The Everest Test in the Caribbean!

When my folks told me of their cruise to the Caribbean to watch some of the test series, I didn't think too much of it in terms of The Everest Test. It was only after they let on that Ian Botham, David Gower, Alan Lamb and Darren Gough were going to be on the boat with them in the evenings and between the Test matches that I thought we could benefit from their trip. So I took advantage of their 40kilo/person luggage limit (that's a whole extra old person!!) and bundled them off with as much branded Everest stash as I could get my hands on and asked them to get the doubtless inebriated ex-internationals to sign everything.

The trip didn't start well with their flight getting cancelled by the snow, you may have noticed Gower missed a day's commentary as well. Cricketwise, the tour got much worse too as England were skittled out for 51 in the second innings meaning the Test ended a day and a half early. Pistol Pete was not impressed. Then he was absolutely pissed when the next Test was cancelled altogether because of a sandpit of a pitch. 

These two mishaps did, in an unexpected way, mean good news for my Everest stash signing. The days off for the players allowed them to wander round looking for entertainment and booze. Some of them, not surprising for Freddie Flintoff in the West Indies, ended up on a boat...my folk's cruise ship! Annie Get-Your-Gun pounced on the chunky fast bowler immediately and explained all about her son and his crazy friends climbing up Everest to play cricket, shoving the stash into his hands. Fred, being a good lad, agreed to take our branded kit into the England changing room and see what he could do. 

So hopefully, as my rents sip their rum in the sunshine and fail to update me as they can't work emails, and I sit watching the match on Sky wishing I was sweating away out there, 3 shirts and a number of ties sit in the England changing room waiting to become the jewels in our fundraising and raffling crown. I'll let you know when they sober up and come home!

Chinese New Year

So me and the General eat at this noodle bar in Cheltenham, called Bar & Wok, about twice a week. We've done this pretty consistently for over two years, so much so that we don't get given menus any more and we have "the usual, please". Always wanted that!

Anyway, Pak, the owner, celebrates Chinese New Year each year and this year, of the Ox, he celebrated on 30th January in the restaurant. He introduces a couple of charities each year and runs a raffle to raise money. This year I was repayed for my very long service to 'spicey beef nooodal' and he agreed that, through The Everest Test, he'd give the money raised to The Himalayan Trust.

I was asked to give a brief talk on the charity and our effort and was rewarded with some overenthusiastic laughs and a great deal of interest in our crazy adventure throughout the 12 food courses of the night. Once again I was amazed by the excitement it automatically brings out in complete strangers - I guess one reason behind our success.

The raffle went well and I had a few Everest branded items to add which were well received. So much so that, after mentioning Strauss and Cook's involvement as our team captains, the man that won our branded tie said, "I was a bit asleep so only caught a little of what you said about Strauss and Cook, but if you get them to sign this, there's another £100 to your cause". 

This also happened with a couple of our demo shirts so added to the raffle's total of just under £200, the night was a real success. Pak thought so to and has offered to open up his restaurant for our use to help raise further funds for our good causes. Generous and impressive!

Everest Press Launch

Getting up at 6am has never been high on my agenda, especially to go to London, but I had no trouble on 27th January. I was driving down for our Everest official press launch being held that morning in Trafalgar Square. I'd definitely beat the traffic at this time of the morning I thought. . .but oh no! Not a chance. It took me 4 hours to park up in Wimbledon and tube it to Trafalgar Sq by which time I was £40 down in fuel, parking and train tickets and in the usual foul mood that only London can put me in. To add to that, I had missed most of the press launch I'd come to be a part of. I remembered why I only attempt this nightmare every few months. 

This isn't all negative though. When I did finally arrive, I descended into a square full of 40+ people in whites and all kinds of polar clothing milling around. Some giving interviews to an impressive collection of the world's media, from BBC to ITV to Cricket World magazine and everything in between; others throwing balls around and staging mini games on samples of the pitch kit we'll take up the mountain. Remembering that this is one of London's top tourist spots and busiest squares, the tour organisers and PR team had done a fantastic job, and for the second time in 2 months The Everest Test had taken over Nelson's patch. With Mark Butcher and Chris Adams getting involved too, it was evident how much The Lord's Taverners were really putting in and re-enforced that we'd made the right choice in them as our charity.

As the circus dissipated, I was left with an afternoon to have a few beers with some other Everest goers before a net session at The Oval in the evening. Once again, the whole day invigorated more excitement in me that we really are doing something special and being inspired and impressed by my mates who've put this all together.

I drove home feeling that the whole trip had been very worthwhile in the end. The trip back to Cheltenham took the standard hour and a half!!!

Farm Fitness in Herefordshire

If you knew Kingsley O'Hearn even a little bit then none of what happened over the weekend of 23rd January would be a surprise to you.

It began on the Friday night with a late night car journey into the middle of the near-Welsh bundu. Conveniently, it was the beginning of a fortnight's worth of snow so mud, ice and cold was all that could be looked forward to as 25 people headed west. In true farmhouse style, there was a good beef stew on the hob on arrival to warm everyone as we all had a quick catch up. Warmth and comfort didn't last long though as we were all shepherded into Lyonshall village hall to set up beds on the floor. Bedding varied from full-blown raised double inflatable beds (the quick release valve of which was not missed by me at 5am!) to my pitiful 1mm thick roll mat and threadbare sleeping bag. In panic, a whip round was taken to keep the metred heating on for the night - ironically, my crap old and cold sleeping bag was perfect as the heating blared all night and roasted everyone testing out their newly bought -10 degree arctic sleepwear. Well done Brooksy!

So, with a good 2 hours of sleep under our belts, we rose at sparrow fart to a vat of porridge and headed to the farmhouse for briefing and the start of a very different day. First up was a jog round our 5 mile run at the end of the day. With a man as random as Kinsey, this was never going to be a winner. Despite everyone's best efforts, all but the most avid runner stopped listening after a quarter of a mile.

Let the games begin! Running a 'bleep test' at 8am is not high on many people's to-do list but 25 running it in a warehouse designed to hold 80,000 chickens is bizarre to say the least. Second task was to throw a 10k rock over your head in an odd version of the shot put. Needless to say, some 8ft tall guy with very long levers won this won. Honourable mention should go to Hillsy for nearly landing it on his own head. Tire-rolling was next and more strange sites as some of the girls tried to heave these huge wheels 100m that were far taller than them. An unusual way to get out of breathe but very effective. Next was an obvious display of exploitation - getting people to pay to come to your farm for once and shift tonnes of rocks that have lain there for decades is a funny way to make friends. Nevertheless another innovative way to work out and work as teams. Best to listen to the rules before you start whinging - G-man!

Another jog, then a well needed lunch and back up to the chicken sheds to roll huge round hay bails down a slalom course. Once again height helped and at some points the bails seemed to be moving themselves as the girls puffed away behind them. A simple tug-o-war competition where technique and the slippery ground won over size and weight was next before the not at all anticipated 6 mile (yes it grew!) run.

The trick to getting a good time was to stick with Kinsey as the only man alive who new the complicated course. This was tough apart from the fittest of us and the leading bunch came in under an hour. The rest lost sight of the human map and got lost. So not only were we behind on the time anyway, this was made worse by running up to an extra kilometre. Fun!

Morale was restored after a shower, a few beers and a hot meal in the local pub. Back to sleep in the comfy village hall floor and the crew departed back to civilisation - a little bit sore - the next morning.

It was a fantastic day and a very clever way to form some strong bonds to take up Everest. The day was physically demanding for all and proved an all over workout for the body. Thanks must go to Kinsey and his family for organising and hosting the whole event.