Thanks for taking the time to visit this JustGiving page.

Duncan and Robbie will be trekking to Everest Base Camp at the end of September to raise funds for Garden House Hospice - a fantastic local service providing care and support for patients and their families - and a charity close to their hearts.

First, a little about our intrepid trekkers.

Duncan Hammond is CEO of SAGroup - a leading company based in Letchworth offering a range of aviation services through its five companies, Specialist Aviation, Cabinair Services, HSM Aero, SATTO and 365 Aero. Duncan has taken part in many fund raising events for the Hospice - the most notable was rowing the Thames in a tutu.. This will be his most challenging event yet - even without his tutu.

Roberta Giacovelli is the owner of Robbie’s Dog Walking. Based in Letchworth, Robbie offers a fantastic pet sitting/walking service in and around the local area which is becoming increasingly popular among the pet owning community. Robbie is always up for a challenge, having climbed Ben Nevis earlier this year.

A team of 7 will be attempting this trek. First comes the flight onto the 9,400 ft high Lukla airstrip. For Duncan especially, this will be where the challenge truly starts. Big guy, small plane, probably the highest, shortest, steepest runway in the world and a rollercoaster flight - not exactly a match made in heaven. 

Then comes the walk, at high altitude.  We know for sure that Robbie can walk. For many, many miles. In fact she does this on a daily basis. The question is, can she really walk without four or five excited dogs pulling her along?

Duncan can walk too. Many times we have seen him walk from the car into the office. And sometimes back into the car again within the hour. And we can safely assume he spends a considerable amount of time walking around car showrooms.  But can he climb? All the companies are housed in buildings of no more than two floors. Coincidence? Or is this because he can’t manage two flight of stairs. Or is he afraid of heights? 

I'm pretty sure they have all been training (fairly) hard. And there's probably been more to it than who can hold their breath for longest. Perhaps they've done some long, uphill walks. Perhaps building up core strength. Who knows?

All in all, we suspect Robbie’s biggest challenge on this trip will be putting up with Duncan. Duncan’s biggest challenge will likely be to avoid getting pushed off the mountain by an irate team member or oncoming yak.

So, donations would be wonderful. And if you could, when making your donation, add an encouraging little comment like "Are you mad?" "Yes, I did that once and lost a leg on the third day", "My beard froze solid during the climb and fell off".  Comments such as these will boost the morale of our climbers and make them even more determined to succeed.

On the other hand, comments such as "Been there, done that, piece of cake" will only encourage complacency, so unless you're Sir Ranulph Fiennes or Sir Chris Hoy, don't go down that route.

But it is for a great cause, and remember - one person can't change the world, but you can change the world for one person.

Well done for reading all that. Here's the JustGiving bit, but before that, we’d like to assure you that 100% of your donation will be going to the charity. All fees incurred on the way, from the trip itself or from JustGiving, will be fully covered. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.