Newry trio' s grand ascent to base of Mount Everest

MAKING a grand ascent to the base camp of Mount Everest were a terrific trio of Newry men.     

 Gareth Carroll, Phillip Brown and Martin White undertook  the arduous trek to the base camp of the world’s tallest mountain to raise funds for the Southern Area Hospice, a charity dearest to each of their hearts.

Whilst the turbulent   trek of  5’364 meters to the base camp   proved to be an exhausting endeavour ,  these three fellows can return  home  with their heads held high  having raised eight times the  initial target  set for their chosen charity.

 Whilst every penny of  this bountiful amount  will go directly towards the Southern Area Hospice to ensure the continuation of  their services, according to Gareth this sum did not come without a prerequisite degree of blood, sweat and tears shed as he and his comrades stepped  every inch closer to the sole of Everest’s foot.

Life’s hardest challenge

“It was the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives.” said Gareth.

“If someone gave me £100'000 to do it again I would not do it. I would not go back up as Jesus it was tough. There were days when we were buzzing and there were days you would want to cry.

“Having said this it was a great experience and we met people from the group from Wales and England. We all got on well together, the guys looked after us well.

“We saw snow Leopard footprints in the snow with a couple of different animals. We saw the national bird of Nepal, the Himalayan Monal. It is a big type of pheasant. Plenty of yaks, donkeys and horses. They were carrying the goods up and there were local people riding the horses up the track like Cowboys. There were massive waterfalls with rope bridges. It was very interesting.”

As Gareth explained the journey to the base camp of Everest did not begin when they first laid eye upon the arduous path which comprised their journey, but when they first took to the sky to travel to Nepal like the birds that looked down upon them as they put one foot in front of the other to get to journey’s end.

Flight to Everest

“We flew to Heathrow where we met up with the rest of the group and then we met up with the guides once we arrived in Kathmandu. It was an awful long flight. Fifteen hours in total. It was four and half maybe five hours to Istanbul and then it was from Istanbul to Kathmandu.

“We arrived on October 9, starting trekking on the 10th and we got back into Kathmandu on the 23rd. It was about 13 days non-stop walking. It was nine days constant walking to base camp and then four or five days back down. We decided to skip the villages so we ended up a few days ahead of ourselves coming back. We finished a day earlier so we had an extra night in Kathmandu.

“It was a good experience. Having said that it was very tough going and there were days I just wanted to go home because we were exhausted and the altitude affects your brain.

“We all suffered a bit of altitude sickness. I got no sleep, some of the boys had headaches and nosebleeds.

“You were climbing up big cliffs, trying to get your breathe, stopping and puffing, panting. It was hard work. However you just keep walking. You go up over peaks and your legs are sore. Then you are up in the cold. We were getting up at 6am in the morning, eating breakfast at 6.45am then you are away walking and not stopping for six, seven or eight hours.

“It was brutal going up and down hills and steps and over big valleys and rope bridges. It was mad. The legs are dead so we were trying to get our bodies recovered for a couple of days.

“The sun was out during the day when we hiked up. I don't know what the temperature was but it was probably about 15 or 16 degrees. As soon as the sun went down it was pitch black at six O'clock and it was near enough freezing.

“The weather conditions changed very quick when you are on the trail, especially when you were up around the peak. The highest we did was 5'500 meters.

“We were living on rice and noodles most of the time but we had a nice meal when we returned to Katmandu, something similar to home. Meat, mash potatoes and vegetables as we were all missing our home food.

Nine grand from grand ascent

 Now with their feet planted firmly back on Irish soil following their high altitude trip in Nepal, Gareth shared in the fact that as much as nine grand has been raised for the Southern Area Hospice following their grand excursion.

“Money wise we are sitting around £8000 or slightly over. We were only planning to raise £1000 and the payments are still coming in. We have about £7'500 on the GoFundMe page and then we have about £1500 in the gift aid. We have a bit of cash as well so we are coming close to £9000 in total.

“The £8000 will go towards the Southern Area Hospice for the care of people and to cover whatever maintenance  they have to do in the Hospice. All the money goes straight into their account from the just giving page. Any cash we have we will leave this up to the reception once we get home. We are very pleased with what we have got.”