EveRRest 2022 - The quest for Base Camp!

Hi, Vicki here. Things have been pretty busy at work and also just with this whole global pandemic going on there is a lot of uncertainty so I wanted to give a little update on where we are up to.  I'm continuing with my marathon training despite a couple of hiccups, like it being cancelled and having a bit of a dodgy knee but I found another one to do and having some top notch advice on fixing my knee so hopefully I can still complete a marathon this year. Edward and I both live in Tier 3 areas of the UK so my plans to get some hikes in are going to be a little limited for a while and this could also scupper my marathon plans so I am turning my energies to the other, more important preparations for this trip and the reason we are doing it - raising a whole load of money for Reuben's Retreat.   Having joined the group later on than most I am quite a way behind the other fundraisers so time to have a think about how I can get support for this great charity. I'm hatching p...

Just has a catch up with Vicki going through the 3 documents supplied by Intrepid Travel for our trip and there's suddenly lots of practical things we need to be doing Trying to raise £4,600 in the current environment is going to be as big as challenge as the trek itself. Vicki already motoring on with this and lots of ideas. I'm going to link my preparations to the Winter Health Campaign which Bolton at Home are running More mundane things like arranging special insurance for trekking above 3,000m which also includes helicopter evacuation and covers us for Covid-19! Sorting out visas and equipment for the trip Time to make a start...

In March 2021, we (Edward and Vicki) will be representing Bolton at Home on the EveRRest 2021 trek to Base Camp with Reuben's Retreat. Before we get there we need to raise a lot of money for this incredible charity and prepare ourselves for sleeping in sub-zero temperatures, walking 6-8 hours a day and get used to not showering. This blog will chart our preparations, our fundraising and the journey itself. The fundraising page is here:   https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BHEveRRestBaseCampTrek . We are supporting Reuben's Retreat, a charity born out of the loss of a beautiful boy, Reuben Michael Graham in 2012 who passed away at just 23 months old. They support families who have lost a child and those who face an uncertain future due to their child living with a life threatening or life limiting condition. They are currently renovating their forever home in stages to create a holiday home from home for families to visit together and make precious memories with their children. Ev...

Our quest is officially on. Earlier this month, I (Vicki) put my name in the hat to accompany Edward as our team from Bolton at Home on this amazing adventure to trek the 135km at altitude to Everest Base Camp. My heart was beating fast with excitement and nerves, mostly the latter as I tuned in to watch our Chief Executive select the person by the good old fashioned way of pulling names out of a hat. Hearing him say my name happened in slow motion and I sat there for a moment stunned before shouting to my husband to come downstairs and see what had happened. I was gobsmacked. What an opportunity to go and do something very much outside my comfort zone for this great charity but what a lot of challenges and obstacles to overcome first. I'm reasonably fit as I have been running quite a lot during lockdown in the absence of my usual hobbies. I've travelled quite a bit, so culture shock and the journey should be not too bad. I'm quite an aviation geek so the flight into Lukla,...