirium
What happened after is still quite hazy; all I remember is Natalie telling us to stop and turn around, it was a glorious sunrise. First time I had a good look around and breathed the fresh mountain air in. Unfortunately we couldn’t enjoy the stunning view for long; weather closed in, wind picked up and by this our group had split. During every break Andrey told us he wouldn’t take us to the top, it was dangerous and the few people we popped into said it was impossible. We met a group of Icelandic skiers during one of our acclimatisation hike and they were going for the summit the same night. We saw them every now and then but they must have taken a different route up..
I actually really enjoyed the first part of the ascend; prepared a great ’summit’ playlist the day before and I felt strong. At about 5200 we expected Andrey to turn around as he had said before he would, we could not see anything around us. And that was roughly the time the altitude started taking a toll on me..
We were told that it would take about 8-10 hours to get to the top. Since we were pretty fast during both acclimatization and summit push to the Lens Rocks, we expected to match the "general" summit push length. One thing we didn't count on was the weather and our group had already lost 3 members. Amazingly, at 12.30pm on Monday the 9th of June, 5 out of 8 of us have made it to the top. We were told not to get out camera out and posed for one team picture then literally flew down the mountain in 3 hours!
Everybody including myself passed out after what we all agreed was one of the hardest days.. We moved back to to Base Camp this morning and couldn't believe how much the place have changed. Have we been away for that long? Looking at the newly built tents, the season is certainly about to start but it makes me incredibly proud to say we were the first team this season summitting Mt. Elbrus from the more difficult North side.
from left to right: myself, Avilash Bisht (IN), Kuntal Joisher (IN), Sarah Kingdom (ZA), Jorgen Evang (NO) and our guide Andrey Voronin (RU).
When I landed in Minerlanye Vody on the 2nd and after waiting for an hour at the airport, a taxi driver turned up and said he would take me to the hotel. The rest of the expedition members arrived by the evening and after Andrey, our guide had checked our equipment in the room, we all went for a meal which was a great opportunity to get to know each other.
The start
There were 2 mini buses waiting for us and our bags outside the hotel on Tuesday the 3rd. These were loaded with food and our equipment and the group was split into half.
It was a bumpy ride but eventually we got to Base Camp. It started raining and it was pretty cloudy but after lunch we got into hiking gear and walked to the mineral water place.
The following day we hiked up the Mushroom rocks and back to BC. The day after on the 5th we took some of our stuff up to High Camp and moved back to BC for the night. On Friday the 6th we all moved up with the rest of our gear. On Saturday the 7th, Andrey took us to Lenz Rocks 4600m to acclimatise and said we had a day off on 8th before the summit bid.
Higher and higher
Both acclimatisation hiked went well and I felt pretty positive. The weather was changing constantly and we had to make sure to have a goretex jacket with us all the time. I wore merino wool as a base layer and found it very comfortable on hot and cold days.
By the time we moved up to High Camp the group jelled together nicely. When we had breaks, we would drink,munch on our lunch and have a chat. We got on incredibly well and I’m so pleased I decided to climb in a group. When you feel down or happy, there’s always someone there.. the moral was always pretty good but there was some nervous excitement in the air before summit night..
Getting to the top
On Sunday the 8th we were still guessing whether we could leave at 1am.. the weather hadn’t been great and although the forecast was good for the 9th, lots of snow had fallen and it didn’t look good.
We spent the rest day eating and chilling out in the hut and before dinner Andrey broke the news.. the good one was that we had an extra guide, Natalie but the weather wasn’t looking great and he thought we had to use our preserved day for the summit. We all ate dinner and went back to our sleeping bag for a 2 hour rest, nobody could sleep. We heard Andrey getting up at 11pm and announced that we would try and summit. We had breakfast soon after and by midnight we were ready to leave the hut. He lined us up in the snow, put our crampons on and half an hour after midnight we started the ascent from High Camp.
The night was nippy but the adrenalin kept everyone awake and we started moving slowly, roped up. After a tricky loo break in the harness we continued to the small rocks and from there we unlocked our carabiners from the rope and went up to Lenz rocks 4600m individually. We made good time and stopped there for a quick break then continued climbing under the stars..
Delirium
What happened after is still quite hazy; all I remember is Natalie telling us to stop and turn around, it was a glorious sunrise. First time I had a good look around and breathed the fresh mountain air in. Unfortunately we couldn’t enjoy the stunning view for long; weather closed in, wind picked up and by this our group had split. During every break Andrey told us he wouldn’t take us to the top, it was dangerous and the few people we popped into said it was impossible. We met a group of Icelandic skiers during one of our acclimatisation hike and they were going for the summit the same night. We saw them every now and then but they must have taken a different route up..
I actually really enjoyed the first part of the ascend; prepared a great ’summit’ playlist the day before and I felt strong. At about 5200 we expected Andrey to turn around as he had said before he would, we could not see anything around us. And that was roughly the time the altitude started taking a toll on me..
We were told that it would take about 8-10 hours to get to the top. Since we were pretty fast during both acclimatization and summit push to the Lens Rocks, we expected to match the "general" summit push length. One thing we didn't count on was the weather and our group had already lost 3 members. Amazingly, at 12.30pm on Monday the 9th of June, 5 out of 8 of us have made it to the top. We were told not to get out camera out and posed for one team picture then literally flew down the mountain in 3 hours!
Everybody including myself passed out after what we all agreed was one of the hardest days.. We moved back to to Base Camp this morning and couldn't believe how much the place have changed. Have we been away for that long? Looking at the newly built tents, the season is certainly about to start but it makes me incredibly proud to say we were the first team this season summitting Mt. Elbrus from the more difficult North side.
from left to right: myself, Avilash Bisht (IN), Kuntal Joisher (IN), Sarah Kingdom (ZA), Jorgen Evang (NO) and our guide Andrey Voronin (RU).
Tour de Magyarorszag
05th June 2014
05th June 2014
In: Media features
(A one off article in Hungarian. For English please click translate at the bottom of this
page. )
Amikor repjegyet foglaltam haza nem ugy keszultem hogy vegig turnezom a 6 napot de igy alalkult es milyen jo volt!
Komlo TV-nel kezdtem ahol talan meg nehez volt ertelmes mondatokat magyarul kipreselnem igy parszor ujra kellett venni valaszokat de a fiuk nagyon turelmesek voltak es a vegere en is belelendultem.
A 35 perces adast itt lehet megnezni: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Wf3x_R_jDSSFVNeHFaNWdzZEE/view?ts=57459290
Az eloadasokra mar Londonban keszultem; egy 10 perces klippet vagtam ossze a hegyes videoimbol ami ala stilus szeruen a ‘Mountains’ cimu szamot illesztettem be plusz dramakent. Oke Oscart valoszinu nem kapok ezert a roved filmert de szerintem eleg jol sikerult es tudtam egy szosszenetet atadni a vendegeknek.
Magyarszeken volt az elso eloadas Punkosd hetfon, ahol sikerult megteliteni a termet ismeros es ismeretlen, de kedves arcokkal. Szuleim is ott voltak akik par sztorit akkor hallottak eloszor! (Nekik altalaban a finomitott verziot szoktam elmeselni az expediciok utan..)
A magyarszeki polgarmester koszontese utan bele is vagtam es az eloadas utan volt ido kerdes valaszokra is. Nem tudtam hogy mire szamitsak de ennyi biztato es kedves szo egy hatalmas loketet adott a het elejen. Arrol nem is beszelve hogy hivatalosan a magyarszeki sportegyesulet tagjava hirdettek!
Masnap Pecsen voltam a Pannon TV-vel interju a Nappali barban majd ott felallitottuk az projector es atmentunk a Vasutas Muvelodesi Hazba ahol a Vagabond Vilagjaro Klubban adtam eloadas a 7 hegycsucsrol. A kerdes-valasz reszt le kellett roviditenem es sajnos nem tudtam az eljott vendegekkel sokat beszelgetni mert rohannom kellett vissza a Nappali Barba (Kiraly utca) ahol addigra mar kezdett megtelitodni a helyseg. Felemelo erzes volt amikor sok baratsagos es mosolygo arcot lattam a nezok kozott es ugy erzem talan, mire addigra mar bemelegettem, talan addig az volt a legjobb eloadasom.
Dedikalt PM Lemez :)
Innen is sajnos el kellett viharozni mert az utolso Pecs- Bp Oszkaros taxit foglaltam le aznap estere.
Unokanoveremhez ejfelkor ertem fol (hulla faradtan) de mivel 2 eve nem lattuk egymast egy jo darabig fennt maradtunk csevegni.
Reggel koran volt a keles mert mentem ki a Hit Radio 9es elo musoraba es elobb oda szerettem volna erni hogy legyen idom letolni a kakaos csigat amit elozo nap anyukam keszitett be az ‘uzsonnas’ szatyorba. A legtobb kakao a szam korul lehettet szetmaszatolva amikor kijott a producer a studiobol hogy szeretnenek egy szelfit a facebookra.
A fantasztikus hangulatu egy oras adas nagyon gyorsan leporgott es azon vettem eszre magma hogy szantotam at a varoson hogy beerjek az interjura amit a Kossuth radionak vettunk fol.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0YUqsgG0GwnbGp4X3VwQWFWREE/view?usp=sharing
Ezutan egy gyerekkori baratomat latogattam meg a Gild Florianban aki ott egy szuper es sikeres szemelyi edzo. Vele evtizedek ota ismerjuk egymast es termeszetesen volt kozos tema.. ha nem kellett volna rohannom az M1-hez bevallaltam volna siman egy edzest nala mert igen ram fert ☺
Az M1es elo tv meghivasnak is borzasztoan orultem.
Sminkes & fodrasz probal valamit kihozni a lehetetlenbol.. mission majdnem accomplished.:)
Bar izgultam mert nem kaptam meg elore a kerdeseket de Radnai Csaba-val nagyon jol lepergettuk a 8perces feature-t a delutani hiradoban. Itt lehet megnezni:
http://www.mediaklikk.hu/video/nemeth-alexandra-a-ma-delutanban/
Az egyenes adas utan bent maradhattam a studioban es fulesen at hallgattam a hirado tovabbi reszet. Imadnek a TV-nek dolgozni!
A PR turanak utolso allamosa a Budapest belvarosi Godor klubban volt. Megtelt a terem itt is es nagyon jol sikerult. Hangom mar nem nagyon maradt a vegere de hihetetlenul jo volt amikor sokan ott maradtak az eloadas utan meselni hogy ki merre jart a nagy vilagban es mik a terveik. Meg mindig ledobbenek hogy ennyien foladtak az esti progijukat es eljottek meghallgatni az eloadasomat..A nyuzsis napot/ hetet egy finom vacsival fejeztem be baratokkal.
Eljott a visszautazasom napja es pont szulinapom is volt ☺ Unokanoveremmel egy lustis laza reggeli utan (mintha az orvos irta volna fel) elmentunk egy nagyot setalni Budara a gyonyoru napsutesben. Talan ez volt az elso alkalom amikor nem kellett atrohannom a varoson es radobbentem milyen csodalatos a fovarosunk.
Ezuton is szeretnem megkoszonni a segitseget:
Szuleimnek akik mint mindig mellettem, mogottem alltak.
Unokanoveremnek a tamogatasert, szallasert es az utolso pillanatos laptop toltoert.. jo tudni hogy barmikor szamithatok ra– koszi Zsu es nagybatyjamnak – azert a telefon hivasert.. es uzenem hogy “befejezzuk a kerekpar szakaszt” ☺
A mamamnak akivel nem tudtam eleg idot tolteni es remelem hamar begyogyul a keztocsontja.. (84 evesen meg biciklizik.. kire is utottem ☺ )
Koszonet az osszes otthoni baratnak akik megertettek a zsufolt progit de igy is ossze tudtunk hozni talikat es azoknak is akik eljottek az eloadasomra. Jo volt Titeket latni.
A szilvasi ovi dolgozoinak koztuk draga keresztanyamnak, imadok visszajarni a regi ovimba.
Szponzori es media tamogatasok:
Posztos Aniko @ iQor
Karpati Jeno @ Magyarszek Polgarmester
Pamer Balint a szuper facebook banner designert
Rimai Timea @ travel.hu
Karagic Isti & Magyar Feri @ Komloi TV
Kuti Gergely @ Pannon TV
Radnai Csaba & Koknya Dorottya @ M1
Fekete Rita & stab @ HIT Radio Budapest
Burkert Rudolf @ Kossuth Radio
Magyarszek
Vagabond Pecs
Nappali Bar Pecs
Godor Klub Budapest csapatainak.
.... halasan koszonok mindent.
Alexandra (de sokaknak meg mindig Szasza :) )
Amikor repjegyet foglaltam haza nem ugy keszultem hogy vegig turnezom a 6 napot de igy alalkult es milyen jo volt!
Komlo TV-nel kezdtem ahol talan meg nehez volt ertelmes mondatokat magyarul kipreselnem igy parszor ujra kellett venni valaszokat de a fiuk nagyon turelmesek voltak es a vegere en is belelendultem.
A 35 perces adast itt lehet megnezni: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Wf3x_R_jDSSFVNeHFaNWdzZEE/view?ts=57459290
Az eloadasokra mar Londonban keszultem; egy 10 perces klippet vagtam ossze a hegyes videoimbol ami ala stilus szeruen a ‘Mountains’ cimu szamot illesztettem be plusz dramakent. Oke Oscart valoszinu nem kapok ezert a roved filmert de szerintem eleg jol sikerult es tudtam egy szosszenetet atadni a vendegeknek.
Magyarszeken volt az elso eloadas Punkosd hetfon, ahol sikerult megteliteni a termet ismeros es ismeretlen, de kedves arcokkal. Szuleim is ott voltak akik par sztorit akkor hallottak eloszor! (Nekik altalaban a finomitott verziot szoktam elmeselni az expediciok utan..)
A magyarszeki polgarmester koszontese utan bele is vagtam es az eloadas utan volt ido kerdes valaszokra is. Nem tudtam hogy mire szamitsak de ennyi biztato es kedves szo egy hatalmas loketet adott a het elejen. Arrol nem is beszelve hogy hivatalosan a magyarszeki sportegyesulet tagjava hirdettek!
Masnap Pecsen voltam a Pannon TV-vel interju a Nappali barban majd ott felallitottuk az projector es atmentunk a Vasutas Muvelodesi Hazba ahol a Vagabond Vilagjaro Klubban adtam eloadas a 7 hegycsucsrol. A kerdes-valasz reszt le kellett roviditenem es sajnos nem tudtam az eljott vendegekkel sokat beszelgetni mert rohannom kellett vissza a Nappali Barba (Kiraly utca) ahol addigra mar kezdett megtelitodni a helyseg. Felemelo erzes volt amikor sok baratsagos es mosolygo arcot lattam a nezok kozott es ugy erzem talan, mire addigra mar bemelegettem, talan addig az volt a legjobb eloadasom.
Dedikalt PM Lemez :)
Innen is sajnos el kellett viharozni mert az utolso Pecs- Bp Oszkaros taxit foglaltam le aznap estere.
Unokanoveremhez ejfelkor ertem fol (hulla faradtan) de mivel 2 eve nem lattuk egymast egy jo darabig fennt maradtunk csevegni.
Reggel koran volt a keles mert mentem ki a Hit Radio 9es elo musoraba es elobb oda szerettem volna erni hogy legyen idom letolni a kakaos csigat amit elozo nap anyukam keszitett be az ‘uzsonnas’ szatyorba. A legtobb kakao a szam korul lehettet szetmaszatolva amikor kijott a producer a studiobol hogy szeretnenek egy szelfit a facebookra.
A fantasztikus hangulatu egy oras adas nagyon gyorsan leporgott es azon vettem eszre magma hogy szantotam at a varoson hogy beerjek az interjura amit a Kossuth radionak vettunk fol.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0YUqsgG0GwnbGp4X3VwQWFWREE/view?usp=sharing
Ezutan egy gyerekkori baratomat latogattam meg a Gild Florianban aki ott egy szuper es sikeres szemelyi edzo. Vele evtizedek ota ismerjuk egymast es termeszetesen volt kozos tema.. ha nem kellett volna rohannom az M1-hez bevallaltam volna siman egy edzest nala mert igen ram fert ☺
Az M1es elo tv meghivasnak is borzasztoan orultem.
Sminkes & fodrasz probal valamit kihozni a lehetetlenbol.. mission majdnem accomplished.:)
Bar izgultam mert nem kaptam meg elore a kerdeseket de Radnai Csaba-val nagyon jol lepergettuk a 8perces feature-t a delutani hiradoban. Itt lehet megnezni:
http://www.mediaklikk.hu/video/nemeth-alexandra-a-ma-delutanban/
Az egyenes adas utan bent maradhattam a studioban es fulesen at hallgattam a hirado tovabbi reszet. Imadnek a TV-nek dolgozni!
A PR turanak utolso allamosa a Budapest belvarosi Godor klubban volt. Megtelt a terem itt is es nagyon jol sikerult. Hangom mar nem nagyon maradt a vegere de hihetetlenul jo volt amikor sokan ott maradtak az eloadas utan meselni hogy ki merre jart a nagy vilagban es mik a terveik. Meg mindig ledobbenek hogy ennyien foladtak az esti progijukat es eljottek meghallgatni az eloadasomat..A nyuzsis napot/ hetet egy finom vacsival fejeztem be baratokkal.
Eljott a visszautazasom napja es pont szulinapom is volt ☺ Unokanoveremmel egy lustis laza reggeli utan (mintha az orvos irta volna fel) elmentunk egy nagyot setalni Budara a gyonyoru napsutesben. Talan ez volt az elso alkalom amikor nem kellett atrohannom a varoson es radobbentem milyen csodalatos a fovarosunk.
Ezuton is szeretnem megkoszonni a segitseget:
Szuleimnek akik mint mindig mellettem, mogottem alltak.
Unokanoveremnek a tamogatasert, szallasert es az utolso pillanatos laptop toltoert.. jo tudni hogy barmikor szamithatok ra– koszi Zsu es nagybatyjamnak – azert a telefon hivasert.. es uzenem hogy “befejezzuk a kerekpar szakaszt” ☺
A mamamnak akivel nem tudtam eleg idot tolteni es remelem hamar begyogyul a keztocsontja.. (84 evesen meg biciklizik.. kire is utottem ☺ )
Koszonet az osszes otthoni baratnak akik megertettek a zsufolt progit de igy is ossze tudtunk hozni talikat es azoknak is akik eljottek az eloadasomra. Jo volt Titeket latni.
A szilvasi ovi dolgozoinak koztuk draga keresztanyamnak, imadok visszajarni a regi ovimba.
Szponzori es media tamogatasok:
Posztos Aniko @ iQor
Karpati Jeno @ Magyarszek Polgarmester
Pamer Balint a szuper facebook banner designert
Rimai Timea @ travel.hu
Karagic Isti & Magyar Feri @ Komloi TV
Kuti Gergely @ Pannon TV
Radnai Csaba & Koknya Dorottya @ M1
Fekete Rita & stab @ HIT Radio Budapest
Burkert Rudolf @ Kossuth Radio
Magyarszek
Vagabond Pecs
Nappali Bar Pecs
Godor Klub Budapest csapatainak.
.... halasan koszonok mindent.
Alexandra (de sokaknak meg mindig Szasza :) )
The packing..
31st May 2014
31st May 2014
I spent the past couple of weeks training hard, getting the last bits of equipment and gear
and watching every single climbing video of Mt. Elbrus North side on youtube.
Yet I know that nothing can quite prepare me for the harsh weather, altitude and the long days of pushing higher and higher on Europe's tallest mountain in the Caucasus Range.
It's been 2 years since I was at altitude in the Nepal Himalayas and although Mount Elbrus rises "only" 5,642m (18,510ft) above the sea level, it is the deadliest mountain of the 7 summits. As many as 30 people die there every year due to altitude sickness and effect of the the extreme cold, many poorly trained individuals get into trouble for these reasons.
Excitement has turned into nervousness; am I going to be able to capture the raw beauty of the mountain? Will I make it to the top and back? Are my legs going to carry me all the way? Am I mentally prepared?
I had to choose the mountaineering equipment rather carefully.. Nowadays there is a large variety of ice picks, trekking poles, clothing items available but for me weight was always going to be an issue as I'll be carrying DSLR cameras etc so I decided to pick the lightest yet toughest ones possible:
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles
Black Diamond Venom Adze Ice Axe
Grivel G12 crampons
To protect my eyes from the strong sun and snow blindness, I'm taking the Julbo Revolution Zebra googles and the Julbo Trek glacier sunglasses.
I've got a pair of Salomon trail running shoes for traveling Salomon Quest for lower altitude trekking and the Scarpa Phantom Guide for technical and icy terrain.
As per camera gear, I am taking my Nikon D800 with the 24-70mm f2.8 & 10.5mm f2.8 super wide angle lens. I'll also have the bombproof Panasonic Lumix DMC FT5 and a GOPRO Hero 3+ to take photos and videos during the expedition.
Along with the -20C Mountain Equipment Snowline down sleeping bag I'm taking a self- inflatable matt for extra cushioning and protection against the cold at night.
Most of the gear is brand new and hasn't been tested by me but I fully trust the brands and the feedback from other climbers. Look forward to reporting back with my personal feedback! ;-)
Yet I know that nothing can quite prepare me for the harsh weather, altitude and the long days of pushing higher and higher on Europe's tallest mountain in the Caucasus Range.
It's been 2 years since I was at altitude in the Nepal Himalayas and although Mount Elbrus rises "only" 5,642m (18,510ft) above the sea level, it is the deadliest mountain of the 7 summits. As many as 30 people die there every year due to altitude sickness and effect of the the extreme cold, many poorly trained individuals get into trouble for these reasons.
Excitement has turned into nervousness; am I going to be able to capture the raw beauty of the mountain? Will I make it to the top and back? Are my legs going to carry me all the way? Am I mentally prepared?
I had to choose the mountaineering equipment rather carefully.. Nowadays there is a large variety of ice picks, trekking poles, clothing items available but for me weight was always going to be an issue as I'll be carrying DSLR cameras etc so I decided to pick the lightest yet toughest ones possible:
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles
Black Diamond Venom Adze Ice Axe
Grivel G12 crampons
To protect my eyes from the strong sun and snow blindness, I'm taking the Julbo Revolution Zebra googles and the Julbo Trek glacier sunglasses.
I've got a pair of Salomon trail running shoes for traveling Salomon Quest for lower altitude trekking and the Scarpa Phantom Guide for technical and icy terrain.
As per camera gear, I am taking my Nikon D800 with the 24-70mm f2.8 & 10.5mm f2.8 super wide angle lens. I'll also have the bombproof Panasonic Lumix DMC FT5 and a GOPRO Hero 3+ to take photos and videos during the expedition.
Along with the -20C Mountain Equipment Snowline down sleeping bag I'm taking a self- inflatable matt for extra cushioning and protection against the cold at night.
Most of the gear is brand new and hasn't been tested by me but I fully trust the brands and the feedback from other climbers. Look forward to reporting back with my personal feedback! ;-)
The training
18th May 2014
18th May 2014
In 2 weeks I'll be packing (and probably panicking) for Elbrus! Here is how I prepare myself
physically for the first summit:
Monday & Wednesday evening spinning classes at Kings Sport in Wimbledon. The three instructors are absolutely fantastic; Mike, Lisa and Louise. We do a lot of hills, sprints and intervals, the classes are always different, hard work but I really enjoy it. This is how I trained for the 3 week Gokyo Lakes/ Everest/Kala Patthar solo trek in 2012.
Tuesday & Friday evenings I'm normally in the Kings gym - running and hill climbing on the treadmill, weights lifting, doing abs exercises, pushing hard on the gym bike on 'Hill' mode and trying to figure out how to use the big scary machines.
I noticed my knees don't like when I run on tarmac so I prefer trail running. Luckily I live near Wimbledon Common, a fabulous place to exercise outdoors.
I sold my car about 6 months ago and bought a Carrera bike so I cycle everywhere - grocery shopping, work, meeting friends or picking up expedition gear. I swear by it. Not much fun in the rain but keeps my legs strong and I feel like I've done something on non-gym/ spinning days.
I've been making short clips during working out on my GoPro Hero 3+ camera and will be adding a training video before I'm off to the Caucasus.
Monday & Wednesday evening spinning classes at Kings Sport in Wimbledon. The three instructors are absolutely fantastic; Mike, Lisa and Louise. We do a lot of hills, sprints and intervals, the classes are always different, hard work but I really enjoy it. This is how I trained for the 3 week Gokyo Lakes/ Everest/Kala Patthar solo trek in 2012.
Tuesday & Friday evenings I'm normally in the Kings gym - running and hill climbing on the treadmill, weights lifting, doing abs exercises, pushing hard on the gym bike on 'Hill' mode and trying to figure out how to use the big scary machines.
I noticed my knees don't like when I run on tarmac so I prefer trail running. Luckily I live near Wimbledon Common, a fabulous place to exercise outdoors.
I sold my car about 6 months ago and bought a Carrera bike so I cycle everywhere - grocery shopping, work, meeting friends or picking up expedition gear. I swear by it. Not much fun in the rain but keeps my legs strong and I feel like I've done something on non-gym/ spinning days.
I've been making short clips during working out on my GoPro Hero 3+ camera and will be adding a training video before I'm off to the Caucasus.
The Plan
09th May 2014
09th May 2014
Just over a month ago I decided to climb the 7 summits - the 7 highest mountains on the 7
continents. These are:
Mt Elbrus 5642m Russia - EUROPE
Kilimanjaro 5892m Tanzania - AFRICA
Carstensz Pyramid 4884m Indonesia - OCEANIA
Vinson Massif 4892m - ANTARCTICA
Aconcagua 6962m Argentina - SOUTH AMERICA
Mt McKinley 6194m Alaska - NORTH AMERICA
Mt Everest 8848m Nepal - ASIA
I have given myself 2-3 years to complete it; with sponsorship, training and support I believe I can do it.
I will be taking photographs during each expedition and hopefully once I've climbed all 7 mountains and come back in one piece, I'll put on a photography exhibition.
I hope I will inspire young people during my journeys, especially who suffer with eating disorders. I've decided to donate 10% of sales of my pictures to a charity called b-eat.
Mt Elbrus 5642m Russia - EUROPE
Kilimanjaro 5892m Tanzania - AFRICA
Carstensz Pyramid 4884m Indonesia - OCEANIA
Vinson Massif 4892m - ANTARCTICA
Aconcagua 6962m Argentina - SOUTH AMERICA
Mt McKinley 6194m Alaska - NORTH AMERICA
Mt Everest 8848m Nepal - ASIA
I have given myself 2-3 years to complete it; with sponsorship, training and support I believe I can do it.
I will be taking photographs during each expedition and hopefully once I've climbed all 7 mountains and come back in one piece, I'll put on a photography exhibition.
I hope I will inspire young people during my journeys, especially who suffer with eating disorders. I've decided to donate 10% of sales of my pictures to a charity called b-eat.