| Reaching Everest's peak is the pinnacle of | | | | Kala Pattar (5545m) where they got a great view |
| achievement for mountaineers, but for many people | | | | overlooking Everest Base Camp. The idea of Matt's |
| just being able to trek to Everest Base Camp is an | | | | series of climbs is to reach heights where he might |
| accomplishment in itself. Read about some admirable | | | | experience the shortness of breath that his best |
| trekkers raising money for charity, and the strange | | | | friend, a Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension suffer, has |
| things people will do to see the Khumbu. | | | | to endure daily. |
| We often hear about the successes of mountaineers | | | | Having reached Everest Base Camp at 5,360 metres |
| who head up the world's highest mountain, and return | | | | (17,600 ft) Matt has already ventured to altitudes |
| part of a select group who reached the top of the | | | | beyond the '14ers' he has ahead of him, but the |
| world. But we don't often hear of the good work | | | | Everest trek is a more gradual ascent than what he |
| that goes into getting people as far as Everest Base | | | | has ahead. Although several of Colorado's mountains |
| Camp, especially if they don't intend to make a | | | | are hiking grade ascents by their easiest routes, |
| summit bid. | | | | doing one every day for two weeks is an exhausting |
| Northallerton Dummies | | | | prospect. |
| It's common for people to go to unusual lengths to | | | | If they complete all fourteen of the intended peaks |
| raise money for an Everest trek, knowing that | | | | in a fortnight, they will have ascended vertically about |
| something special awaits them when they reach the | | | | the equivalent of Everest-and-a-quarter and more |
| Himalayan Mountains. In August 2009, sixteen | | | | than twice the vertical distance from sea level to |
| students and three teachers from Northallerton | | | | Everest Base Camp. Matt and his team, which |
| College in Yorkshire will be doing something quite | | | | includes the family of his sick friend, have already |
| original to raise money for their Everest Base Camp | | | | raised 14,000 dollars for charity, and climbing. |
| trek later in the year. | | | | The Chocolate Sherpa |
| With all the activity and exercise of the Everest trek | | | | For 30 days earlier this year, the Belgian explorer, |
| ahead of them, the students aim to raise money for | | | | Louis-Philippe Loncke, led a small team on a 400km |
| the trip by sitting very still. A high street store in their | | | | trek from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp. Known |
| town has hired them to assume poses in the window | | | | as the 'Crazy Belgian' from his previous mad |
| displays in the place of mannequins. The stunt | | | | expeditions, Louis Philippe wanted to raise money |
| coincides with Yorkshire Day on the 1st of August, | | | | towards setting up a much needed mobile hospital in |
| so the students can expect to attract the attention, | | | | Nepal. Apart from the distance covered, the unusual |
| and hopefully the donations, of many of the locals | | | | feature of this Everest trek was that it involved |
| that pass by. | | | | distributing 100 kilos of Belgian chocolate en route to |
| Fourteeners | | | | the local Sherpa population and holding a high altitude |
| The Northallerton students are not the only young | | | | chocolate tasting session when they eventually |
| people in the news for their fundraising right now. In | | | | reached Everest Base Camp. |
| July 2009, the diminutive and fresh-faced Matt Moniz | | | | The team called themselves the Chocolate Sherpas |
| aims to ascend fourteen of Colorado's highest | | | | and used their unusual mission, not only for |
| mountains within two weeks to raise money and | | | | fundraising, but also to give something back to the |
| awareness for a crippling disease. He has dubbed the | | | | Sherpa people and porters who have helped support |
| expedition "14 in 14", because each of the peaks he | | | | so many Everest treks over the years. Their |
| is climbing is in excess of 14,000 feet. What makes | | | | expedition successfully reached Everest Base Camp |
| this expedition more audacious is the fact that Matt | | | | on the 1st May and, for the many climbers and |
| is only eleven years old. | | | | porters who were waiting there to make their |
| In the build up to this feat, he trained by trekking to | | | | summit bids, their arrival was a very tasty and |
| Everest Base Camp. He and his father, Mike, took | | | | welcome break from their regular routine. |
| the variation that includes summiting the neighbouring | | | | |
