Glen's Highest Score

Day 13 - GAME DAY

2009-06-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

Breakfast early as the pitch was re-laid - we had had warnings of people stealing/ruining the pitch to stop the game - and final medical checks were undertaken. With everyone receiving a clean ill of health, it was time for team selection, and telling those people who would miss out on the starting eleven.

Russell volunteered over breakfast not to be in the starting team, aware that he'd not contributed as much as others. Woodsy was also understanding, and I hoped that he'd just be happy to ave made it to Gorak Shep after earlier talk that he may not be able to join us on the expedition.

The hardest call was Blade. For 15 minutes I sat with Blade and told him how my selection had come about, in the hope that he'd appreciate my rationale. I'm not sure that he did, but in the end, he was understanding of the situation. When we left the UK, Blade was in the starting lineup. However, one of the team, who had been a solid contributor in the lead up to the trip, really excelled himself on the mountain. It was really tough to leave Blade out, and it was an agonising decision to make.

I filled in the team sheet and announced the team to the full squad. We changed and went outside prior to the toss. Working to satisfy photographers, documentary crew and umpires, we posed before Haydn tossed the coin. Firm in the belief that 'Tails never fails', I called and won it. We'll have a bat. I later learned that Tenzing would have bowled anyway, which means that they either fell for our bluff, or saw something in the pitch that we didn't.

At 9:38am, Dave Kirtley and I strode to the crease. Dave was off the mark early, and once I was on strike to Blinky, the nerves started to kick in. I kept out the first ball, and clipped the second off my pads. As it flew through the air, I noticed Mark Waters running around to take the catch. I had come all this way for a second ball duck?

To my surprise (and gratitude) he dropped it. We saw off the first few overs, with Dave cracking some boundaries, while I looked decidedly scratchy. Waters came on to bowl, and I hit his first three balls for 16, so started to feel a bit more comfortable. Dave Christie trundled in, and while most balls kept low, one popped and caught the edge, only to be dropped by G-Man and gully.

We got through to drinks at 7 overs, with the score on 69. Dave approached 50, and with the score 82 for none, faced up to Toovey. Somehow, Toovey snuck through and bowled DK for 45. Cuzzer had missed a no-ball. I was then bowled by G-Man for 28, swinging across the line, but Kiwi and Simmo came together to take the score into the 130's. Some tight bowling from Tooves, DC and Butler slowed the scoring and got a couple of wickets. We ended the innings on 151-5, a competitive total.

The hour long lunch break gave us a chance to get some food and fluids in, before we took the field to defend our total. Opening up with CCTV and BJ, we were soon amongst the wickets. Waters and Wes hit out a little, but we soon had Waters back in the pavilion. Wes continued to frustrate and I got a finger to an early lofted drive, so I was worried it would cost us.

I continued to rotate the bowlers and sub-fielders, and more wickets came as we took control. Chris and Tom both chipped in, but 3-for from CCTV had the game in our hands. Our fielding was sharp, and when Julio combined with Simmo for a great run out, we knew we were on top in all departments.

It was left to me to make the final act, as I charged in off three paces to a waiting Mike Preston. A swing and a miss and thought I was in. The next ball, same shot, 6! Seeking revenge, I trusted the number 11 not to do the same again (successfully), and bowled him.

Tenzing all out for 116. Team Hillary had won by 35 runs.

The celebrations began, and were interspersed in the next hour by speeches, photos and champagne. Eventually, as the mist rolled in and the sun faded away, we headed inside to drink the night away. It was a huge night, and I finally made it to bed at about 9pm - EPIC.

12 months of planning. Not knowing any of the team before this began, and taking on such a huge challenge, it had all come to fruition. We'd won and I'd led my team, Team Hillary, to victory in the highest ever official sports match. Twenty20 at Gorak Shep, Nepal.

While I'd thought about it for so long - and had dreamt of leading my team - I never really thought we'd get there, play so well and win. Still now, it is hard to wipe the grin off my face. Unreal - I am a world record holder. And the winning skipper at that!!

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Thinking back and reading this now, it doesn't seem to do it justice. For something to be such a huge part of your life for 12 months, a real focus of every day, and then be over, is simply surreal. Never before had any of us done something quite so magnificent - ordinary people doing extraordinary things - it was an amazing achievement.

While Team Hillary celebrated, I took a moment to think about the people who had got me where I was and who had inspired me to throw everything at this. I know that they were with me all the way up the mountain and played a part on game day. I also thought for Haydn and Team Tenzing, who had invested as much as my boys had, but had not had the result go their way. Some took it harder than others.

In the end, all of the Zingers came down to our teahouse, and joined in the celebrations - after all, the result was less important than the achievement. In particular, I was impressed with two of the most competitive Zingers being the first to walk through the door and congratulate us. Vice Captain Gareth "G-Man" Lewis, and abrasive Australian Nick Toovey. For the duration of the expedition, these two were always there to keep morale up, and the post-match was no different. We drank into the night, champagne, beers, scotch - 50 friends celebrating taking their place in history. It tasted pretty good.

Day 12 - Practice Day

2009-06-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

The grounds-team were out early to lay re-lay the pitch, and our training session got under way at 10am. Our first chance to train in view of Nuptse and Everest, and to see what the pitch and field would do, had been much anticipated.

Each batsman had 8 balls from two different bowlers at each end. Not a long session, but enough to see that the ball would keep low and the outfield was quicker than we had expected. Our initial estimation of runs available changed and it confirmed our desire to bat first.

As our session concluded and the Tenzing boys lined up, we were surprised with a special visitor, keen to cheer us on. Russell Brice, one of the biggest legends in Everest history, had come down from Base Camp to show his Sherpas some cricket, and to issue a formal challenge.

Russell has been leading expeditions on Everest for years, and has been the subject of many documentaries. His challenge? To take on a Himalayan Experience XI at Camp 2, at the top of the Khumbu Ice fall on May 28th! He also gave Haydn and I a bottle of scotch for the teams, and wished us well. After a chat and a couple of photos, I traded hats with him , and he invited us up to see his digs at Base Camp.

With no time for lunch, I stocked up on water and chocolate, and we hit the 2 1/2 hour trail to Base Camp. It was a tough walk and at times I began to feel a little light headed. The Khumbu Glacier, and then the Icefall came into view. We held our breath at the beauty of both, before gasping in awe at the power of the mountains around us as another mid-afternoon avalanche broke off on the opposite side of the Glacier.

Walking up to Base Camp provided one of the highest, and lowest moments of my trip. I was really excited to have met Russell, someone whose Discovery Channel DVDs I've watched with excitement. To have him take such an interest in what we were doing, and then invite us up was incredible. And, seeing Base Camp alone was a unique experience.

However, as we walked above the Glacier, the rocks on our left began to send me into some sort of trance. I became dizzier and dizzier and felt like my eyes were playing tricks on me as my headache grew. I cautiously mentioned this to Breck, worried that this short walk could bring on AMS, and that having made it to Gorak Shep, I may have pushed myself too hard.

I tried to justify (with myself more than anyone else) the reasons why I went to Base Camp, and rationalise that I hadn't put myself ahead of the good of the team. I feared that I would have to turn around and head back to camp, and the I may be at risk of passing the medical in the morning.

Breck reassured me that he was feeling similar, and that I was probably just dehydrated. We pushed on, and as we arrived at Base Camp, I felt a great deal better - and saner.

We passed Russell's camp and the Everest Base Camp Bakery, and headed for the medical centre. Spending about 20 minutes with the HRA doctor provided interesting and useful, as further news of an unwell Simmo came through. We trundled back to the bakery for some amazing apple pie and then down to Russell's camp.

Taking our boots off at the door, we stepped inside the dome and were greeted by Russell and a beer. Not one to turn down such a kind offer, I took the beer and sat down. On one side of the dome was a plasma screen tv and dvd player, and on the other was the bar. In the middle of the floor was a scalectrix track with a couple of blokes racing cars. We sat and chatted for 30 mins, before Russell showed us around his 'village'.

Over the next month or so, Russell's team completed numerous summits, and in doing so, took one of our branded balls and the ET hat that I had given him to the summit of Everest. It completed an incredibly successful season for Himalayan Experience and I'd like to congratulate Russell and his team for another great achievement.

As it started to get a little greyer and darker, we were on the trail back. Buffeted by a light wind and a little snow, we pressed on back to Gorak Shep. Before dinner, it was a rules session with the umpires, then I hit the sack.

I didn't go straight to sleep mind you. After speaking with the brains-trust of Team Hillary, I continued to work on bowling and fielding rotations as Jamo began to snore across from me.

Day 11 - Lobuche to Gorak Shep

2009-06-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Awaking on the 19th, our last trekking day would see us here for Gorak Shep, our final destination. With Nuptse in view all day, as we got closer to the Shep, Everest came into view. Finally, we rounded the last corner and our field came into view. The feeling of excitement amongst the troops was amazing, as we all felt such a lift.

I was back with Team Hillary today, as we split the groups into the flight groups again. It gave me a chance to talk to Kiwi about my thoughts on team selection and tactics that had been running through my mind. Unfortunately, Simmo was still behind us, slowly catching up and hoping to acclimatise, so I'd need to wait another day to check on his health. We all knew we were getting close, and that the past 12 months work would come down to the next few days.

We ran the last couple of steps, dropped our packs and embraced - in a very manly way. After lunch, we began removing rocks from the field, but it was evident that some of the boulders would be immovable. Haydn and I agreed on the position of the pitch and the grounds-team went to work on levelling the surface with a couple of ladders and a shovel or two.

While this went on, Haydn and I walked the perimeter of the field, working out the boundary line and which rocks would be in play. After the pitch had been laid and lifted (so that it didn't freeze overnight) we headed in for dinner. Another early night followed, with the promise of a 10am practice session the following morning. Tucking into bed, I grabbed the earplugs I knew were required for rooming with Jamo.

Day 10 - Dengboche to Lobuche

2009-06-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

As we got higher up the Himalaya, our bodies began to adjust to the lower oxygen levels. However, simple mental activities became more laborious, and the capacity and desire to play cards or write diaries waned. I fell behind a little, and so this entry and the next were written a little later in an attempt to catch up - and you may see how laboured some of the writing has become.
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I've been a little slack of late, so will do my best to update. Kimbo's comedy night was amazing. Highlights were Chris' compare skills and Nepali observations, Hillsy's poem, Woodsy's Italian story and Joe, Milo and Jules' rap and beatbox - MC Shark and Base Camp 1. See them on YouTube here. Kimbo was very grateful and we all went to bed.

We arose on the 18th and set off for Lobuche. The walk was a mixture of flat and undulating, as we traversed the hills with mountains on the left. We crossed the river and stopped at Dukla for noodle soup. It was great noodle soup, but the best was yet to come. RS100 chocolate bars (about 90p) - get it in!!

The bad news was that Simmo was suffering from AMS, so had to spend the night there. Luckily, the news of Blade shitting his sleeping bag in the night was nothing more than a rumour started by Butler and Chris Martin.

Following lunch, we set off up the steep hill, which resembled a rock waterfall. Switching packs every 15 minutes, we climbed steadily up the rock face. As we reached the top, we stopped again for an update on Simmo and to capture the view.

I was walking mainly with Team Tenzing and a couple of the doctors. While there are some great guys in the 'Zinger camp, with match day drawing nearer, I would have liked to be with a few more of my lads. Having Simmo go down, and hearing false rumours about Blade didn't help. He had struggled with the shits and vomiting early on, and not really knowing how he or Simmo were getting on, upset me a bit. I also wondered what the team thought about not having their skipper around, but maybe it didn't cross their minds.

Climbing on, we pushed towards Lobuche and eventually settled in for tea. An early night saw me retire to bed to consider team selection and game plan, which had been on my mind all day. The fielding substitutions posed the biggest questions, so at 10:30pm (with Mark Waters snoring on the other side of the room), I finally went to sleep.

Day 9 - Dengboche (rest day)

2009-06-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Slept in this morning until 8:20, for 8:30 breakfast. We met at 9:30 am for an acclimatisation trek, sans backpack. We finally left at 10am, once we'd sung happy birthday to Kimbo and the guides had brought him out a cake.

Ahead of us was a steep incline, on a dusty, rocky trail. Without backpacks though, the walk didn't seem too hard. A few people got headaches, but nothing serious as we climbed to about 4,900m (although reading other people's blogs it may have been over the 5k mark). We sat down to rest, snack and play Perudo.

The wind got up a bit, and we were hit by some light snow flurries too. After 20-30 minutes of breathing the thinner air (I didn't really notice it), we turned around and sped down to lunch. Once rested, Marcus grabbed G-Man, Kirt and I for a live sat phone interview with BBC radio 6 (Music), which I completely monopolised - Awesome.

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Just had a sweet as Yak steak for dinner. Got Kimbo's secret comedy night shortly and my 'poem' for him. That sounds a bit gay, oh well. Heard from Zooby today that he has had a Twitter message from Matty, saying he's been watching us on ITV - cool.

Serious chat from Weslos re: pace tomorrow and enforcing slow walking. New walking buddies maybe.

There was a young man named Kimbo
Who was far too tall to limbo,
But when he busted some shapes
In his undies and cape,
He could score the most glorious bimbo

Day 8 - Tengboche - Dengboche (4,400m ish)

2009-05-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

We woke early with the intention of getting a blessing at the monastery. What eventuated was an hour and a half of the same thing I had sat through the night before. Leaving without the blessing (the monks were going to charge USD$100 per person), I went into an interview with Mark Jordan, to run on ITV. Butler and I were talking about what the prayer flags meant to the kids at Avon House School, and what we're hoping to do with them. We got it just in times before the clouds rolled in.

We set off on our 5-6 hour trek and much to our frustration, we started off downhill again. A few undulations and then it was a solid up hill for a few hours. Perched on the side of a hill, group one had all but finished lunch and settled into a snooze by the time we arrived. The afternoon passed by with only two events of note. Butler and I hung the prayer flags on a bridge with a great view of Ama Dablam, and Haydn's health deteriorated.

As Haydn's walking buddy for the day, I kept an eye on him and he became more and more lethargic and irritable. As we came into Dengboche, Haydn was really struggling, so Breck and I relieved him of his pack for the last few hundred metres.

The evening passed without incident for the main group, as I kept an Haydn to make sure he stayed hydrated. A late night (2am) visit from the Doc to check on Haydn woke everyone in our block, when bashed on the front door yelling my name. As per usual, I got back to sleep fairly easy, and that was that.

Day 7 - Khumjung - Tengboche (3,900m-ish)

2009-05-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

Up early again this morning and out the door just after 8am. We started the day with a downhill 'stroll' that proved to be just as challenging as the uphill sections, due to the unstable ground and rough rocks. Despite a few stumbles, we made it to the bottom of the valley unscathed.

Crossing over a rampaging river, thoughts turned to tubing for a little fun, but we didn't have time. Stopping for a drink and Toblerone we refreshed our stocks and started on up the hill. What lay ahead was expected to be intense, but not as bad as the lead into Namche Bazaar. As we continued up, the searing heat started to dissipate as we ascended, but the hunger started to kick in. I slammed my first 'Go' bar and it got me up to the top of the hill (only 30 more minutes) and we arrived at Tengboche.

I then got my first glimpse of Everest, which was amazing. The sky was perfectly clear, so we crowded in front of the camera and had loads of photos taken. A massive lunch of pasta and potatoes (3 servings) filled me up brilliantly, as we listened to stories from the UK, about people calling ITV worrying if Neil was okay.

We chilled out for a while, before kicking off a little cricket on the side of the hill. Everyone had fun, perhaps with the exception of James Butler, who behaved like a petulant child at every opportunity. He built on his reputation as the most hated man on tour, so we continued to take the piss out of him. He was the dick of the day today, for his now infamous query of whether the Jews had been involved in World War II.

Most hated man on tour is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, Butler was only a little annoying, and fun to take the piss out of. Throughout the trip, he showed to be a good sport, and interesting walking companion, and amazing with the locals, especially the children. Remembering back to when we had visited Avon House School in East London, Butler had been terrified about getting up to talk to the kids. Once he did, he was an instant hit, and this was the same in Khumjung or wherever we interacted with locals.

The last act of daylight was to visit the monastery to see the monks in action, horns blowing and drums beating. It was quite surreal listening to some fairly monotonous tones, surrounded by very colourful, but odd pictures. From what I saw, their God is pretty hot, and always has her bangers out - that's something to worship! Even though, "My God's got a bigger dick than yours".

A few years ago, while traveling in Guatemala, I spent a few months at La Iguana Perdida on Lago de Atitlan. the owner of the hostel had a band he called "Ol' Ratsy", and along with classics such as "Chicken Bus" and "Dutch Girls", he sang a song about religion, and who has the biggest stones.

Everest Factor 2009

2009-05-31T04:19:00.000-07:00

Last night's Everest Factor was great, and a little controversial. Judges Randy (Nick), Simon (Breck), Sharon (Isla) and a very camp Louie (Ian) were in great form. Ian in particular, did an amazing job and stole the show.

Three teams, Hillary, Tenzing and the Trektators, squared off with three songs each. Tenzing opened up with "Stand by me". All dressed in black, they gave it a good shout - literally. We followed with a rousing rendition of "Wonderful World" (not Louis Armstrong's version), which I'd never heard before. Scores were tied.

The Trektators then came out with "500 Miles", which we'd also planned on signing - uh oh. Round two and Tenzing again kicked it off, this time with "Livin on a Prayer". Repeating the first verse twice and just shouting random words, their points suffered a little. Then, we stole the show (I guess we stole it from Ian as he had been in ownership of it for his Louie impersonation) with a little "Afternoon Delight". Jules was "O for awesome" and led us out before a great harmony kicked in. To complete the round, the Trektators sung "Summer Loving" with Zooby and Brooksie in lead roles. Zooby was awesome but as a regular voice over artist, was he cheating?

Last round and Tenzing asked to go last, so we were up first. Our rendition of "500 Miles" was pretty good, but we lost points for lack of originality. (I had wanted to get some beat-boxing in there somewhere, but thinking about it now, we should have had our very own Miles do something...) The Trektators inspired the crowd with an Everest adaptation of "We are the Champions". They scored well and it was down to Tenzing for the last song.

We were dragged outside as they lined up for the Haka. Mike led it well and the boys actually did a good job. I was a little pissed off to be honest, but after talking to Blinks, I realised they hadn't entered into it lightly.

Upstairs for final judging, and while we waited for results, the guides sung us a song. They were judged the winners with full points, Trektators the winning foreign team, with Hillary and Tenzing tied - the best result possible given the circumstances and competitive nature of the teams.

That was it, off to bed.

Day 6 - Khumjung (rest day 3,445m)

2009-05-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today was earmarked as a rest day, one that we all welcomed. The plan was to rise later, before a few of us went to the school. I woke at 7:30, having had a great night's sleep and decided to take the opportunity to have a shower. It was glorious and very welcome after the 'discomfort' of the earlier day.

We had a quick bite to eat - a strange, local version of porridge. As we wandered across the town square, we had no idea what was waiting for us. There were over 60 children of various ages, all smiles and ready to play some cricket. We split into three groups and Wes, Haydn, Mike and I were taking the batting training.

I took a group of 5 kids to start off with, teaching stance, front foot defensive and front foot driving. I kept the slog sweep in the kit bag for the kids' benefit. Some of the kids were pretty good and their technique was spot on. After a quick lesson from Wes or I, the kids then went in to bat against a fiery Mike Preston while Haydn looked to undo all the great training we'd given them.

Once time was up and we switched groups, it was clear that expert training wasn't what these younger kids would go for, so we turned it into a game situation. I'd give them throw-downs, and they had to hit in the 'V' for points - if they missed, the next batsman came in. This worked really well and gave the other kids something to do as they all took turns in the field.

We then formed a full game against Butler, Jamo and Waters' kids. We went in to bat first, and I was gutted when the kids said that they'd like to be called Tenzing. We made it to about 50 - 5 before declaring. Unfortunately, it was the end of the session, so the other team never got to bat. We crowded together to present the kids with the LT's kit and get a few photos, before saying goodbye and heading in for lunch.

There had been a lot of talk of an acclimatisation walk. After the high of the school cricket, some of us were keen to walk, but not too far. We were sold an hour and a half walk and took the bait - hook, line and sinker. We wove through the village and across some fields, and stood before a great towering mountain. Well, maybe it was just a hill.

It took us about an hour and a half to ascend, but we made it up to 4,047m - the highest I've ever been. After a rest at the top to take in the views (including the world's highest airport), we headed down. Another high point was the first proper sighting of Ama Dablam - AWESOME.

Tonight, Everest Factor!

Day 5 - Namche to Khumjung

2009-05-25T01:59:00.000-07:00

Today promised to be a light trek to Khumjung, a couple of hours walk at best. We'd planned to head to Everest View first on a quick walk, but decided we'd use that as a short acclimatisation trek on our way to Khumjung.

Before we started the day's walk, we had organised a "Sherpa race" to satisfy the team at ITN. The night before, there was concern from our ITN "crew" that there wasn't enough drama for the viewers at home. So, to emphasise the competitive nature of the two teams, we'd have a race at high altitude to put our bodies under even more pressure. This was something that a lot of people disagreed with, and in the end, it was down to two "volunteers" to face off.

Dave Kirtley and Mike Preston each strapped a Sherpa basket to their heads and took off up the paved steps outside the front of the teahouse. There was controversy at the finish line, with both Team Hillary and Team Tenzing claiming victory. Both seemed to cross the line quite close together, with Mike Preston a little ahead. But (due to a push from DK a second earlier), Mike wasn't in control of his basket and should have been disqualified. So, both teams celebrated and I'm not sure which team was the reported winner. The best result was that neither had been hurt in doing something stupid (and dangerous) for the sake of television.

We set off through Namche Bazaar, up another horrendous set of stairs. Then some more stairs. After a quick stop for Snickers, we hopped over a fence and started up the Stairway to Heaven. It quickly turned into the Highway to Hell. Neil, who has been feeling pretty poor all night, started to fade and feel a bit faint. He stopped for a minute to rest, and before long Isla and Ian suggested he lay down. As his condition deteriorated, with the medics on the radios with the rest of the team, they put a line in him to give him extra fluids. The next 20 minutes saw him improve, while Haydn and I watched on and discussed the early morning race and the mood in our respective teams.

Tom, Neil's brother, was in the first group and headed back down to support his bro. As Neil came to properly, they headed back to Namche for the night. Normally, trekkers spend an extra night at Namche to acclimatise after such a big climb. However, as Khumjung is not much further (and we're visiting the school), we decided to have our rest day there instead. This may have been to the detriment of Neil, but I'm sure he'll be okay.

With the ITV camera in his face, Neil's near collapse had made the 10pm news in the UK. As viewers worried about his health, phone calls came into the network over the following 24 hours, wanting to find out if he was okay. One such call was from his Nanna. Neil though, recovered well, and joined us in Khumjung the next day, and was later declared fit to play.

I pushed on to rejoin the group, again, taking plenty of rest and water breaks. It was knackering, but eventually, I made it to the Everest View point teahouse. There, in all it's glory, and shrouded in cloud, was Everest - somewhere. Apparently. We stopped for a cup of tea and a breather, before pushing on for another 45 minutes to Khumjung.

We arrived in time for lunch before I tucked in for a snooze and woke up for dinner. While I was asleep, a few of the boys had had a knock around in the town square with some of the local kids, giving a preview of what the following day would bring. I struggled a little with the meal, but having had the runs for the last 24 hours, and a sore stomach, I managed as much as I could. 3 bowls of onion soup help to fill the gap (it helps you acclimatise apparently). We split into our three teams and had a practice for tomorrow night's "Everest Factor". I was in bed by 10pm.

Day 4 - Phakding - Namche Bazaar

2009-05-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today the plan was to hit the trail at 8am, ahead of what would be one of the hardest days. The early sections of the walk, with perhaps one exception, were fairly standard. On entering Sagarmatha National Park, the afternoon session was, as predicted, a killer.

Soon after lunch, we started a long walk up a lot of steps. They seemed to just keep coming. Early on in the piece, I found I had some mobile reception, so I sent Chloe a few messages to say hi, and find out whether Basil (my niece or nephew the family was awaiting the arrival of) had decided to show up. No news.

We took it very slowly, but it was clearly noticeable as the air thinned out. Regular breaks and plenty of water, helped us to push though. After what had been one of the most physically demanding days of my life, we finally had sight of Namche Bazaar. We rested up before our final push up and into the town. 18kgs of rucksack, 6 hours of climbing, and lower oxygen levels had really taken their toll, but we were there.

We rested for a short wile before dinner, and it was clear that the day's efforts had had an effect - Blade, Blinky, Neil, Curry and later I, were all struck down to varying degrees. Blade was the worst, with it coming from both ends all night. It wasn't until about 8pm when I started to feel it - and it stayed with me all night.

It's funny, re-reading this now really doesn't do it justice. It seemed as if every time we went up, we would come down again, crossing Indiana Jones style bridges almost for the fun of it, until the last two hours, where we went nowhere but up. The path criss-crossed up on one side of a steep ravine, and the dusty path was constantly being kicked up by other trekkers and yaks. As fatigue and oxygen deprivation crept in, the mood in the camp dampened with our only salvation coming in the form of chocolate.

The day's trek had been incredibly intense, and as I spent the evening trying to suck in as much oxygen as possible, I began to feel more and more ill. On arrival at Namche, about 3,445m above sea level, bending over to untie my boots made me feel dizzy, and rolling over in my sleeping bag at night left me breathless. It was a really tough day for all of us, and one that we'd all look back on with little fondness.

We had a yak steak at a local restaurant (to teach them a lesson for kicking up so much dirt earlier), and a few of the boys indulged in a beer. After waiting over an hour for the steak, our plates were clean in 2 minutes, and we went back to the tea house for our regular dinner of soup, pasta and potatoes. For those of us not yet feeling ill, there were grapes on offer too. Kiwi went to the trouble of peeling one before eating it, some abstained, and a few of us had one or two. Charlie Campbell ate about 3 plates worth, and to my knowledge, never felt the worse for it.

Day 3 - Kathmandu - Lukla - Phakding

2009-05-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today was the day of the infamous flight into Lukla. One of the world's most dangerous airports, which has claimed many an airline and many more lives, there were a few amongst us a little scared of what lay ahead. Joining the Zingers for the first time, we headed to the airport and after 'checking in' our luggage, entered the departure lounge.

Checking in involved piling as many bags as possible onto a small set of scales, having a "security checked" sticker affixed, and walking through a curtain into what would barely pass as a bus station.

Once out on the runway, we stared at our mode of transport, 3 small 17 seater Twin Otter planes, belonging to the mighty Yeti Airlines. Boarding, I found myself wedged behind Nick M and Jamo, and beside Kimbo and Mike Preston - pretty much the four biggest guys on tour. Leg room was at a premium that I could sadly not afford. The mood on board was light, and as the air hostess squeezed between through an isles as tight as that of a Central American Chicken Bus, we were offered sweets and cotton wool.

Once the engines started, the cotton wool made sense as we realised that we were being powered by a couple of 2-stroke lawnmower motors strapped to the fragile wings. We took off with great gusto and headed for the Himalayas. After 30 minutes, a couple of sweets, and surprisingly little leg cramp, the runway was nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, we broke right, dropped a few feet and saw a small B-road open up in front of us. It led up a 15-20 degree hill and straight into a reinforced brick wall. Reinforced with a mountain.

As we slammed into the pavement, we realised that this wasn't the driveway to Starbucks (yes there is a Starbucks in Lukla), but rather the runway. Narrowly escaping a crash that a mannequin at the Ford factory would be proud of, we pulled a handbrake turn into the car park and celebrated a successful landing.

Once Haydn and I had posed for a Captain's photo with the pilot, we went for breakfast at a local teahouse. Having initially panicked that it had been stolen, I was relieved to find my rucksack piled up at the side of the teahouse and settled into my first lemon tea. The rest of the kit took a while to arrive, so we loitered around Lukla before finally departing at 12:30pm.

The easiest day of the trek, we lost altitude today as we headed for Phakding. The walk had it's moments, but the view all the way was stunning. It was hard to think it will only get better, but it will. Settling into our teahouse for the night, the spirits are high and everyone is on form.

Day 2 - Kathmandu

2009-05-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Despite double and triple checks, and numerous confirmations, Kathmandu Guest House didn't have enough rooms for us when we finally arrived. Before leaving for their sister hotel in the hills of Kathmandu, I was introduced to Dane Cunningham, my step-brother-in-law.

At Christmas, I was on the phone to my sister and her husband in Australia, who told me that Scotto's step-brother was going to be heading to Gorak Shep with us. Dane use to work with Kirt and Zooby in London, and it turned out that the expedition was timed perfectly with his trip to India. So, after about 7 weeks of traveling and trekking in Asia, Dane was ready to head to Base Camp and become part of a world record.

After arriving at the Park Village Hotel and Spa, some of the team spent the afternoon by the pool, while Kirt, Curry, Vicks Nics, George, Marcus and I headed for the Himalayan Rescue association for a press conference with the national press. The room was full of 20 - 30 people and once we had addressed them all, along with the head of the Nepalese Tourist Board, the HRA, Nepalese Adventure Tourism Board and the Nepalese Cricket Association, we took a few more questions as the media wanted to learn more about our exciting challenge.

During the last 12 months, I've been to more and more events that I'd never have been part of without this expedition. Stepping out of our comfort zones and into Nepal was great, but it was something new to see the excitement growing within the local media, and beginning to understand how much they all wanted us to succeed, as they could see what it would do for their country. It was a great feeling.

We left the press conference and headed for Shangri-La Cricket Academy. The kids were all playing with a rugby ball when we arrived, so they were off to a great start in my eyes. We introduced ourselves while Raman (a new member of the team at Shangri-La) translated for the kids. We moved over to the nets and watched a few of them play. Aged between 5 and 11, the kids are all from disadvantaged backgrounds, but they all seemed oblivious to any issues of poverty that they would see in their everyday lives.

As a few more of the expedition party arrived, we broke out some LT's kit for them and after exchanging a few pleasantries, DK made his way to the nets to practice his batting for an hour. The older kids did everything they could to get him out, and a few of them were close - bowling with surprising speed and accuracy. We had tea and biscuits before they presented us with a plaque expressing their love and well wishes for our challenge.

With Raman as our guide, we headed into downtown Kathmandu to Durba Square and a load of temples. After walking a short while, we arrived back at Kathmandu Guest House for a beer before going to dinner at Rum Doodle. Originally, we had planned dinner just for Team Hillary and the Trektators who had flown out with us. We decided to open it up to the Zingers, who after arriving after a long day (yet some would argue no longer than ours) all went straight home to bed.

From dinner, it was back into the hills and home to bed. Before turning in for the night, I took a good, hard look at myself in the mirror. Contemplating what I was about to do, the stress, the planning, the drama, and the emotions that it would evoke - I put a razor to my face for the first time in four years. Rather uncomfortably, with a cheap razor and shampoo as my lubricant, I removed my beloved beard and exposed my naked flesh.

Luckily, it will have grown back by the time we get back to 'civilisation'.

Welcome Back and Catching Up - Day 1

2009-05-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

So, we're back in the real world and by now you (hi mum) probably know that we made it. In the last few weeks, I've had another challenge on my mind - to write a day-by-day account of the expedition, or a summary.

The chances are that if you're reading this, you're either related to me or you came on the expedition with me, so I'm happy to say, I'll go for the day-by-day account because that's what you're after. If you're not in one of the above categories, please let me know.

Because I'm still a little bit lazy, I'm using my journal, which I wrote (as daily as I could manage) regularly to help remind me of some of the highs and lows. But, with the benefit of hindsight, I'll add a few other notes. Boring preamble over, here we go...

Day 1 - Thursday 9th April

After an early start and tube to Lords (rush hour with a full rucksack), we had a press conference, some photos and a chance to mess around. In true Stick Cricket form, Kiwi bounced one short on the Flicx wicket, knocking me over onto my stumps - great start!

Once off the bus at Heathhrow, we started to check in before be evacuated from the terminal due to what could only have been a bomb-threat. After shivering in the cold a while, we warmed up by chucking a few overs down in the car park of London's main airport, before (90 minutes later) being called back into the terminal. We finished checking in, and rushed off to the gate with little time for goodbyes.

Annoyingly, we were then made to wait another 45 minutes before boarding - but we were the first on board in order to give Qatar some publicity shots. While I was excited to be on the way, I was concerned that I was not yet clean shaven, and had started the tour with my familiar face of hair. Thanks to our earlier delays, as soon as we arrived in Doha, we were forced to run to the gate for our connecting flight and board - minus my Vice Captain and his wife.

Vics, getting merrily drunk on the first flight, disembarked from the plane without her passport. As we had had to catch a bus to the terminal and another one to the second flight, we didn't hold much hope of seeing either of them again until Kathmandu. Just as we were about to pull away, Jules and Vics walked gingerly down the aisle of the plane to rapturous applause. Shortly after, Vics swapped seats so that The Everest Test wouldn't see it's first divorce.

Since day one of The Everest Test planning, Jules has been one of the most energetic of Team Hillary, if not the whole expedition. He "lives for this shit" and has been a huge part in getting this thing off the ground. Understandably, he was a little upset that the last year of his live could have been stifled by his drunken better half, and her wayward passport. Funnily, on return to the UK, Jules left the house keys in the bus, and the two of them had to take a taxi half way across London and back before they could finally walk in the front door and relax. They are very good together.

After about 12 hours in the air, we arrived in Kathmandu to a heroes welcome. Nir and the other guides had made us a great sign, and adorned us with flower garlands.

The pitch was packed up and sent off to Lukla, and we were off to the Kathmandu Guest House.

Last post

2009-04-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

All packed - leaving tomorrow. Bricking it!!

xxx

www.TheEverestTest.com

2009-04-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

After 12 months of planning (for me - countless more for Kirt and Wes), it has come down to this.

2 days, 9 hours, 30 minutes - if you believe what our website says. Scary stuff.

This may well be my last blog before departure, with the days becoming increasingly busier and more stressful.

This week we finally picked up our MKK playing kit and extras. A few minor problems meant that we didn't get everything we expected, but the playing kit looks awesome and when Team Hillary board the plane on Thursday afternoon, we'll look great.

The other big news of the week, as if there wasn't enough going on, was the launch of The Everest Test - STICK CRICKET. For anyone who has played this online cricket game before, you will love this. Playing as either Team Hillary or Team Tenzing, it's a 5 over slogfest on the Gorak Shep plateau, which puts you under the pressure we'll be facing on April 21. Big thanks to Tooves and Cuzza who got this sorted for us - amazing!

I'd like to say a big thank you to those of you who have read the blog, donated the money and now played the game. I may be able to send updates down from the mountain (tbc), but you can stay in-the-loop with all the action just by regularly visiting http://www.theeveresttest.com/ and signing up to email updates.

Wish us well and I look forward to updating you all on our triumphant return.

The Nokia Maps Everest Test

2009-04-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we had our final expedition meeting. Along with a lot of the necessary formalities and a presentation from the Medics, we unveiled our official expedition sponsor - Nokia.

As well as their donation to the charities, Nokia have brought with them a lot of extras that will help us get the word out. They'll send emails/texts to their worldwide database, and even more exciting, are giving us handsets to take up the mountain with us. That means, all going well, I'll be able to send down photos and regular updates while we're out in Nepal.

To make sure you're up to date on this while I'm away, stay tuned to www.TheEverestTest.com and be sure to sign up to the Everest Community.

The other thing to happen over the weekend was another radio interview, courtesy of Andrew Alderson at Radio Sport in NZ. After my initial interview back in December, Andrew was keen to see how we're progressing. Click on the video below to hear what we've been up to:

Cheers
Glen

2 WEEKS TO GO - PLEASE SPONSOR ME

2009-03-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, less than 2 weeks until we go to Nepal. By this time in 2 weeks, I'll be flying into Lukla airport and hoping for a safe landing.

The last few weeks have been great. I ran the Bath Half Marathon in Cricket Pads (2h, 17m), attended "Stand Up on Everest" our comedy night fundraiser, reveled in the success of "High on Ice - The Everest Test Send Off" (thanks to those who attended either event), and spent a 'training' weekend on a 10,000 acre estate in Cornwall. I went for one run over the weekend, so even though the rest of it was boozed filled, it still counts as training.

This week, I've been to two schools, in East and West London, to talk about the trip and try to inspire the next generation of adventurers. Thursday's visit to Avon House saw a group of 150 4-11 year olds crowd into the school hall to hear from James Butler, Wes and I. Some were even brave enough to get up on stage and do star jumps / press ups with me.

These kids has all written on Buddhist Prayer Flags during the week, which we'll take to Everest to help make their dreams and wishes come true. The future seems bright, with most of the children wishing for cures for cancer, an end to poverty and to stop the wars. One even wished that Amy Winehouse would give up drugs!

Today it was 16-17 year olds, a tougher crowd all round. They were a little more subdued, but I hope that I entertained and inspired them more than I was all those years ago when some visitors came to my school. This was organised by a friend of mine, Tom Pullan, a student at Gunnersbury Catholic School.

I have a final team dinner tonight and tomorrow we have our final expedition meeting and net session at Lords. I've planned a gruelling training session for the lads on Sunday too, so there is no rest for the wicked.

On a sad note, one of the greatest contributors to the expedition has this week had to pull out of the trip for medical reasons, although he is still very much a part of Team Hillary. It saddens me that someone who I hold in very high regard, who has put so much into this expedition, will not be able to join us in Nepal, but it has strengthened my resolve.

-------------------- PLEASE DONATE ------------------------

Thank you to all of you who have sponsored me so far. If you haven't already, I would be very grateful of any donation you can make to our great charities, by visiting www.justgiving.com/gleneverest (or click the DONATE button on the right)

I pledged to raise a minimum of £1500 and I am getting there, albeit slowly. I'd really like to go above and beyond that, and am open to unique ideas for sponsorship. So, if you want to see me shave my beard, score some runs, take some wickets - or anything else, please feel free to be imaginative.

Thank you for your support.
Glen

The Blog Hog

2009-03-25T03:59:00.000-07:00

It's only been nine days since my last post, but so much has happened. Unfortunately, I've not the time at present to go into too much detail, so I will direct you to Mr Nicholas Toovey, the Blog Hog, who has amassed 7 blog entries in less than a week...

We had our send-off party "High on Ice", which was attended by a massive 400 people, with more being turned away on the night. It raised a few thousand pounds for our charities, and everyone involved had a great night. For details, click here.

Our core team and training weekend in Cornwall followed, and after arriving at 1am on Saturday morning, we were "meeting" until about 6am. With hangovers the next morning, a few of us were up for a run, which proved to be the only training for the weekend. We managed to throw in a bit more booze, a swim in the coldest ocean in the world and plenty of legendary Everest banter. Another great weekend away. For details, click here.

2 weeks, 1 day to go - getting a little nervous. Final Lord's meeting and net this weekend, tick tock, tick tock

The Bath Half

2009-03-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

After a lighter training schedule last week, I thought I was ready for the Bath Half. In a way, I was, but it was tough.

On Friday night, I left work for the M4 and eventually arrived in Bath in time to have pint of ale at the local pub. Our host (Les at Apple Tree Guest House) had stayed up to settle us in, and after a brief chat about the local area, we crossed the road to drink with some locals who were enjoying the performances of Comic Relief on TV.

The next morning, chatting to Les, we learnt that the half marathon caters to about 15,000 people every year and that he was running it for the 15th year in a row - legend. He then made a donation to The Everest Test - awesome, thanks Les.

We spent Saturday wandering around Bath, looking in a few shops, carbo loading and even visiting the Bath Abbey where an orchestra and choir were practicing for an evening show. Culture, tick. Meeting up with the rest of the gang, it was Wagamamas for dinner, a couple of pre-race pints and off to bed.

Sunday morning dawned and the weather was stunning. As we met up and eventually lined up at the start, I feared that I was the only one who would be running in cricket pads. Just as the starting gun was about to go, Hillsy and Kirt showed up in pads, and had a spare pair for Russell. Dave had neglected to bring the light, plastic bats because "... if I'm not running I don't really care!" What team spirit. So, I was left to tackle the course with the heaviest cricket bat in the world.

We set off at a fairly slow pace, as the traffic meant we weren't able to make a great deal of progress early on. By the 2 mile mark I was starting to feel the effects of the hot sun (which later would see me sun burnt) and Dave's selfishness, but I soldiered on. It seemed that everywhere I looked, there was an Everest Test member nearby. With our new shirts that Jules has organised, we looked the goods on the 13.1 mile Bath course.

Winding around the first lap of the two lap course, it was about the 35 minute mark where the leading runners started to pass me. Signs around the course said that we were 10 miles in, but that of course, was meant for them. Weaving away from the supporters and to the outskirts of town, it was getting pretty tough. Again, Everest Test runners were nearby, so I knew I wasn't alone.

Entering the second lap, we were greeted by Curry and Dave cheering from the sidelines - camera in hand - so standby for official photos. This proved a huge morale boost, and not a moment too soon as we started up the hill again to Queen Sq. Seeing someone I knew in the crowd, rather than just the randoms who yelled "cricket", "England cricket team", or to my utter disgust "Kevin Petersen", was great encouragement.

As we hit the next mile marker, Russell really came into play. He had vowed to run with me for the duration, and as an ex-Royal Marine, he was more than capable of speeding away at any time. But rather than do that, he produced a bag of sweets that had been neatly stowed between his sweaty right thigh, and his even sweatier right testicle. Russell's sweets gave me the energy to keep going - mmm. He was also on hand at every water station to help keep me hydrated on the hottest day we've had for months. Thanks Russell.

Just past the 10 mile mark (16kms) my legs started to fade a little, and a had to walk a couple of spots. I was disappointed not to run the entire way, and perhaps I had not taken enough sustenance from Russell's groin earlier, but before long I was back to a jog again. As the final mile approached, I heard some cheers coming from Chloe and our Everest Test medic, Breck. With his unmistakably loud call, Breck told me to adjust my stance and wait for the next delivery, which I duly did:

After, keeping that one out, final straight started to draw near, so we pressed on. With the finish line in sight, again we heard the cheers of Curry and Dave as Russell and I crossed the line in 2 hours, 17 minutes.

We met up with the rest of the team, who all made it round in good time. The final list of Everest Test runners, and their times (in brackets) are below ("p" denotes runner in pads). A big congratulations to all who competed, and to those who made it out to support us in our challenge. Great effort all round.

Richard Kirtley (p) (2:21)
Jonathan Hill (p) (2:25)
Lucy Brooks (2:19)
Helen Curr (2:18)
Alex Fudakowska (2:18)
Vicks Nicholson (2:25)
Jules Staveley (2:02)
Joe Williams (2:25)
Ben Jarman (1:51)
Chris Martin (1:51)
Gareth Lewis (1:33)
Charlie Campbell (1:38)
Mark Waters (2:18)
James Butler (2:13)
Glen Lowis (p) (2:17)
Russell De Beer(p) (2:17)

Friends of the trip:
The General (1:48)
Iain Curr (2:17)
Will Hanson (1:46)
Laura Hewitt (2:19)
Charlie Perrin (2:24)
Laura Bridges (1:55)

Everest Test Send Off - High on Ice
The send off party is this Thursday, and there aren't many tickets left, so it should be an amazing night - stay tuned for more news soon.

The final countdown

2009-03-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday marks the four week countdown, and there is still so much to do. From finding out my blood group to ordering diamox (anti-AMS drugs), helping to put the final pieces together for the send off party, and piecing together presentations to deliver to schools - it is all go. Then there is my paid job, which at the moment is just as busy.

I've started to tone back the fitness work a little now. Partly because there is so much else to do, and partly because I need to rest a little. But on Sunday, it's back to my running ways - the Bath Half Marathon in pads. There have been a few people pull out, and some decide not to do it in pads. At this moment, I'm not really sure who will be running beside me.

As we count down, I'm going to try and give a quick daily update - so hopefully I have something to say. If you have any questions for me, feel free to add a comment or email me. And, if you want to donate, click on the link on the right, and help me reach my personal fundraising target.

Until tomorrow...

The Everest of Birthdays

2009-03-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Last week, I "celebrated" my 29th Birthday. I didn't really take a break from the training, but I did allow myself a few indulgences.

The first, was a trip to "4 Kiwis Walk into a Bar" - a Kiwi comedy night that's on once a month in West London. The highlight, was Jarred Christmas, the host of the evening and one of the acts signed to Stand Up on Everest, which is on next week (to get your ticket for the event, click here). The comedy was well supported by GBK burgers to start, and Jet Planes, Rashuns and a couple of beers for dessert.

I got home to the Everest of birthday cakes - literally. Behold, an edible World Record attempt on the frozen icing lake of Gorak Shep, at the foot of Himalayers of chocolate cake. Complete with a Flicx wicket, stumps and me.

On to my presents then. The first, is an original 1955 copy of High Adventure, Sir Edmund Hillary's story of the first successful summit of Mt Everest. If that were not enough, it is signed by the great man himself. This is AWESOME! The second, some Elizabeth Arden sun-protecting face cream. This would be VERY gay, except that it is the same cream the Sir Ed used on his expedition. That makes it manly, and hardcore.

Big thanks to Chloe for making it an amazing birthday.

An Event-full time

2009-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

As The Everest Test draws nearer (under 7 weeks until we fly out), things are hotting up on the events front....

Stand Up on Everest - Monday 9 March:

Chris Martin's baby, the stand up comedy night in Piccadilly looks like being a great night. As well as the stylings of Chris himself, we've bagged some big names in Russell Howard (Headline Act), Jarred Christmas, Jack Whitehall, Lloyd Langford, Carl Donnelly, Maff Brown and Matt Grantham.

All the money from ticket sales goes to our charities, so if you're up for a laugh, get your ticket before they run out.

High on Ice - The Everest Send Off Party - Thursday 19 March:

This is going to be one amazing party. Months of planning and this is getting close... Most features will only be revealed on the night, but we can promise you an amazing venue at an exclusive London nightclub (24:London), a free cocktail reception, live entertainment, professional theming and audiovisual production, Ibiza Angels on hand, a raffle, free wristbands, celebrity guests and MUCH MORE.

Get your ticket for this amazing party - NOW!

Post-Expedition Black Tie Sports Auction - 2 July

Details yet to be released, but tomorrow morning I am meeting with the Lord's Taverners to go through the details of our welcome back, charity fundraiser. Stay tuned for more details.

________________________________________

Finally, today, I ran 25km. The furthest I've ever run. Cardiovascularly, it was fine, although my heart was supposedly beating at about 93% of it's maximum most of that time. As my legs turned to jelly, I gave up on the idea of reaching 30km and got on the bus home, satisfied that I'm making great progress.

Weather or not to walk

2009-02-10T10:19:00.002-08:00

Training in the last couple of weeks has taken on a new dimension with the UK in the midst of the worst snow storms in almost 20 years. While the public transport systems of London, and many of the UK's roads failed to cope, we got a taste of some extreme training conditions.

DARTMOOR

Before the snow had begun, Team Hillary set about a weekend of rambling in Dartmoor. Getting out of London was a nightmare, and after a bucket of KFC between Kiwi and I, we finally arrived at the Dartmoor Expedition Centre. The first day saw us get about 25km under our belts as we wandered through the heather and forest of the moors. There was loads of banter, this being one of the best team turnouts we'd had for a long time. At our midpoint, we found a small pub and stopped for a sandwich and a well earned winter warmer of mulled wine.

Once back at base, we sat down to watch a documentary about the Sherpa, that our host John, had filmed 50 years earlier for the BBC. After dinner, it was off to the pub, where I consumed my first 3 pints of 2009. More banter ensued, as we drove all the punters from the pub, and Jamo fell asleep. He was to have the last laugh once we were back at the barn, his snoring keeping many of us awake.

Day two, and Jamo had organised a series of challenges for us:

Earth - This challenge involved running up to the top of the nearest hill, carrying 2x 25kg bags of fertiliser, taking a photo and heading back to base. With Russell proving his worth by carrying one of the bags all the way, we won the challenge.

Fire - Running up and past where we stopped for Earth (and down the other side), we carried 2 fold out chairs, a table, plates, cutlery, a gas cooker, a frying pan - and 2 eggs. Once we had cooked our eggs, they were plated and eaten (or at least photographed to look that way). We lost that one, although points weren't awarded based on the taste of the eggs, which would have won it for us.

Wind - Jamo has some strange fascination with kites. None of us could figure it out, but even when the first kite became unusable, he had a spare. He also had a gorilla suit, that the person flying the kite on Wind Tor had to wear the whole way. I managed to get the kite in the air, but not before we got lost in a private field, and I tripped over a bramble bush!

Heading into the final event, we needed to win it to have a chance of taking out the days activities.

Water - All teams competed side by side in this one (we had just rotated through the others), and had to get up and over the hill, fill 2 buckets with water and get back the fastest, or with the most water. Feeling that we were holding our water levels steady, we raced to the finish line and awaited the return of the other two teams. After the final analysis, it was a 3-way tie, and Team Hillary was the winner on the day.

Big thanks to Jamo and Russell for their organisation.

As we returned from Dartmoor, the snow began to fall in Central London. Monday was a write off, with many, myself included, not making it in to work. This also affected training for the week, but luckily - Wales was calling.

BRECON BEACONS

Severe weather warnings, closed bridges and a generally poor outlook for the weekend's weather, scared off a few participants - but we drove on. As we all arrived at the Cardiff Cricket Club, our lodgings for the weekend, we were met with hot cross buns and hot chocolate. We then endured the coldest night I have ever experienced, not even warmed by the small fan heater or the incredibly high levels of noxious gas that 4 grown men can produce.

The sandwich making production line, perfected a week earlier, churned out 40 bread rolls and we headed towards Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons. We negotiated some fairly slippery lanes, and once we had parked the cars with a local farmer more than happy to make £20, we set off. Just to make things a little harder, Blinky, Dave, BJ and I loaded an extra 8kgs of sand each into our packs.

Like much of London during the week, the countryside was covered in so much snow it looked like a French ski resort. The 3 feet of powder we walked through at some points, was the best I've ever seen, and had me wishing I had taken my snowboard on my back. There was again plenty of banter as we headed up towards the top of Pen y Fan, only to have our plans of summiting scuppered by some early afternoon cloud being blown fiercely towards the 'mountain'.

Keeping safety as our primary concern, and content that most of us had had the best day out training since the Everest Test began, we headed down. Along the way, we took time to muck about a bit more, with more snow fights, BJ and Kirt rolling down the hill, and me swan-diving down some fairly imposing slopes. It was great fun.

The evening was filled with a couple of games of the 6 Nations, some beers at the local rugby club (across the field from the Cricket Club we were staying at), a curry in town, and then back to the rugby club to soak up the atmosphere of a local's 21st birthday party.

Sunday's walk was intended to be a little longer, and as we got underway, it seemed a little light (and dull) compared to the day before. As we wove along the side of a river, and higher into the hills, we passed some amazing waterfalls and sheer cliffs. Then the snow came. As we walked through fields, over hills and through forests, big snowflakes started to fall all around us, adding to the 20cm of snow that was already resting in some spots. Having missed the Trim Trail for a couple of weeks, a few of us decided to get some extra press ups in.

Not long after this, we were stuck and needed to cross the river once again. Some wandered further up the river and ended up getting soaked, while a few of us built a bridge (or dam) and made it to safety nice and dry. We refuelled on Snickers bars and then proceeded to get lost. The next couple of hours saw tension rise a little bit as people were frustrated by wet feet and controversial map reading.

In the end, we made it out alive, and before long, were back on the M4 and heading for London.

Thanks to Dave Kirtley for another great weekend!

2 great weekends in the British countryside, and now, only 2 months to go until we board the plane for Kathmandu. So much more to do, so little time.

<<>>

Photos from Press Launch

2009-01-29T02:05:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the shots taken by our expedition photographer, George Powell.

Group shot with the scoreboard behind us

The Trafalgar Oval pitch basking in early morning sun, with the National Gallery in the background

16,945 feet, or 5,165 metres - the altitude at which we'll play in 10 weeks time

A casual shot taken at the end of a tough morning's work

To see the full Press Launch gallery and more of George's great work, click here.

Everest excitement scales new heights

2009-01-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Since April last year, my life (and that of many others in the expedition) has seen so many firsts. From fitness to freezes and mudman to media, but today was like nothing else.

Today was our official media launch in London's Trafalgar Square.

Blinky and I left home this morning just after 8am, and jumped on the tube, fully laden with mountain and cricket gear. Negotiating the angry early morning commuters, we came out into Trafalgar Square to very little fanfare.

The scoreboard had been set up, and while we waited for further details on the morning's activities, we took comfort from a hot cup of coffee. Next, two Lord's Taverners minivans pulled up in the Square, and before long, a Flicx wicket had been laid right in the middle of the iconic London tourist spot.

We were herded off to the side of the Square, out of view of the increasingly curious public, and were briefed by our PR Company, Captive Minds. In the last month or so, Alex and his team have been instrumental in linking us not only with The Lord's Taverners, but also with new England Captain and Vice-Captain Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook. Alex had also managed to tee up former England players Mark Butcher and Chris Adams for an appearance during the day. We did what Alex told us.

The media were ushered to the viewing gallery, and then the umpires and players made their way on to the arena, while a large group of us cheered them on. Charlie B-N took strike against Kinsey's first loopy delivery, and the fielding side went up in synchronised appeal. As the players and spectators froze still, the public and media started to wander through the 'field' and interact with the stone faced cricketers.

After a minute or so, the not-out verdict was given and the bowler went back to his mark. A rather sedate Charlie played and missed a couple, blocked one and then firmly drove the next ball through the covers and into the wheel of a baby's pram - close call. As he got settled, Charlie began to look for runs, and launched into a glorious flick off his pads, sending the pink ball flying into the nearby fountain. Kinsey responded the only way a bowler knows how.

Once the crowd had been sufficiently endangered by both batsman and bowler, we called stumps and dispersed for media interviews with BBC London (check out my close up 28 seconds in), ITV1, The Guardian and Television New Zealand (stand by for coverage).

It was a great morning and as we headed back to the office, the reports were already coming in and not a lot of work was done. What a fantastic day. Kudos to Kirt and Wes, who along with Captive Minds, pulled off an amazing event and really launched us into the media spotlight.
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Other updates since my last blog:

- We're going to have a game of Stick Cricket created featuring us
- Kinsey's Farm Weekend went down last weekend, and it sounds like it was great fun
- Team Hillary's trip to Dartmoor is this weekend - I'll update you next week
- I and a few others have been asked to do some radio commentary for Cricket World for the upcoming NZ v Australia series - AWESOME!

Balance

2009-01-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Finding balance in life can be pretty tricky sometimes. Work, exercise, play, drinking, dinosaur riding and fundraising. To say that I've managed to strike the right balance and get all of these things into my week's schedule would be great. But, while we were just around the corner from a dinosaur park over New Year, the only -saurus around has been mine from all the training.

I've managed to train fairly consistently since getting back from the Xmas break, with a combination of running, cycling, swimming (although I am what purists would call a spaz in the pool), trim trail, hill walking and yoga. That's right, real men do yoga - there are some in my class! I'm only two sessions in, but am noticing the difference with my stretching, and it's nice to have a training session with a more relaxed pace. But maybe that is where the balance ends.

As my fitness continues to improve, and I'm able to see it more closely with a new heart rate monitor, training is becoming less of a chore. Having said that, it is starting to take up most nights of the week, leaving little time for much else. Now, with less than three months to go, there are a lot of other things I need to start thinking about, including trying to organise a team of 15 Hillarians.

We have a couple of weekend training sessions coming up, which Jamo and Dave have taken on, and are looking exciting. Two days hiking for two weekends in a row, firstly in Dartmoor, then in the Brecon Beacons ads to fairly frequent net sessions and thousands of daily emails. In organising the team, I'm the central point of contact for everything Hillary, and right now that means business cards and kit orders.

We've managed to secure a deal with North Face that will see us get discounted kit, if we order it in less than a week. 15 people, 800 potential kit items, four sizes and three colours. All I hope is that once the orders start coming in, everyone wants the same thing - because that's what they're getting.

Finally, I've been working with the Events Committee for the last 6 months, and as we get towards the business end, there is plenty to do. I'm now heading up talks with Surrey and The Oval, working with the Lord's Taverners to organise the main fundraising event, our post-expedition sports auction at The Oval.

I've no doubt that as things continue to get busier over the next three months, I will find more balance - somewhere. In the meantime, I'll have to use the walking poles that Matty gave me for Xmas.

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On a completely unrelated note, relating to relations... An old friend of Kirt and Zooby's has joined the expedition as a Trektator, meeting us in Kathmandu after flying out from Australia. Dane, is my brother-in-law's step brother. Random!

Hitting the US Airwaves

2009-01-09T01:35:00.000-08:00

Back in December, we took part in a number of Freeze Mobs around London. At our first stop, I met a guy named Drew from the US, who seemed greatly interested and took some pics. Well, after talking to Drew for a while, he said he'd send through his pics.

Little did I know that he would get the into the American media. Now, thanks to Drew, The Everest Test has been launched in the US:

To read the article, click here*.

*Please remember that with The Everest Test now supporting The Lord's Taverners, all donations should be directed to www.justgiving.com/gleneverest

Festively seasoned

2009-01-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Hi. How's it going?

It feels like an age since I wrote, and with the culturally sensitive 'holiday season' behind us, 2009 has started. When I began writing this blog some months ago, it was with pride that I announced "In April next year, I and a wider expedition of approximately 50 people..." and blogged about getting amongst it.

As we enter The Year of the Yeti, it is with excitement and a little bit of fear that I can announce:

"In April THIS year, I will become immortal." I may in fact become immoral, but that is part of a different blog altogether

When one year ends and another begins, we like to reflect on past glories, sad times and lost loves. I've not lost love and the sad times in 2009 were frighteningly few, so with only glory to gloat about, I thought I'd recap on my blogs (in title only, don't worry). I can't be arsed linking to them all, so click the links on the right if you too would like to reminisce:

- The first 5 kms - the wrong way (a coming of age story about a boy, 5kms, and a set of pads)
- Get fit or die trying (suffering at the hands of the Sharlands)
- Ed does it Yetigain (Sir Ed Hillary Shield - and Jamo getting hit in the balls)
- Let the serious training begin (Kathmandu - curry style)
- When will I, will I be famous? (my first contact with the press)
- Read all about it! (the interview, and my mug, are published)
- 501* in a way Lara never could (running the Gyro 10km in pads)
- The first true test (some cricket game of little importance)
- Captain's Blog (being named captain of Team Hillary)
- Everest minus six months (the countdown begins, again)
- A week of ups and downs (breaking in the boots with a gentle Chiltern stroll)
- The Cardiff Half (Wales without rain is actually kinda nice)
- Making a Mountain into a Mudhill (getting lost and swearing at my bike in Surrey)
- The Mudman commeth (getting my mud-wings)
- Cotswolds? More like Wotscold! (the All Blacks thumping England in the Hillary Shield - oh, and some hill walking)
- Life in London is Freezing and Grim (freezing our balls off - seriously, I haven't seen them since December)
- Testing times (a captain ponders, and then becomes world famous in NZ)
- New charity announced (bring on the Lord's Taverners)

But enough of looking back. In The Year of the Yeti we will be kings.

Training, which was going pretty well (including a 20km run on NYE), has to step it up now. I'm struggling to get a training programme sorted, and I'm not alone. Strangely, it's not the motivation, but the time. Trying to fit in Running Club, Trim Trail, Yoga (that's right, real men do Yoga - and I do it too), as well as a big run, a swim, some cycling and maybe even a gym session, is pretty tricky. Then there is the hill walking and breaking in the boots. I have plenty to keep me occupied.

I also have to fit in my many media commitments, like being the star of TNT Magazine's Sports Illustrated issue (page 52). If you would like me to sign a copy of the January 5 issue, then keep hold of it until you next see me, and I'll do the honours.

Right, I'm off for more training and a little Yoga. Remember, to donate and support this great challenge, click on the widget top right, or visit www.justgiving.com/gleneverest

New charity announced

2008-12-18T02:45:00.001-08:00

It's official. Along with The Himalayan Trust, we're now supporting the Lord's Taverners.

Set up in the 50's, The Lord's Taverners began as a group of actors and socialites from The Lord's Tavern, who wanted to give something to the game they loved. For the last 50 odd years, they have been a key part of developing and supporting community cricket and disabled sports in the UK. I think you'll agree, a great fit for our expedition.

They have replaced Sport Relief on the bill. Over the past few months, Sport Relief have made it increasingly difficult to give them money, and the size of their collection buckets meant that even with a target of £250k, we were only considered as short change.

On the other hand, The Lord's Taverners are really keen to get stuck in, and have already come to the fore with suggestions and contacts that will make this expedition even more exciting. Please join me in welcoming them to the table.

What better way to welcome them than to send them some Christmas Cheer by donating via Just Giving and the link on the right. Please remember to add Gift Aid if you're a UK tax payer, so that the charity gets additional support from the Government.

If you've already donated via my Sport Relief page, all is not in vain. Your donations are still much appreciated, and as well as going towards my personal target, you can rest in knowledge that Sport Relief are thankful for the money we've raised so far.

Finally - if you're not a part of "Glen goes to Everest" on Facebook, joing the group for more regular updates.

Testing times

2008-12-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, challenges are sent our way to test our resolve and hopefully, allow us to act and grow from the experience. Sometimes, it is opportunities that offer the greatest challenge, as we try to work out how to have our cake - and eat someone else's too.

The last few weeks of Everest Test training and preparation have been really exciting, with loads of us getting together to take on London, and our own physical limits. After a somewhat subdued period in late November, it has kicked off again and the excitement level amongst the lads has hit fever pitch. The freeze mob, full expedition meeting, nets at Lords and Grim Challenge last weekend have ensured that we head into the Christmas break with heads high and plenty of motivation to keep up the training.

Early last week, still numb from the cold of Grim, I was offered a great job opportunity to work on something I've never done before and provide a real boost to my career and experience. Unfortunately, while it wouldn't stop me being a part of The Everest Test, it would mean that I couldn't do the job of skipper justice. I wrestled with the idea of how I could make the two work together, but ultimately realised I would need to resign the captaincy.

I've put a lot into this challenge, and the decision to take the captaincy had not been made lightly. We've got less than 4 months to go, and while there are guys in Team Hillary who could step up to the plate, I'm not ready to hand over the reigns. If the last few weeks are anything to go by, it's only going to get busier and more intense, and to be anywhere but the centre of it all isn't something that I'd be able to live with. This is the single greatest thing I've ever had a chance to do, and I'm not going to compromise that when we're getting this close.

The world works in mysterious ways, and just when I might have needed a slap on the forehead to tell me I've made the right decision, I got it. I got a call from Radio Sport in New Zealand on Friday night, who interviewed me for their Saturday morning show. A friend of mine back in NZ works in radio, and somehow managed to sweet talk them into letting this knob 'grace' the airwaves. And just in case you thought you were lucky enough to miss it, I've added a few photos and you have to spend the next 10 minutes listening to it. Enjoy!!

_________________________

Just so it is clear - I am still captain and you will respect my authorita!

Life in London is Freezing and Grim

2008-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

December 15 Update - The Grim video is now available online:
http://www.atestabovetherest.com/?p=104
__________________________
But in a good way!

This weekend was one of the best I've had in 3 years of living in London. Why? It was freezing cold and really dirty.

Saturday dawned with a meeting at London's Jubilee Gardens, right next to the London Eye. With problems on the tube, Blinky and I ran the last two kms, with our full rucksacks strapped to our backs - a good little warm up. What followed, was a series of Freeze Mobs around London's top tourist sites. It was a great morning, best told by the literary genius that is Tooves. For full details on the 'mobbing', told in a way I could only wish to compete with, Tooves' blog is a great read with some excellent photos - I recommend it!

After a carbo loading dinner (the smallest ravioli I have ever seen), and a game of "Big Face, Little Face" the craze sweeping the nation, it was home to bed for a good night's sleep.

Sunday in Aldershot. If that doesn't sound Grim enough, then add in cammo nets, mud, frozen 'puddles' (lakes) and a balmy -2 degrees celsius. With support from photographer Zooby and camera man Kirt, 11 of us lined up at the start of the 8 mile course. Tom, Neil, G-Man, Kinsey, Kiwi, Blinky, Milo, Chrissy M, Nick M, Dave K, and me. With every last one of us finishing the 'race', it was a great show by The Everest Test team. It is interesting to note another numbers victory to Hillary, 6-5. Now we just need to learn how to play cricket.

We set off together, but as the field started to spread, the Sharlands and Kiwi bust out to the front, and were the first through the cammo nets.

Once through the nets, it was time to wade through the 'puddle' that only 15 minutes earlier had resembled Gorak Shep with it's thick ice and rock covering. Out came the 4x4s to break the top, ensuring that the water was still icy cold.

Baselayers on my legs kept me from getting too cold down below, except for my feet which turned to into solid blocks of ice. Luckily for me I also had a baselayer top too, as I fell in the water only to be dragged up by the scruff of my neck by the person behind me.

As we passed the 6 mile mark, the course stayed relatively flat, with only the odd block of ice in the way to trip the unsuspecting runner. Rounding the bend at the end of the course, there was one more puddle to go, so I picked up the pace and steamed through to overtake anyone who stood in my way.

It was tough, but we all enjoyed it, and it capped a brilliant weekend.

Cotswolds? More like Wotscold!

2008-12-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

With a weather forecast promising temperatures around 2 degrees, rain and chilling winds, what better to do than strap on a pack and walk up some hills. So that's what we did. On Friday night, Blinky, Brooksie and I headed for Cheltenham and the rolling hills of the Cotswolds.

The weekend started with a little Chinese and a couple of beers with Hillsy and The General, who were kind enough to put us up for the weekend. After a short catch up, we called it a night, ready for an early start on Saturday morning.

Once we emptied the house of bacon and eggs, we hit the trail from Dowdesweil at about 8am and walked up the first hill for about 200 metres before reaching a fork in the path. Not really sure which route to take, I asked Brooksie for the map, and she directed me to the back of her bag. Unfortunately, the map was in the back of the car, now long gone with Hillsy. Doh!

Blinky's phone has GPS and he had just downloaded a map application, so we were fine, until we went off the map. As the mist closed in and the we had no idea where we were, we cracked on anyway and eventually found the trail again.

After 6 hours of ups and downs, muddy bogs, the biggest cow in the world and going round in circles, we got to Winchcome. We had completed about 24km. Hillsy came to pick us up and we were back in town in time to see the All Blacks thrash England, win the Hillary Shield and complete the Grand Slam. We celebrated with a tequila at 4:45pm, and with more drinks to come, it was another 11 hours before we were home to rest before another day walking.

Blilnks and I were up at about 9:30, and once Hillsy had got up, we hit the trail again - at about 12pm. Brooksie had decided to decline the invitation for a second day on the hills. With a little hangover and a bag of beef jerky to get us through, we walked another 15km, with just the odd wrong turn thrown in for good measure. Perhaps not as far as we had planned, but a great couple of days out in the hills, and something I would recommend.

To view the routes in detail, click here and select the 29th or 30th of November (be patient as they may take a few minutes to load).

Finally - It was the last weekend of the Autumn Internationals Rugby Sweepstake I organised, which thanks to the generous winner, saw another £170 raised for Sports Relief.

The Mudman commeth

2008-11-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

And man was he stuffed!

As we drove through the deep mud puddles and into the car park, the enormity of the task ahead had not fully sunk in. While the sun was shining, it was cold and the freezing wind cut through the base layers just enough to make it impossible to shit myself, luckily.

Speaking to a few people near the start line, all hovering around the hotdog stand, I started to think I had done what was advised against, and underestimated the challenge. One of the guys who'd been there before was telling me not to push too hard on the first straight or I would be beaten by the first hill. He told me I would need to keep a consistent pace over the 2 1/2 of the Mudman Duathlon.

My original goal had been 2 1/2 hours to complete the 7.5km run, 15km cycle and second 7.5km run. I revised that target to just finishing.

As Jules and Tom gathered at the start line ready to head off on their run, Charlie and I thought perhaps we should have taken the run option ahead of the duathlon too, or just gone home. The boys set off, but as we were starting while they'd still be on the course, they couldn't give us any pointers. Amazingly, Tom ran in sixth in about 37 minutes, with Jules coming in in 47 mins - a great effort by both lads.

As the airhorn sounded, Charlie and I made our way down the opening straight, along with about 150 others, unsure of what lay ahead. Not long after that, Charlie had managed to lose me and I wouldn't see him again until the end of the race. After weaving through the trees and hitting a fairly steep downhill run, I was still full of enthusiasm, but didn't want to expend all my energy too quickly.

I took on the first big hill, knowing that I only had another 4 trips to make up "Heartbreak Ridge" (on this first run), only to realise that I hadn't even made it to the ridge yet. Finally I rounded a bend to see the path head skyward, as if it were some bizarre twist on a stairway to heaven. It was about 45 - 50 degrees, and I would have to climb this ridge a total of 13 times.

Energy leaked from my every muscle and once I had 500 metres of the run to go, I decided that I would continue - which for the previous 40 mins was not something that I was sure of. I stumbled awkwardly into the transition area before handing gloves and beanie to Chloe, my one-woman support crew for the day - the first stage taking me 43:44.

As I set off on the first of three 5km laps, I relished the chance to sit down a bit, and loved the downhill sections of the course. On the bike, we only had to go up Hearbreak Ridge once per lap, but the gradient forced even the fittest to walk their bikes up rather than ride. Bar a few gear problems, the bike stage went really well and after another 1:06:27, I set myself for the final 7.5kms on foot. By now, the first competitors were completing their race.

Knowing what lay in front of me didn't make the final push any easier, but I could take solace from the fact I had already made it around this harrowing course 4 times. On each of the hill climbs, which now felt like 60 - 70 degrees, I had no option to walk, along with the other competitors at my side and those slowly passing me.

For a moment, I thought I was about to die. As the field had spread out and we weaved away from the road, the woods became eerily quite. An unusual sense of calm came over me, and although I was more exhausted than I had ever been, I felt strangely at peace. With less the 500m of the total 30km distance in front of me, I decided to finish in a flourish and took a big gulp of air before coming home in a sprint finish. Last stage 49:08.

In the end, I completed the course in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 19 seconds, in a credible 96th place.

Charlie had beaten me by 7 minutes and 20 places, and was waiting at the finish line for a manly Team Hillary hug.

It was tough. The toughest thing I've done, but something I will do again - after a little more training!

Making a Mountain into a Mudhill

2008-11-13T03:29:00.001-08:00

Since my last blog, things have been moving steadily on the training front, and I've become a lot more consistent in my training. As the weeks go by, the Trim Trail sessions get easier, although Tom pushes us more and more, so they also get harder. I've been for a few runs, although I'd like to do more, and I got out on my bike for the first time in a while last weekend.

Jumping in the car, I made for Hindhead in Surrey, and The Devil's Punch Bowl. Quickly surveying the map (obviously WAY TOO quickly), I deduced that if I stuck to the top track and just rode around the Punch Bowl, I couldn't get lost, so off I went. As the path narrowed and a little water started to trickle along beside, and then below me, I thought that my trusty navigation system (brain) may have led me off the track. Not wanting to turn around and head back up hill, or admit defeat, I rode on, between trees and over boulders until I reached what I thought was the valley floor.

I then decided it was probably best to trespass over a couple of farms, and as my gears slowly ground themselves to oblivion, any chance I had of getting away from the farmer's shot gun was soon gone. I managed to find another path, before straying on to MOD land, where I was warned by ubiquitous signs not to pick up strange looking objects.

Eventually, I made my way out of the forest and called Chloe for some quick directions home. Taking 'Anna's Pet Shop and Horse Supplies' as my reference point, I headed to the nearest pub to meet her (Chloe, not Anna). As the rain started to come down, the last remaining bits of my bike fell off and I waited for my rescuer.

So, why did I put myself through this? Next weekend, I am stupid enough to be 'competing' in something called the Merrell Mudman. It is a 30km duathlon, where I run 7.5kms through the mud, up Heartbreak Ridge (5 times) and into Desperation Hollow. Then I ride my bike around a similar 15km course, before running the last 7.5kms again.

I'm not quite sure how a 'race' such as this will prepare me for climbing a mountain to play cricket, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'm left to shit myself with fear that THIS will be the hardest thing I have ever done, and that I am crazy. The world needs more crazy people, so if you're free next Saturday, let me know!

The Cardiff Half

2008-10-25T05:56:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Kirt, Dave and I went out to Cardiff to run 13.1 miles around the Welsh city. The only other time I have been to Wales, it pissed down the whole weekend, everything was closed and I hated it, so I didn't hold high expectations. Amazingly, we were in Wales for 24 hours without any rain.

As we lined up, Kirt and Dave were padded up, and I took the easy option of just trying to run a good time. We crossed the start line and ran the first 2 miles together, with the lads in pads putting in a solid effort. This is what they had to say at the 1 mile mark:

After passing the 2 mile mark, and a woman we'd met at the Gyro 10km a month or so earlier, I decided to leave the guys to it, and try to catch up with the 2 hour pace runner in the hope that I could get around in 2 hours or less. Having had a fairly slow start, what with stopping to take photos and videos, I had my work cut out for me.

Around 3 miles I came across the first water station, so I go my hydrate-on and pushed on through. The route took us out through the Wetlands and back around and along the river embankment. By the 6 mile mark, I had caught the pace setter, and was closing in on the furthest distance I have ever run competitively - and I wasn't even halfway!

Eventually, as we entered yet another park, I passed the 10 mile mark, and had now run further in miles than I ever had in kilometers. But the 2 hour pace setter started to close the gap I had managed to build up in the last 4 miles, and my sub-2 hour time looked to be under threat.

With tired legs I pressed on and started to pick up the pace a little, back onto the streets and past the 13 mile mark. The crowds started to cheer (I think for someone else), so I used them to power me through a strong finsh and over the line in 3,033 place. My final time was 1 hour, 55 mins and 29 seconds.

The guys came in about 20 minutes later, in a stirling effort that the whole expedition crew can be proud of. Next challenge for me is the Merrell Mudman, while this weekend, the boys of Team Tenzing are taking on the 3 Peaks.

Bring it on!

A week of ups and downs

2008-10-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Following the success of the Trektator Party, the last week has been quite frustrating.

The weekend proved very productive with a light 'hike' in the Chilterns, along part of The Ridgeway. It wasn't the most challenging walk I've ever been on, but it was a great chance to test out my new boots and get some fresh air on a beautiful Saturday morning. After a couple of hours, we (Helen, Paola, Blinky and I) happened across a really nice pub, in which we were forced to have a roasted lamb joint and a couple of pints. With the toughest part of the walk over, we had another hour in the hills before arriving in Princes Risborough for a couple of bottles of cider before catching the train back to London.

A few beers at a couple of parties on Saturday night was followed by a session down at the Trim Trail with my mate Matty on Sunday afternoon. So I finished the weekend feeling on top of my game, and looking forward to this weekend's Cardiff Half Marathon. My rest day on Monday was swiftly followed by a cold, and I have been feeling rubbish all week, so now look like going into the run a little under-done.

Spirits have been high all week though, with news of Surrey signing on as our official cricket partner, and a few drinks with the Trektators and Hillary boys. With beer as my fuel, I'm full and rearing to run. I'm not going to run it in pads, and I may be the only one doing it after revelations that neither Kirt or Dave actually registered, so I'll be aiming to get around in under 2 hours. Wish me luck!

Everest minus six months

2008-10-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today marks the beginning of the last six months before we head off on our expedition. We've a lot to do in only 181 days, but based on the last seven, we're looking good.

We've now got our fundraising efforts off the ground, courtesy of an amazing launch event, planned and executed by our dedicated Trektators. At The Collection in South Ken, we were presented with an immaculate venue, kitted out with photos of expedition members, videos, cocktails and bar staff dressed in "The Everest Test" t-shirts.

Great music from Suzie Clark, Basil the bongo player and a DJ set, had the crowd in a great mood that ensured the drinks flowed into Thursday morning. We even had a visit from Neil Laughton, former SAS and Everest summit partner of Bear Grylls. He seemed to think we'd get up there easily, but based on the state of some of the lads at the party, it could be tougher than he expects. With a bit of a sore head the next day, it was evidence that we had launched in style.

The first of many great events we have planned, the fundraising doors have now been officially opened. To donateand sponsor me for the expedition and any of the challenges I will be completing along the way, click here. If you're quick, you can say you were the first person to send me on my way up the mountain.

Next weekend I am running the Cardiff Half Marathon, although I have yet to decide if I do it in pads. If you're keen to get behind me for this particular challenge (the furthest I will ever have run) then let me know. If the crowd votes (with their wallets) I will don the pads for this great event.

If you want more for your donation than just the satisfaction of helping a great cause, there are a limited number of "Shares in Adventure" for sale, which will net you a glossy post-event, autographed photo book and certificate. For £150 you'll be safe in the knowledge that you helped get our expedition off the ground, and will have a priceless reminder of our World Record Challenge. If you're interested, email me for more details.

Until next time.

Captain's Blog

2008-10-02T02:18:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago, I recieved an email from Kirt, letting me know that I was being considered for the captaincy of Team Hillary. I took this news firstly with excitement, and then some nervousness, then with fear.

Excitement - at being considered capable of leading a great team of men into such an inhospitible environment, and that they may follow.
Nervousness - that I had lied one too many times on my application form (I wasn't actually ON the side of the volcano when I carved a cricket bat with a Swiss Army knife).
Fear - caused by the pressure of doing the most insane (yet inspirational) thing that I or any of my team mates have in our lives, all while carrying the weight of the team, and a nation of New Zealanders whose hearts and minds I hope to capture.

Last week, Kirt called me to ask me if I would accept the captaincy, and lead a team named after perhaps the most famous Kiwi of all time (unless you're English), Sir Edmund Hillary. Rather than cast aside the apprehension caused by points 2 and 3 above, I decided to embrace them, and dutifully accepted the honour.

At the announcement, Team Tenzing Captain and Vice Captain were named, and Jules was introduced as my deputy. As I took the stage for my acceptance speach, the crowd hushed and I was filled with a great sense of pride in what I had been asked and agreed to do. And then I spoke. As I tried to respond to the heckles of the Tenzing boys (who outnumbered us), it went from bad to worse. With Toovey cracking jokes about my accent, the crowning glory of my speech came as I announced "I've got a great group of guys behind me!"

I swiftly sat down.

We left The Plough and went off to the oval, where I anticipated an evenly fought contest, with a Hillary victory well deseved at the end.

What ensued, after being sent in, was nothing less than a shambles. Team Tenzing, with the experience of a mid-week net behind them, had us reduced to about 5 for 13 as the top order folded meekly. In stepped Jamo, the 7ft Hillary Man of the Match. Despite his heroic innings of 40 odd not out, we were undone for 95, an over and a half short of our 20. Still, we had hopes that while it may not be easily defendable, we could (and would) put up a good fight.

We couldn't (and didn't). Rotating the bowlers provided only fodder for the Tenzing batsmen, who cruised to a 10 wicket victory in pretty quick time. Lesson learnt.

While I could spout off excuses, and there are many valid ones (we were 4 players short and relied on ringers, we'd never seen each other hold their bat or balls... the list goes on), we were done. As far as motivation goes, losing like this serves only as a positive that we need to work on our training (fitness and cricket) and form a tighter unit.

In the coming weeks and months, we'll be looking to push ourselves more than we have before, because we need to. Overcoming the challenge of Tenzing won't be anything in comparison to the 5,165 metres, and 9 days of trekking ahead of us before we even get to one of the most uneven of playing fields.

In the meantime, there is plenty to keep us occupied. With the new website live, plenty of training and loads of fundraising, including next week's amazing Sagarmatha, the Trektator Launch Party.

The first true test

2008-09-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Since May, I and my fellow Hillarians have been been gearing up for our toughest challenge ever, A Test Above the Rest against Team Tenzing.

In the last four months, there has been banter, bleep tests, boat races, 5k runs and 10k runs. But now is our first real challenge, and a chance to go one up on the official scorecard.

This Saturday we'll face off at Richmond Park in SW London, and Team Hillary is already on the back foot. While morale is high in our ranks, we've heard murmurs of Team Tenzing arriving fresh from a net at the Oval. They may even have a full eleven - something I'm not sure that we'll be able to do.

There are a number of personal battles that will be played out on the day, on top of the that, on of good versus evil. Blinky and I have know each other for about 10 years, and in that time, played more than a few games of cricket and rugby. We've faced each other in the nets a few times, but never come up against each other in a match. What bigger occasion?

Having seen the sparkle in his eyes and the venom in his run up, I'm a little worried about his mystery ball, but looking forward to the challenge. With so much on the line, and so much pressure, if you think Richmond is a long way to go to get out for a first ball duck.... try going to Everest.

I'll see you there.

501* in a way Lara never could

2008-09-11T11:20:00.001-07:00

At the weekend, I, and nine others in the expedition party decided to emulate the great Brian Lara, by scoring our own 501. But, we did it much more efficiently than he did.

On that day in 1994, Brian had been padded up and at the crease for 474 minutes, facing a total of 427 balls and hitting 62 boundaries and 10 sixes. That's not a bad shout, but picture this...

Brian's bat, was a Gray-Nicolls 'scoop bat' - which means it was essentially hollow. Mine was not (although the other three Hillarians's bats were). So, with a heavier bat, I completed my 497th run (all run, no boundaries) in 61 minutes and 17 seconds. Although the clock wasn't on as I made my way to the starting line, I can guarantee that it didn't take me 413 minutes. To make it even more remarkable, I didn't face any balls - 427 less than the "Master Blaster". I don't want to take anything away from one of the all time greats, but you do the maths!

So, having run the Gyro 10km in just over an hour, and only 9 minutes slower than last year (but in pads in case you missed that), I'm pretty chuffed. I've now got 5 weeks to gear up for the Cardiff Half Marathon, which will be the furthest I've ever run (god willing) and the longest on the road. So will I be the first batsman to score 1,000 in one outing, not likely. David might come in before me, and I may not be in kit.

Read all about it!

2008-08-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a link to my UK media debut. The photos are a little dodgy because I couldn't find any others, but check me out at The South London Press.

Cheers

When will I, will I be famous?

2008-08-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when everyone asks, "When will I, will I be famous?"

A couple of months ago, I was interviewed by a journalist writing a piece about The Everest Test, and evidently me, for The South London Press. I heard from him again this week, with news that the story is going to run this Tuesday, 19th August.

So, while Bros may have fought with fame for years, I now know the answer to that question. If you're in South London, keep an eye out for it. If not, I'll try to get a copy scanned and posted here next time.

Un-famously (for now) yours,
Glen

Let the serious training begin

2008-08-07T03:41:00.000-07:00

It has long been known that at high altitude, the body absorbs less oxygen, struggles to keep up and in the area known as "The Death Zone" becomes unable to digest food. As I've mentioned previously, altitude sickness can affect anyone, regardless of fitness. Alas, we want to be in the best mental and physical state we can, before we tackle this great challenge.

With that in mind, I've organised a team training run to Kathmandu Valley, to help my fellow team mates prepare for what lies ahead. It will comprise of three core training exercises (warm up, main session, cool down) where Team Hillary will be expected to exercise both the body and mind, which will not stop until each and every member is completely stuffed.

All through this intense session, we will ensure that everyone stays well hydrated and will be able to carry themselves from the heights of the Kathmandu Valley, and back into the real world.

Ed does it Yetigain

2008-07-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

It seems that the man behind Team Hillary, Sir Ed himself, may have also knocked off one of the world's great mysteries. Not content on climbing Everest, he may have come in close contact with the Yeti!!

While it's not part of our initial training regime, we'll make sure that we're well prepared to avoid any unnecessary accidents in the UK, and once we get to Nepal. One can never be too careful, and with an aim to RESPONSIBLY reach heights, we're all aware of the consequences of our actions.

Earlier this month, Team Hillary's own Yeti, Jamo was also a victim of a speeding John Lithgow.

Get fit or die trying

2008-07-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Altitude sickness can affect anyone, regardless of age or fitness. Some suggest that slightly less fit smokers are less prone as they’re used to the lack of oxygen being absorbed into the blood – so perhaps I should start smoking.

While the idea of filling my lungs with all sorts of chemicals is appealing, I’ve decided to go the other way and get fit anyway. At some point during our training regime, it’s been suggested that we should pop down to a hypoxic/altitude tent so that we can see how we’ll cope with the lack of oxygen. But, until we know the quirks of our own bodies, we’re all starting to train in our own way.

I’ve been trying to keep fit ever since my bike ride from Amste rdam to London in May, which raised money for Motor Neurone Disease. Training has essentially been 3 gym sessions a week, with a mixture of cardio and weights, and a game of 20/20 on the weekend. However, based on my cricket form of late, I haven’t been getting a huge workout on the pitch and so have had to resort to drastic measures.

Tom, another Hillarian, has for a long time been regularly training on the Trim Track at Battersea Park and a few of us have been silly enough to join him in recent weeks. I’m not saying that my normal workouts are relaxing, but Tom really knows how to put us through our paces. Yesterday, after an hour of shuttle runs, press ups, chin ups, press ups, burpies, sit-ups (10 different kinds to a total of 100), tricep dips, star jumps, press ups and narrowly avoiding throw ups, I was well and truly spent.

Not that I thought this would be easy, but as we’re still 9 months out from the expedition it will only get harder. Will all the training be in vain, or will the heights of personal fitness that I aim to achieve stand me in good stead for the physical heights we’re aiming for?

Only time will tell. Tune in next time for The Weakest L ink.

The first 5 kms - the wrong way

2008-07-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the first of many entries of my new blog - Glen's Highest Score.

Between now and April 2009, I'm in training to reach new heights in my cricket "career". Career is perhaps not the best word to describe the last 15 years I've spent playing cricket. If I had a pound (or a dollar prior to coming to London a few years ago) for every run that I've scored batting anywhere from numbers 1 to 11, I might just have enough to buy a new bat. To date, my highest score outside of the backyard or the pub, is 97 not out.

I'm going to go higher - but probably not on the scoreboard.

April next year will see me, and a wider expedition of approximately 50 people, attempt to set a World Record for the Highest Official Match of Sport - EVER. We've set our sights a little lower than Richie Benaud's great suggestion we'd be playing cricket on the moon one day, but only just.

We're going to Mount Everest.

Why? Partly because we're crazy, partly because we want to challenge ourselves, partly to raise money for Comic Relief and The Himalayan Trust UK, but mostly because it is the coolest thing I've ever had the opportunity of doing, and it's the only way I'll ever get my batting average higher.

I've started training, as I'll need to be really fit and healthy to give myself a chance of avoiding altitude sickness. Today, I and 7 others in the group made our first strides towards The Himalayas, by running the British 5km London Run. The only problem... we need to go more than 5kms STRAIGHT UP before we can play.

Our record attempt is to be set on a plateau just below Everest's Base Camp, at a place called Gorak Shep. It is 5,164m above sea level. That is higher than any peak in Western Europe and over twice the altidude at which FIFA have banned competitive football matches. At this altitude, the air contains 30% less oxygen than at sea level, and I will need all I can get if I'm going to score any runs. My "millitary medium pace" bowling is also likely to be affected, bearing more resemblence a mall cop, or traffic warden than that of the armed forces.

In the coming months, I'll keep you updated on my progress. I'll also give details of how progress of the wider group is going, and let you know how you can sponsor me and donate to two great causes. For more information on our record attempt and what we're up to, visit www.atestabovetherest.com

Thanks, and tune in again soon.
Glen