Boulders, Bales, Bonding and Bottom Burps....

                                   

Hi Everyone,

Some major updates on the Everest Test trip to update you all on. A major get-together and the official media launch activity have all happened in the last week which have helped grease the wheels of the expedition even further and take it forward into another gear.

Last weekend saw an SAS/It's a Knockout/Sports Day/Cage Rage Fest at Kinsey's Farm in Hereford. After a long drive last Friday night, with even SatNav scratching it's little electronic head at times, I arrived in the pitch back at the Hern family farm near Leominster. Fellow Tenzinger Kinsey had organised a weekend get-together of epically athletic proportions where we would be tested to the maximum level; getting involved with various team and individual events to test our core strength and to assist with the team building. A welcome beef stew and a cold one went down brilliantly as nervous conversation filled the family kitchen. Various maps and the weekends itinerary were laid out for all to see and we had individually been numbered for all of us to create our own fantasy team for the weekends events. That done we were all escorted up to the village hall; our digs for the weekend, where we were all brimming with nervous excitement. Camped next to fellow Tenzinger's Joe and BJ it was pretty evident that the nervous excitement was difficult to contain as bass level "botty-coughs" shook the very foundations of the Hall. I'm sure these two may well cause avalanches higher up the mountain - the lentil and rice combo's probably won't help this either. Once the heaters were cranked up to Outback level temperatures and the ever musical Williams in full flow it was pretty evident that sleep was going to be at a premium this weekend.

7am sharp the door was kicked open by Kinsey carrying a bathtub full of porridge; major sustenance for the days activity. Sleepy heads began popping up from their sleeping bags and the guys who had set up their inflatable beds with a wry grin the night before now untangled their way out of their now half-inflated heaped mess of blow-up mattress, sleeping bags and clothes. Porridge and coffee were consumed and the skin-tight, packet squashing Ron Hill running bottoms were surgically pulled up; ready for the days events.

Kinsey walked us up to the aircraft hanger he calls a chicken shed ready for the Bleep Test designed to get us going and get the blood moving. We all did admirably well and BJ stormed through to finish just over level 13; an impressive effort. Next, we were taken outside for event No 2. A simple plank of wood was laid out outside the chicken coup and a boulder the size of a Volkswagon was man-handled into the competitors arms, the idea being we would be tested on how far we could all throw this boulder backwards, over our heads. A great event. Yours truly came second only to Big Nick Mollineux as he tossed the rock over his head with the same disdain as if it was a coffee flavoured Revel. Rowers.......

The next event was a team game and involved each member of teams Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and err, the next one, rolling a tractor tyre around a square 100m course, professionally marked out with 4 sticks. This tested everyones upper arm and leg strength. A heated final meant competitiveness reared its head with some manhandling of the umpires which seemed to do the trick with the photo finish result swinging away from team Gamma.

Throughout the morning we were also escorted around section of the 5 mile finishing run which seemed twice that length and involved hills that even farm-machinery would be hesitant about tackling. Gulps were audible from the teams as Kinsey continued to explain the outline of the course with a certain amount of relish. It was then back to the farm house for a welcome rest, some delicious soup and warm bread. Just what the doctor ordered.

The next event saw the teams loading palettes with rocks, that needed to picked up and carried a short distance from a large pile. Obviously, migrant workers hadn't made it down to Kinsey's neck of the woods yet which meant these rocks could be neatly tidied away onto palettes through the efforts of Team Everest to used in the construction of perhaps a wall or airport terminal. Gamma romped home with win; fiercely contested all the way to the wire by practically ever other team but the winners just kept themselves to themselves; waiting for the medals. A solid effort by my fellow team mates, Kiwi, Alex, Simmo, Tooves and the ever flatulent BJ.

We were all pretty bushed now but a few more surprises still lay in wait. The Scarecrow event was a hot topic of conversation with us all; everyone having different romantic ideas of stuffing scarecrows with little, fluffy armfulls of soft straw. Back in the chicken shed 3 round hay bales, head height for my 6ft 2 frame, awaited us and the idea was that individually we all had to push these huge rolling weights down a slalom course and back to tag the next person. This I found to be an a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e bastard. My neck and neck race with Haydn saw him comfortably win in the last 10 metres. Notable performances from Hillsy, Kiwi and G-man probably meant that a few world records were broken; if indeed a world record for such a ludicrous event even existed. Impressive. The final event saw us engage each other in a Tug-of-War; every team spent by now but some furious action ensued from a couple of the teams. The sight of Hillsy being dragged along on his arse being a particularly amusing moment.

Finally, the 5 miler awaited. I hate running at the best of times but this was a huge run and I think most would agree. My body was fairly ruined by now so i wont bore you with the foot by foot account but I finished in just over a hour. The racing-snake leaders finished in about 45 minutes which was seriously impressive and the rest of the field finished soon after the hour mark. My day finished with me showering in the pitch black, in a chicken shed, in Herefordshire. Now, I would be lying if I said I didn't hum the theme tune to Deliverance several times during my rub down but it passed without so much as a banjo being plucked - which was lucky. The Ron Hills had stood up well too with minimum luggage-rash and I was a happy, warm, clean and thirsty man. I was defianetly looking forward to my pie and chips and several pints of Herefordshires finest.

A brilliant weekend despite the sheer pain but it was obvious that Kinsey and his family had worked very hard on this team building exercise and huge thanks must go to all the Hern's. It was a great evening in the pub and the lock-in at the end was a nice and very welcome touch and it enabled all of us to drink an amount that would ensure passing out and thereby enabling us to enjoy our last nights sleep on the village hall floor. Negotiating the sleeping bodies strewn around the hall proved to be final hurdle when I had to go for a late night wazz but once successfully managed even Joe and BJ's bodily orchestras couldn't keep me awake.

Personally it was great to meet members of the trip that I hadn't really had the chance as yet to talk to and get to know better, so I was thankful that I made the weekend, managed to get involved and contribute a little and get to know my fellow loons a little better. It's obvious everyone is keen to pull in the same direction to make this expedition a success.

This will be a great trip.

Today - Jan 27th - saw the official Press Launch. Our PR guys, Alex and Marcus at Captive Minds (www.captiveminds.co.uk), have been so supportive of the trip and they had obviously pulled out all the stops. Coverage of the trip has been viewed today on London News programmes and within various papers. I was unfortunately unable to make it today, which will go down as a big regret, but with my company being small and them being supportive already of this trip, I felt the right thing to do would be to be around today and get some pressing projects underway. The guys that were there treated the London crowds and the waiting press to a Freeze Mob outside of The National Gallery and interviews were taken with various members of the trip - Kirt, Haydn, Mike and Glen all gave their accounts. Mark Butcher and Chris Adams were present to lend their vocal support. ITV London interviewed Kirt and the evening papers ran the story; more coverage will be in the news tomorrow too. My loyal readers (if I have any) and stumbling, "small-hours internet hobbyists" may wish to keep there eyes peeled.

Links to coverage

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7853571.stm
http://sports.in.msn.com/cricket/stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1717306
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/27/cricket-match-on-everest
http://www.itvlocal.com/london/news/?player=LON_News_15&void=280959

http://www.atestabovetherest.com/

for further updates.

If it wasn't already the button has well and truly been pushed and in all areas; we are very much on our way and April will be here before we know it.

Keep your eyes peeled and in touch soon.

Updates, Thoughts and Steak and Ale Pie..

Hi Everyone - 

Saturday witnessed another gathering at the Home Of Cricket of The Everest Test 09 to catch-up with one another after the Christmas festivities, have my bowling smashed about a bit, stretch some muscles and learn about where the expedition is up to at the moment as April races towards us.  

The net session was a good cricket work-out with everyone having a good long crack and the bowlers putting the overs in.  It was nice to find the edges again and get the bowling pumped through the covers with wild abandon.  There were big sixes, uprooted wickets, G-Man falling over, something for everyone, all caught on camera for the expedition records.  To highlight some of my fellow Tenzingers - Tooves bowled with the flight and guile of a young Warne and Blinky seemed to be trying to knock everyone t*ts off with his aggressively Caribbean, violent whip.  A little bit of chin-symphony is not easy to face in early January.  G-Man with his subtle approach to the wickets, reminiscent of a young, white "Whispering Death", catching those who like to get on the front dog unawares with the in-swinging Yorker on the boot laces........until he fell over. Yours truly bowling relatively straight down the "Corridor" and bled runs through the slips, particularly with JC at the crease.  Dave Christie made solid runs during his 20 minutes and Wes and The Skipper licking it to all parts of St. John's Wood.  Tenzing seriously has it and we must ensure that we can perform on the day and, of course, at altitude.  If all 15 make it, there will some difficult selection conundrums.  

We were then due for a debrief over the other side of the ground in the Lords Lecture Theatre where expedition leaders, Wes and Kirt gave us the run down.  Again, the amount of work evident behind the scenes being injected into this trip reaffirmed my feelings about the commitment and just how amazing this trip will be.  Kirt and Cuzza went out to Nepal over Christmas and despite a case of Nepalese Nightmare met with many of the bodies that the trip needs to be on-side to get us into the country and indeed attempt a record on the flanks of their most prized possession.  Our PR company is working in overdrive and their commitment and involvement will take us to unprecedented levels; the press launch is due next week from London.  We were all chuffed to hear Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook have kindly stepped up to lend their support to Team Tenzing and Hillary respectively and The Lord's Taverners, who we are now raising money for, have already lent considerable weight to the cause and are proving our decision to leave Sports Relief was the right one.  By miles.

We were told about the documentation of the trip through photography and film and this is something I would like to get closer to if I can.  The idea of creating a book documenting the trip from embryo to success; with all the tears and laughs that are bound to crop up, is an inspired idea with members of the party contributing to its creation and production.

Next we had a debrief about some of the medical implications; Sudden Death Syndrome (I think BJ had the same facial expression as I did when this was mentioned), the injections we need to get sorted and some of the implications of break-dancing at high altitude.  The logistics of high altitude rescue are hard to put it mildly so every caution must be taken to secure a successful trip and not to strain the limited resources.  I must go to my 13 year old Bavarian dentist again.  A medical questionnaire is being finalized at the moment and we must declare everything we have or have had.  I wonder if my swollen testicle when I was 4, counts? Interesting.

Dave Christie has done some sterling work rounding up North Face as our official clothing sponsor and orders are being sorted now.  He also brokered a deal with the North Face shop in London as well as one or two others deals and the savings to be had are considerable on, what can be, pricey gear.  Tooves has also managed to get in front of www.stickcricket.com and they have kindly agreed to create our very own teams Tenzing and Hillary for the internet game.   Just think, we can while away the core hours of the working day playing with each other(!) for years to come.  Excellent work Chaps and thanks.

Fitness continues and the Bath Half Marathon looms ever closer and the top half of my body needs to keep the bottom half motivated to keep moving.  It will.  

Commitment to this trip is full-on and with other things in life in general happening at the moment, it's difficult fitting everything in and making sure my kids keep calling me "Daddy"rather than "Ginger Fat Bloke" but it will be so worth it and it will be over soon enough, so I am keen I get as much out of it and give the trip what I conceivably can.  

I know that if Kirt and Wes ever think about starting their own adventure travel company, I will travel with them again.  Food for thought?

Catch up soon after the "Kinsey Hern Pain-athon" - the steak and ale pie better be good.

An Apt Little Tune,

Hi Everyone -

I was up and out early this morning to give myself a damn good thrashing (!) around the Hertfordshire countryside. The front door opened and a wall of freezing fog hit me like a cement mixer in the crotch. My Ron Hill spandex jogging strides almost froze on contact as well as my somewhat slightly more precious cargo. Genesis "And The There Were Three" was located on the old iPod, the legs were cranked into Gear 1 and I was away. Pheasants, Deer, Dog-Walkers and local Doggers all dived for cover as the Ginger Rocky made his heaving way through scrub, thicket and mud. I imagined the pilots flying the Easyjet landing routes into Luton this morning were pointing out the the ladies and gentlemen on board that "on the left as we descend through this freezing fog and ice into London Luton you will see what looks like....well, a fat twat."

As I was running, a ditty entered my head and it bugged me for the remaining couple of miles of my run. What was it, I pondered? It was very familiar. Only after defrosting myself once I had returned back to base did it come to me. The tracks and road sections I jogged this morning were very skiddy due to overnight freezing and this is what set the two bunny-rabbits juggling knives in my head to start gently hopping over each other as my thought processes started to warm up again. "Road to Nowhere", Talking Heads - Aaaahhhh. How Apt, I thought.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SKqzayNo4Dk

I must have looked ridiculous trying to run on ice and David Byrne in the video I think does a very life-like impression of me running this morning. The only difference is my road hopefully leads to Everest ..................and Victory.

More to come after the weekend where we will once again donning the whites at the Home of Cricket. We are will be having another extensive net session at Lord's where once again my bowling will probably be given the treatment but it will be good to get a good bowl and feel leather on willow for the first time in 2009. We will then adjourn to hear more about where we are and what needs to be done before Tenzing gives Hillary what for up the Mountain in April. Exciting times ahead.

Looking Forward, Facing Up and IgglePiggle....

Hi Everyone - A very happy 2009 to all.  May it bring you enjoyment, luck and all round good fortune.  Me?  Well, I'm going up to Mount Everest to play cricket in April, you know, the usual stuff.  

Back on the horse this week, training wise, after my Christmas frivolities.  Santa bought my father a bitch of a running machine, which must be the most boring method of exercise to have ever been invented but handy and I ventured out this morning in the dark, snow and ice to go for one of my now dreaded cross-country runs.  Like Glen (whose Blog I have just read - www.gleneverest.blogspot.com - excellent by the way) I will find it hard to fit everything in as well as do the 9-5 stuff and have some time with my kids / wife; I'm pretty convinced they don't want that much time with me though.  I have weekly targets that I will try and get to on the fitness front to give myself the best chance I can.  I am no great runner but running is what the basis will be and every effort is and will be made.  I fear that some of my colleagues are in a different league to me fitness-wise, having read some of the more recent blogs; but quite rightly people are doing what they think will help them get the most out of their trip and ensure their trip is a success. I have never been so active and I only have 3 chins now and I have stuck to my fitness; it has been very hard but my commitment will continue.  Thanks to those friends of mine at home that are keen to keep me motivated.  It's nice not to be called "that tubby *******", for once.  

It also seems everyone is keen to show off their houses whilst having team building sessions too with many invites for weekend team building activities and general "get-togethers" pouring in to my Inbox.  

The walking boots have also now arrived so on top of shedding the pounds and strengthening the heart, I will have to break these buggers in.  A shiny pair of Asolo Flame's arrived yesterday that I was recommended by the 14 year old in Cotswold's.  Actually, excellent service and a real interest in what we were doing...once he had stopped laughing.  They even had little rock slopes in the shop so you could feel the boot in as a real-life scenario as you can get in downtown St.Albans.  

I need to also refocus on my fundraising and get in contact with those people who think I have forgotten them.  I'm doing OK as far as being allowed on the trip but The Lord's Taveners haven't seen zip out of the Waters ranch as yet, and I am keen to do what I can and play my part.  I have an idea for an auction in my local pub nearer the departure date but with every weekend full pretty much until we go, it's going to be a juggle to get things sorted, I think.  I have some good prizes - not the usual cans of De-Icer, Boxes of Pink Wafer selections that one usually associates with cricket club raffles / draws, especially after Christmas which gives people the opportunity to offload crap they got for Christmas.  I actually have aeroplane flights, rugby tickets, meals at posh restaurants, meals at not so posh restaurants, happy meals from McDonald's, some not so happy meals from McDonald's, etc  We shall see what we can do but this would give my fundraising a real boost - I was thinking that if time did run out I could also do it after my return.  No-one has said the clock stops when we land back in the UK.

As an aside, having been part of a negotiation team at my own cricket club in recent months, I have just come back from a meeting tonight and it seems that we are very close to achieving a second cricket ground within my village, in the grounds of a girls boarding school - it has been "green-lighted" and just depends on English Heritage granting some planning.  This will be a huge achievement and will make Preston CC the envy of many other clubs.  It will also give our 3rd and 4th Elevens a home ground. Cricket in 2009 looks like its going to be good.  Kevin Pietersen is also available for our first game against Stevenage 2's in early May too, which is nice.

I still feel a bit weird about leaving my young family for such a length of time as our trip and it has been on my mind a little but actually it's only two weeks really and my kids seem more interested in Kipper, Peppa Pig and IgglePigglet (or whatever that blue idiot is with the dumb look and the red blanket, whose best mates are 3 weirdos that live in a bush, a load of over sized beach-balls, a  train that drives up trees and an airship that farts - I suspect some of you may know what the **** I'm talking about) than Daddy attempting to be selected to play cricket on the highest cricket pitch on Earth.  One of my aims from the trip is to say one day that "Dad did this" and I hope one day they get the chance to take part in something like this; cricket needs tea-ladies whatever the altitude, let's face it. Gotta go as I have to bench press my fridge before I go to bed.