The Scotsman

Mountainee­rs relive Everest ascent record on their stairs

- By ELLIE FORBES

Mountainee­rs from the first British team to reach the summit of Mount Everest are celebratin­g 45 years since the incredible feat - by climbing the stairs in their homes.

Sir Chris Bonington, 85, Doug Scott, 79, and Paul ‘Tut’ Braithwait­e, 74, were among the first Britons to reach the summit after climbing the notorious south-west face in 1975.

But 45 years on, the group are recreating the Everest triumph by scaling the stairs in their homes 20 times - the equivalent height of 8,848m.

The charity event is in aid of Community Action Nepal (CAN), which aims to raise cash for projects in the remote Himalayan regions.

Founder, Doug Scott CBE, was the first Brit from the team to stand on the summit on along with team-mate Dougal Haston, who died two years later, aged 36.

The expedition was led by Sir Chris, who is now the patron of the charity, and Tut Braithwait­e, a trustee.

The trio, along with some of Britain’s most famous mountainee­rs, are seeking volunteers for the unusual new “Everest” challenge.

Andsirchri­swillbecli­mbing hisstairsi­nhisoldeve­restgear. He said: “I’m incredibly excited to be celebratin­g the 45th anniversar­y of our groundbrea­king achievemen­t on Mt. Everest back in 1975.

“It was truly a team effort, in much the same way that Community Action Nepal are now inviting us all to come together to help improve the lives of the mountain people of Nepal. During this pandemic, they need our support more.”

 ??  ?? 0 Sir Chris Bonington was one of the first Britons to summit
0 Sir Chris Bonington was one of the first Britons to summit

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