We only have one life. And while I have my health I would like to raise money for this unique charity by doing something which I may not always be able to do. Trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Not to be confused with the Summit, the base camp is approximately 3.5 miles high whereas the Summit is 5.5 miles high. To put this is some perspective the base camp is about the same height as the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. So it's a huge challenge. Although myself and my fellow trekkers will be able to breathe unaided the air is still thin up there so it won't be easy. Altitude affects everyone differently so I'm hoping I'm one of those people who doesn't have a huge problem with it.

At the end of August I spent a weekend trekking around Snowdonia and made a visit to the summit of Mount Snowdon in preparation for the big one in March. Although Mount Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales she is a baby in comparison to Everest standing at just over half a mile high. 

So why on earth did I suddenly decide I wanted to climb Everest?!

On the news recently I saw that an eighty year old Japanese man had become the oldest person to ever reach the summit of ME. As I sat there watching in awe something clicked in my mind. Life really is not a dress rehearsal. We can do things or we can imagine doing things. Sometimes you have to make snap decisions otherwise you might spend years delaying until suddenly... you don't have your health anymore. 

Last year a dear friend of mine died very suddenly from a brain aneurysm. She was twenty eight and in great health, there was no warning and no way it could have been prevented. One minute she was here and the next she was gone. Whilst it wasn't cancer that killed her, her passing has changed my outlook a great deal. Taashie emanated light and pure joy. That is her legacy. We have to seize each second, treasure our lives and nurture our bodies before disaster strikes our health. The World Cancer Research Fund is a non profit making organisation focussed on encouraging people to do exactly that, not to mention funding cutting edge cancer research. The idea of cancer prevention really struck a chord with me. We can't turn back the clock but we can watch our step and make efforts to preserve our precious lives, to extend our short time on this planet if we can. WCRF holds this ethos at its heart.

I am so excited about this adventure. If you would like to donate some of your hard earned money, please be reassured it is for a very worthwhile cause. 

Warm wishes,

 

Kate X