Aberdeenshire butcher manager climbs to Everest

Paul Guest trekked to the base camp of Mount Everest A north-east butcher manager has raised more than £1,500 for charity on an adventure to the world’s highest mountain.

Paul Guest, a technical manager at Inverurie-based Donald Russell, trekked to the base camp of Mount Everest in the Himalayas in aid of the Princes Trust.

Mr Guest, who turned 44 while en route to Everest at the end of last month, decided to take on the task after conquering the national, Welsh and Yorkshire “Three Peaks” challenges over the past year.

He also prepared for the ascent to Everest Base Camp, which is at 17,600ft altitude, by bagging as many Munros around Scotland as he could, in order to get his body used to going up gruelling, steep mountainsides. He arrived in the community of Lukla in Nepal on September 14 for the start of his journey.

Over the course of his eight-day trek to base camp, he faced white-out conditions, heavy rain, low oxygen levels and more – but also enjoyed welcome breaks in villages and monasteries.

Mr Guest arrived at around 11am Nepal time at the base camp on Saturday September 21.

In an online post from Nepal, Mr Guest said: “Your brain just can’t comprehend the sights your eyes are seeing, and the Himalayas took my breath away in more ways than one.”

So far, Mr Guest has raised £1,680 for the charity, which supports young people who are unemployed or struggling at school. Search Paul Guest on justgiving.com to donate to the cause.