Bristol Old Vic lost 75% of their income overnight due to Covid-19, yet despite lockdown they have continued to support local artists and emerging talent right through the crisis and are continuing to provide paid opportunities for artists to create and perform. Although they have recently reopened their doors, they still need support to ensure they remain open for future generations to enjoy, and so that they can continue transforming the lives of others through their work.

I have decided to climb the equivalent of Everest in support of the Bristol Old Vic for three reasons:

1) in memory of my wife Rosamund who sadly died on January 26th, 2019 and would have thought that this was the sort of mad thing I would do;

2) my wife Rosamund and I both loved attending Bristol Old Vic performances and, with such a creative theatre in our midst, we felt very strongly that we should support them. Now as a member of the Director’s Circle I have got to know both the staff and the actors much more closely and my interest in the theatre and what they are trying to achieve has grown. I am now committed to raise a significant amount of money for them to help them through this Covid-19 crisis;

3) At the age of 75 this December, this the closest I’ll get to climbing Everest, which I’ve always wanted to try since 2006, when my son Andrew climbed Everest as part of the EverestMax Expedition.

The fact that Andrew has already climbed Everest helps give me the authentication and advice I need to do the climb. He will be lending me his Everest Tent and Tibetan Prayer Flags to decorate the route and make it more authentic. I plan to sleep in the Everest Tent set up on my roof terrace during the ascent from base camp to the summit. The climb from the basement in my house to the top floor room and terrace is 13m or 42ft - 5 floors with 4 sets of stairs between them. So, my total climb from Kathmandu (Alt 4,600ft) to Everest Summit (Alt 29,032ft) will be 24,432ft, 573 house climbs or 2,292 floors.

I aim to start my climb (virtually of course) from Kathmandu:

Day 1, Monday 21st September – Kathmandu (Alt 4,600ft) to Friendship Bridge, Kodari (Alt 7000ft) – 2,900ft climb – 68 house ascents - completed 3:50pm 21/9/20 + interviews with Alan Crowther Radio Bristol + ITV News - height today only 300ft short of the highest mountain in England!!

Day 2, Tuesday 22nd September – Kodari, Nepal to Zhangmu, Tibet (Alt 9186ft) – 1,686ft climb – 40 house ascents

Day 3, Wednesday 23rd September – Zhangmu to Nyalam (Alt 12,303ft) – 3,117ft climb – 73 house ascents

Day 4, Thursday 24th September – Nyalam to Wild Camp 1 (Alt 13,976ft) – 1,673ft climb – 39 house ascents

Day 5, Friday 25th September – Wild Camp 1 to Everest Base Camp (Alt 17,060ft) – 3,084ft – 72 house ascents – by the time I reach Everest Base Camp I will have climbed 12,460ft, done 292 house ascents (1,168 floors) and be approximately half way – on this evening I will be pitching Andrew’s Everest tent on the roof terrace and sleeping and cooking up there.

Day 6, Saturday 26th September – Everest Base Camp to Interim Camp (Alt 19,029) – 1,929ft climb – 46 house ascents.

Day 7, Sunday 27th September – Interim Camp to Advanced Base Camp (Alt 20,997ft) – 1,929ft climb – 46 house ascents

Day 8, Monday 28th September – Advanced Base Camp to North Col (Alt 23,622ft) – climb 2,625ft – 62 house ascents

Day 9 morning, Tuesday 29th September – North Col to Camp 2 (Alt 24,934ft) – climb 1,312ft – 31 house climbs – stopping for lunch

Day 9 afternoon, Tuesday 29th September – Camp 2 to Camp 3 (Alt 26,575) – 1,640ft – 38 house ascents

Day 10, Wednesday 30th September – Camp 3 to the Summit (Alt 29032ft) – climb 2,457ft – 58 house ascents - by this particular evening I will have climbed a total of 24,432ft, completed 573 house climbs or 2,292 floors.

I'm hoping I can persuade my son Andrew to send photographs from his own experience to illustrate the various stages I get to. Of course, he had to endure both the cold, oxygen depletion and the potential of altitude sickness - aspects thankfully I do not have to put up with.

It would be lovely to raise the height of Everest in pounds sterling for the Bristol Old Vic. I would be delighted if we raised the height in metres - £8,850 but it would be amazing if we could raise its height in feet - £29,032.

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Thank you so much for your support.

Ian