Everest 2006: British West Ridge Expedition: TEEN MOUNTAINEERS HEAD OFF ON EVEREST EXPEDITION

The Expedition is made up of three teams who are taking part in one of the Army’s toughest ever adventure training exercises.   The Main Team will attempt an assault on Everest via the West Ridge.  The Development team, intermediate mountaineers, will climb the nearby Lhakpa Ri peak.  The Junior Team will attempt to climb their own Everest, the 6250m Island Peak, the very mountain which Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay used to prepare for their successful summiting of Everest in 1953.

The challenge for these youngsters is immense.  The team of men and women only joined the Army in September 2005.  With little or no mountaineering experience they fought their way through a tough selection process to be one of the final eight soldiers who will head off today.  The team is made up of seven boys and one girl with five more experienced Army mountaineers leading and encouraging them.

The Junior Team expedition will develop and test key qualities for an Army career – physical endurance, mental strength, logistical skills, team building and performance under pressure.  It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and one only the Army can offer. 

The Junior Team’s expedition will last four weeks which will begin with a nine day trek from the Nepalese village of Kukla to Gorak Shep from where they will climb to the 5545m viewpoint of Kala Pattar.  From there they will contact the Main Team by satellite phone to check on their progress.  The Junior Team will then head through the Dingboche Valley to Island Peak for their main climb. Renamed Imja Tse, but still known as Island Peak, it was first climbed in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.  The mountain is still a popular choice for climbers who are preparing for greater things and is the perfect training ground for young mountaineer to develop their skills whilst in the shadow of Everest.

“This is simply one of the most amazing opportunities a young person can have in their lives” says Junior Team Leader, Major Graham Carter. “Six months ago these young soldiers had only just joined the Army. Now they are following in the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous mountaineers.  The experience will be second to none and the skills they learn indispensable.  It is concrete proof of the real exciting benefits of a career in the Army.”

The attempt is timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the first Army Mountaineering Association’s summit of Everest and will test Army planning, preparation, training and team skills to the limit.  It was conceived by Expedition Leader Warrant Officer Class 2 Dave Bunting in 2003 and planning and training has been ongoing since then. To ensure success and safety the team have undergone extensive physical and psychological testing as well as mountain training, ice climbing, first aid, nutrition and education about the environmental and cultural impact of the climb.

Everest 2006: The British Army West Ridge Expedition Dispatches

Millet One Sport Everest Boot for Spring 2009 has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

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