NEWS: 26th Aug 2006
 
And they?re off?.!

It must now be six years or more since the concept of ?Xtreme Everest Research? was born, and we are now almost there.

Last year, a team of seven set out to test some protocols and equipment on Cho Oyu which, at 8201m, is the 6th highest mountain in the world, and only 650m short of the summit of Everest itself. Now, a year on, we are off to attempt the same climb. The goal here is not ?topping out? (although all agree that this is a great ambition!) but to test all of our scientific equipment and methods to altitudes equivalent to Everest Base Camp and beyond.

We all meet at London?s Heathrow airport with a sense of excitement, anxiety, and perhaps, most of all, of relief. The last few weeks have been fierce, with many of the team finishing work at midnight seven days a week- or even sleeping in the lab overnight.

The amount of kit is quite remarkable. Some of this is ?personal? kit: we shall all be away for over six weeks, and must have all the usual clothing, as well as the mountaineering kit needed. However, we are also carrying a massive amount of scientific equipment: solar panels, Exide batteries, Panasonic computers, exercise bicycles (!) and some very funky Cortex ?Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing? equipment, Honda generators, and even syringes and centrifuges! All in all, we have a large number of tonnes to move- in addition to several tonnes shipped a month or so ago.

We are naturally anxious- recent terrorist concerns mean that hand luggage is limited.. and we are concerned that we might not be allowed to carry all the weight, or some of the specialist equipment. Fortunately, Qatar Airways have been amazingly helpful, and waive all our excess baggage costs- saving the trip many thousands of pounds. Their staff stay smiling amidst the seeming chaos, and we are all aboard and in the air on time.