Bid to climb Mount Everest
Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club president David Hayes celebrated reaching the top of the world’s highest mountain.
But the club’s expedition to Everest was virtual and included members undertaking dog walks, cycling, rowing and general walks.
David Hayes said: “Daily they have walked, climbed, cycled and rowed to build up the real distance and height.
“They’re all in their 70s but they’ve put their bodies through a gruelling regime to get us to our goal.”
Among the trekkers was Graham Chilvers, the organiser of the whole initiative.
“He met his daily quota of distance and height by walking his dog, Jet, up and down the steps around Knaresborough Castle,” added David.
The Everest Club members covered 3,900 miles (which is about as far as Harrogate is from Lahore in Pakistan) and climbed 106,000 feet (44 times higher than Whernside).
Using a formula devised in advance to translate the Yorkshire effort into Himalayan achievement, the miles travelled and feet climbed equates to 1525 expedition miles trekked and 1,056,000 feet climbed against a target of 1500 miles and 1,000,000 feet.
“That target requirement was set way above the actual numbers required to climb Everest to take account of the enormously more difficult conditions, steeper gradients and increasingly significant lack of oxygen at altitude that a real expedition would encounter.”
The appeal continues for another few weeks and the money raised will then be split.
“Some will go to bolster Brigantes’ Covid Relief Fund so that it is better able to respond to the needs of what look likely to be some difficult months ahead,” added David.
“The rest will be split between two local charities doing important work to help those badly affected by the Covid pandemic: the mental health charity Wellspring, and Carers’ Resource which provides support for carers of all ages.
“Carers and those with mental health issues have been particularly badly hit by the consequences of the Covid pandemic and Brigantes is determined to give them as much support as possible.”
Anyone who would like to help, or just to read about the “oldest expedition ever to scale Everest” visit the Club’s website (www.rotaryharrogatebrigantes.org.uk).