Leeds Metropolitan University

Everest West Ridge 2006

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David Jackson

Location

Back from the Big Hill

Time

3rd May 2006

Back From the Big Hill

The Leeds Met visiting team returned to Leeds at midnight last night after an exhilarating and demanding trip to continue the university’s support for the Army’s Everest West Ridge 2006 Expedition. Exactly three weeks after we were waived off on the steps of the James Graham building we unloaded our bags and headed home. The 26 hours from Kathmandu seemed relatively easy after the exertions of the overland trip to Everest and the successes of various team members getting as far as Tilman’s and Camp 1. Great achievements in their own right!

The physical experience of our expedition is something that will stay with us forever. Not that many go to Tibet and to Base Camp and we are very lucky to have had that opportunity!

The cultural experience of seeing life in both Tibet and Nepal will contribute to the way we view our own lives and the experiences we can pass on to both staff and students. The academic and professional experiences gained from our relationship with the Army throughout this whole project will add significantly to the research profiles of individual members of staff and the work of the university as a whole, and the potential for how we take these experiences forward seems to expand with each conversation.

We are all very close to the successes of the teams so far and their exploits on the mountain. Progress is good as the Main team have established Camp 3 at the top of the French Spur and made headway along the West Ridge. Their task is immense but we are still there with them in spirit and the university has made a significant contribution to what will be an exceptional achievement.

There is no doubt we have gone beyond boundaries with our involvement with the Everest West Ridge Expedition and rubbed shoulders with those at the very top of their game.

David Jackson
Principal Lecturer
International Development Coordinator
Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education

Carnegie Visiting team 26 April

John O'Hara 24 April

John Allan 24 April