Petra ‘on top of the world’ after Everest challenge

CHARITY: Group’s efforts on trek raised more than £66,000 for Marie Curie

A Broughty Ferry woman is feeling “on top of the world” after leading a charity expedition to the Everest base camp in Nepal.

Marie Curie patron Petra Mcmillan and her team of 26 people from across the UK raised £66,594 by trekking to the foot of the world’s tallest mountain.

Thanks to their efforts, families facing terminal illness in the UK will receive 3,330 hours of care at home at the end of life this Christmas.

Tragically, the group – who are aged 27 to 74 and drawn from Inverness to Poole in Dorset – began their challenge on a sombre note following the death of fellow Marie Curie trekker Kellinu Portelli, 54, just days earlier.

Father-of-two Mr Portelli, from Cardiff, was found dead in his bed the night after reaching base camp and is believed to have succumbed to severe altitude sickness.

Ms Mcmillan, who was made an honorary patron in 2011 and to date has helped raise more than £500,000 for the charity, said the tragedy underlined the risks involved for everyone.

“I think there is popular misconception that base camp is easy and only the summit counts but that’s usually a view held by people who have no comprehension of the scale of these mountains or the knowledge of how altitude affects the body,” she said.

“Base camp is a long slog, beginning at plus 20C and dropping to minus 18C.

“Living conditions are very basic and just keeping healthy and strong in order to get up and down safely is a challenge in itself.”

The base camp was Ms Mcmillan’s second high altitude challenge, having summited Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in 2015 with five others from the Everest team.

“I feel on top the world but I have to admit I’m really appreciating living at sea level right now,” she said.

“It’s a big world out there though so who knows what next year might bring.”

Marie Curie patron Petra Mcmillan at Everest base camp during her latest charitable endeavour.