Co Antrim man ready to tackle Himalayas after bouncing back from Covid-19
Johnny (50) is hoping to raise funds for the USPCA through 26-day hike in mountains
A CO Antrim man who found a new lease of life after recovering from a Covid-19 infection that left him bedridden will be hiking the Himalayas next month.
Johnny Doey, from the Grange near Randalstown, is currently preparing for his latest challenge following on from his Everest Base Camp and Mount Kilimanjaro treks.
The 50-year-old is hoping to raise some much-needed funds for the USPCA through his 26day hike in the Himalayas.
After catching Covid-19, Johnny was stuck in bed for 28 days after testing positive for the virus in January 2021.
He spent his time in isolation watching Youtube videos about hiking to Everest Base Camp and so, when he recovered, Johnny decided to take up the challenge himself.
“I never knew anyone who had done it before,” he said. “I reached out to companies and started seeing how to do it — I ended up sourcing my own guide in Nepal.”
Johnny raised an impressive £6,000 for Action Cancer along the way. Before his Everest
Base Camp challenge in November 2022, he had mostly been for “casual hikes around the Mournes”.
Now, Jonny has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and completed the UK Three Peaks challenge — summiting Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis all within 24 hours.
This time, Johnny faces his toughest challenge yet, as it will involve using ice picks and rope to scale snowy hills and icy outcroppings.
Along with a fellow hiker from Aberdeen, who he met while trekking to Everest Base Camp, he will spend 26 days trekking across the Himalayas, summiting both Lobuche East and Mera Peak — which both sit at over 20,000ft tall.
“It’s all self-funded — if people can get goodness out of what I’m doing then that’s why I’m doing it,” he said.
On raising funds for the USPCA, Johnny explained both he and his wife wanted to raise money for a charity that supports animal welfare.
“We have two dogs, Harvey and Rosie, and a cat, Scrappy, and they’re a massive part of our lives,” he said.
Arriving in Kathmandu on April 19, he will stay in the city overnight before taking an early-morning drive to Ramechap and fly from there into Lukla airport. “The most dangerous airport in the world,” he said.
However, the height of the mountain may prove even more dangerous — with days set aside in the trek to acclimatise to the high-altitudes.
Johnny said: “You can be the fittest person in the world and not be able to deal with it because your lungs can’t cope with the altitude.”
To prepare himself for the tough conditions — his training involves intense cardio, strength and conditioning and swimming to build lung capacity.
An altitude mask is used during training to replicate the thin air of the mountains.
Johnny has taken inspiration from Dromara mountaineer Noel Hanna, who passed away last year at the age of 56 after climbing the 26,500ft high Annapurna, also in the Himalayas.
The Co Down man had summited Everest 10 times and was the first person from the island of Ireland to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain.
Johnny spoke with Mr Hanna before he died, who gave him some advice on mountaineering.
“He said, ‘Just go and enjoy it. Relax and take it in’,” said Johnny.
‘It’s all self-funded, if people can get goodness out of what I’m doing that’s why I’m doing it’