A great evening was had by all with £30k being raised on the night for Children in Need. Also the launch of my Everest campaign for Children in Need was a great success with a lot of interest shown in the challenge and a number of potential sponsors.
The ‘Children In Need Everest Appeal’ that will be launched on Thursday 18th December at the One BBC Workplace Children In Need Gala Event.
BBC Workplace has teamed up with Children in Need in an attempt to put Pudsey on top of the world (8848m 29,029ft), with the aim of raising as much money for the charity as possible. Rodney Hogg (a member of BBC Workplace and an experienced mountaineer) will be part of an independent British expedition team of 10 climbers leaving the UK at the end of March 2011 to climb Mt Everest via the North East Ridge, they will follow George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine 1924 British expedition route.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip is patron of this Expedition which is being be lead by one of the most accomplished British Explorers to date, David Hempleman-Adam. David is world famous as the first person to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam, a challenge which has seen him conquer the North and South Magnetic and Geographic Poles and scale the highest mountain in each of the seven continents, including Everest.
MOUNT EVEREST NORTH RIDGE SUMMIT EXPEDITION
PRE-MONSOON 2011
Patron: HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT
Rodney Hogg is setting off at the end of March 2011 to achieve a personal ambition, to stand on the summit of Mount Everest the highest mountain in the world and while fulfilling this dream he hopes to raise funds for Children in Need. He will be part of a team of 10 which includes the explorer David Hempleman-Adams who last climbed to the peak on 9 October 1993.
There is a lot of hard work and preparation needed before attempting the summit; the team will be spending a total of 65 days in Nepal and Tibet . The first two weeks will be spent getting acclimatised in Nepal by trekking from Listi to Larcha then crossing the Friendship Bridge into Tibet , on to Everest Base Camp and more serious training at high altitude ready for the final push to the top.
The expedition will also incorporate a Field Study of body composition changes in mountaineers and trekkers, involving both experimental and control groups, during a graded ascent to 6300 m on the north side of Mt Everest.