Saturday 11 February 2012
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“Quite simply the greatest adventure of my life.”
9 December 2009
In October 2009 24 employees from Galacoral (And one crazy girl from Sue Ryder) embarked on a remarkable journey to the base camp of number one, Mount Everest in the Nepalese Himalayas. The trek was the driving force behind a colossal fundraising effort that saw over one hundred thousand pounds being raised for Sue Ryder. Each member of the trek pledged to raise a minimum of four thousand pounds and there have been some truly brilliant fundraising totals rolling in, that show the level of commitment and fortitude that frankly would also be apparent on the mountain passes. Having seen first hand the amazing work that Sue Ryder do and from the wealth of knowledge provided by Laura, our charity liaison, mentor, shoulder to cry on and friend. Every member of the trek knew that every pound donated would go to relieve the suffering and improve the lives of so many people. A year's worth of hard work and planning was realised on the 16th of October as one by one members of the trek appeared at terminal 4 in Heathrow airport and looked at each other with excitement and adventure. This was it……..Everest baby!
“Everest Baby”
The trek would take us the best part of two weeks. Two weeks of hard work, two weeks of pain and hardship, two weeks of emotional and physical challenge. Actually, it was more like two weeks of fun, friendship, laughing, stunning scenery and a great sense of comradeship. The trek was by no means easy, far from it. Each day was filled with hard work. A typical day would see the group rise early, often before sunrise,have breakfast of porridge (sweetened with half a jar of honey) followed by egg on toast. Then we would fill up our water bottles for the several hours of trekking through some absolutely epic vistas. We would stop for lunch at a tea house and be fed with steamed cheese sandwiches and vegetables (a local delicacy). Then we hit the trail again, arriving in camp just before sunset. Each day’s events would be discussed at dinner along with large amounts of gambling and attempting to snatch each others fingers off in card game called “Spoons”. All the while, we would huddle around a “yakpat” (Nepalese cowpat) burning stove in our hats, gloves, thermals and down jackets contemplating the next day’s tasks.
The trekking involved walking many kilometres over uneven, rocky and dusty terrain but all in the shadow of the imposing giants of Everest, Ama Dablam and Lokste. In the lower sections of the trek, the environment was very pleasant with forests of pine trees, waterfalls and stunning rivers of milky white glacial melt water. One of the most exhilarating parts was traversing the canyons and ravines on steel rope bridges that would sway and rattle in the wind. My own fear of heights was tested to the limit but I’m glad to say it was well and truly conquered. On the higher sections of the trek, the environment turned to brush land and then almost desert. We would make our way along the remains of ancient river beds and cover ground through deep valleys carved from the landscape by glaciers eons ago, every step getting us closer to our goal of base camp.
“Base Camp”
The ultimate goal of reaching the base camp and playing a game of bingo was within reach for everyone in the group. A massive achievement in itself, as we expected that not everyone would make it through a combination of fatigue and altitude sickness. Almost all in the group, including myself, felt the effects of the extreme altitude. It has a crushing effect on the lungs’ ability to supply muscles with oxygen and also the mind’s ability to function correctly and process the sensory onslaught of the environment. Some truly amazing personal efforts were put in to reach the base camp and I know I speak for everyone when I say how proud we all were that the whole group made it.
Being one of the first to the base camp afforded me the luxury of being able to see what it meant to everyone as they crossed the line. The smiles and the tears, the hugs and kisses, and the quiet moments of reflection will stay with me forever. My own sense of achievement brought a tear to my eye as I was hugged and high-fived continuously by those around me. I shouted “Everest Baby!” and took a few moments to look around and soak up the atmosphere. As each group member got close, a chorus of encouragement would ring out to show our support. Then as the final person crossed the line, the group was complete – we had made it.
The major hook of our fundraising plan was to play the world’s highest game of bingo at base camp. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time of conception but now we actually had to do it. Books and dabbers were made ready to play as our bingo caller “Ross O’Shaughnessy” donned a gold jacket to call the numbers. The wind whistled around us as quiet descended for our game. “House” was called by the lucky “Paddy King,” who became the winner of the world’s highest game of bingo. I’m not certain as to whether this will be accredited into the Guinness Book of World Records but I can sleep safe at night knowing that I am unlikely to ever meet anyone else who has achieved the same feat.
“Local Swagger”
Our adventure had reached its climax and we now started the trek home. The group was in high spirits the whole way back and we all looked forward to a well-deserved drink of refreshing “Everest” beer. The trek back was a blur as we could feel ourselves getting stronger with every step. More and more oxygen filled our lungs and I swear we could have run home. It felt like I had conquered the world. A new and exotic mix of chemicals filled my brain (all natural of course) and at that point, I felt invincible. The group laughed and joked all the way back to our starting point in Lukla; it felt as though we had known each other all our lives. We had shared so much, comforted and encouraged, laughed and cried. There will be a bond between us all and whenever we think of our adventure, we will remember the great time we had together.
Our final night in the mountains was a memorable one indeed, as we presented our support team with well-earned pay and some exceptional words of gratitude and respect. Our support team of Sherpas, Yak handlers, cooks and porters were a phenomenal bunch of warm hearted, dignified and humble people. Some real characters shone through making us laugh and winning our respect and friendship. Never before have I felt that so much was given to me without expecting anything in return. Our support team always had a smile no matter how hard the work was or how cold it was. I will never forget them or the immortal words of “Zum Zum!” to get us all moving.
We returned to our hotel in Kathmandu for a final day of shopping and sightseeing followed by a celebration dinner at the famous “Rum-Doodle” bar and restaurant. Kathmandu was a great experience for me as I have not travelled far before. My expectations were blown away by what I can only describe as a city straight out of Indiana Jones. My senses were cranked up to 11 in an instant: the sights, smells, sounds, hustle and bustle of the streets and bazaars swirled around my head like an exotic intoxicant. At first, I was a little jumpy sharing the narrow roads and alleyways with all manner of vehicles. Busses, cars, bikes, rickshaws all jostled for position all the while beeping incessantly on their horns to warn the thousand people in front of them of their presence. After a couple of hours of being immersed in the melee I developed the “Local Swagger” as I like to call it and the traffic was swerving around me. We ambled around the bazaars haggling with the locals and having coffee whilst watching the world travel past at the speed of light.
The group assembled in the famous “Rum-Doodle” bar, named from the novel “The Ascent of Rum-Doodle” about a fictional 40,000 foot mountain and the attempt to climb it. We ate and drank in celebration of our achievements and reflected on personal triumphs. Each group who treks the Himalayas leaves a Yeti footprint covered in messages on the ceiling or walls of the bar. Ours was proudly hammered up by Laura and will stand as a tribute to us all. For many in the group, fears were conquered and doubters proved wrong. We returned home to a hero’s welcome at the gate in Heathrow airport. Colin Morgan, Gala Coral Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manger, beamed with pride as he introduced us to Dominic Harrison, Chief Executive of Gala Coral and Paul Woodward, Chief Executive of Sue Ryder. We were home and our adventure was over but we will regale any who will listen with our stories and anecdotes of the trek and look back with pride at what was for me the greatest achievement of my life so far.
“Thank You”
It just remains to say thank you to so many people who made the trek possible:
To Charity Challenge, for such a smooth and enjoyable experience. Our Group Leader Jez was a huge laugh and was a major force in encouraging the entire group to base camp. Thank you.
To Sue Ryder for providing the opportunity to have such a great time and life-changing experience. Laura Savory, our charity partner on the trek, was truly inspirational and someone we all looked up to and liked immediately. Thank you.
To Gala Coral for allowing us the time off and making us ambassadors for the company. Colin Morgan has mentored us from the start and I always enjoyed his cheery and enthusiastic mood on phone calls and meetings. Thanks Colin.
To our friends and families for their support and encouragement. Thanks Mum!
And importantly to everyone who sponsored us and helped us raise the £100k we have donated to Sue Ryder so far. Money that will mean so much to so many and allow new and existing programmes to relieve suffering and provide a better life for many people. Thank you so much.
“Sign me up”
This experience made me realise what kind of person I was and what I could be. I kept a diary on the trek which I hope to publish. In it, my feelings and thoughts were recorded on all manner of things. I would read passages out to the group who listened intently to what I hope was encouragement and reflection. Although I had only known each member of the group a short time, I felt a connection to everyone in really positive way. As a tribute to each person, I wrote a short rhyme about our experience, personal to everyone in some way. They went down brilliantly and shows what a great bunch they were. In completing the trek and hitting my fundraising target, my sense of achievement was such that I would sincerely love to be part of this again. A new challenge is just around the corner and so I say “Sign me up”! I urge anyone who is reading this to get involved in some way. Big or small, it all helps and I can say that the feeling you get is truly uplifting. Reach for the stars, you won’t regret it.
Zum Zum! Pete Hughes, Operations Manager Gala Bingo Hengrove and Galacoral Everest Trek Member 2009.