Mission Accomplished! We did it!

Last week the team stood on top of the Summit of Mont Blanc at 4,810m (15,775 ft) above sea level, in the French Alps. It was an absolutely memorable achievement, after weeks and months of preparations, including the physical training, mental focus and skills development required - all despite the pandemic.

We completed three days acclimatisation above 3000m, based at the Rifugio Torino Hut, and included treks and ridgeline scrambles of the Aguille d'Entreeves and the Eastern ridge of Aiguilles Marbrees. Then undertook the 7 hour climb to the top, and a 3 hour descent of Mont Blanc.

The beauty of the landscape, and the experience of climbing high into the mountains will stay with us forever. We had early starts, and long days, walking and climbing in our helmets, harnesses and crampons, attached to each other by a rope and carrying an ice axe.

We witnessed the beauty of the panoramic views, the awe of the glacier, crossed the Grand Couloir at 3,340m, and scrambled the steep rock faces, between the Tete Rousse Hut and the Gouter Hut. We experienced the amazing transition of colours from green in the valley, to brown up the mountainside, to grey and white on top of the summit.

Our climb to the summit was by no means guaranteed, the weather forecast was poor and we faced the prospect of a storm on top, if we arrived too late. Temperatures of -11c at 4,800m, exacerbated by windchill reducing the temperature to -20c meant for a freezing experience. We started summit day after a few centimetres of snowfall overnight, and the prospect of thunder/lightning and further snow and high winds of 20-40km/hr, and decided to proceed to the Vallot Refuge Hut at 4,300m and make a decision on whether to continue.

 At the top I was able to admire the 360 degree views above the clouds, and the nearby mountain peaks, under the blue sky say a few words to camera to thank our supporters, donors, and sponsors, and your fundraising efforts, which have so far helped us reach nearly ￡11,000 for four main charities.

We are still collecting donations via the Virgin Giving site this week, and we would appreciate any final contributions.

The beneficiaries are:

• MS Society UK https://www.mssociety.org.uk/
• St Joseph's Hospice https://www.stjh.org.uk/
• Household Cavalry Foundation https://www.hcavfoundation.org/
• University of St Andrews scholarship fund https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/undergraduate/scholarships/ 
• Legacy funding for young climbers, adventurers and explorers.

The descent was not easy and required significant focus and concentration. The effects of Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) were apparent, with nausea and vomiting and lethargic and erratic limb movements. As we reached the safety of the hut in a white-out, I remembered a quote by Winston Churchill who said "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts". The mantra from our guide Andy "keep on moving" kept us going throughout.

This climb was by no means a solo effort, but a team game. We had plenty of supporters, encouragement, leadership, and advice from all quarters shaped the outcome. 

We would like to thank our donors and sponsors, for all your support, with special mention to:

RG Group - One of the UK's leading Construction, Fit Out and Refurbishment Companies, they are specialists in the Living Space, Retail and Commercial sectors.  https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/rg-group/

Troop Logos - a veteran owned supplier and embroider of clothing. https://en-gb.facebook.com/TroopLogos/

There are updates of our progress on Instagram and Twitter, and also in the blog on our website. We will shortly post some videos of our adventures in the Alps.

Thank you for your support!

Alistair