Everest challenge for 70th birthday

A CARDIFF man plans to celebrate his 70th birthday by trekking to Everest Base Camp.

Geoff Wright, is planning to complete the 15-day trek to Base Camp, which reaches altitudes of 5,150m over the next couple of weeks.

If that challenge wasn’t enough, Mr Wright is going to finish his trip with the Original Everest Marathon, which will see him run 26.2 miles from Base Camp back to where the trek began.

For Geoff, the trip, which will end on December 2, will fulfill a lifelong dream.

“When I was five years old, my father showed me a photo of Everest, and I’ve never stopped thinking about it,” said Geoff. He took up running nearly 30 years ago, and then started trail running when he was 58.

He was refused entry to the Original Everest Marathon, which runs every two years, in 2009, for having no mountain running experience.

“I’ve been running for 27 years and I’m really looking forward to this. I would have been happy just to go to Everest Base Camp, so to be able to run the Original Everest Marathon route as well is amazing,” added Geoff.

As part of his training for the trip, Geoff has been working in the gym while wearing an oxygen mask, to try to replicate the impact of the climb. He also ran the PenY-Fan half marathon earlier this year.

Geoff is raising money for the charity

Mind, who he said do essential work to help people with mental health problems, and has so far reached £2,700.

If you wish to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/geoffwright-oem