Ben Fogle and Victoria Pendleton climb Everest
Ben Fogle on the perils he faced climbing the world’s highest peak…
NEW factual Our Everest Challenge Thursday / ITV / 9PM
It was a childhood dream and challenge of a lifetime when adventurer Ben fogle set out to climb Mount Everest earlier this year.
Along with his friend, Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton, he endured physical exhaustion, extreme conditions and equipment failures, as we see in this week’s thrilling ITV documentary, Our Everest Challenge.
Here, Ben, 44, tells us how they survived…
What training did you both do in preparation for the climb?
We spent two years planning and training with our guide, mountaineer Kenton Cool. We trained all around the world, and also did altitude training at a London sports centre. Kenton reminded us that although 4,000 people have climbed Everest, nearly 300 have died on its slopes. You’ve rowed across the Atlantic, but how tough was this climb?
It was physically exhausting. There were fierce storms and the higher we went, the more we struggled.
Sadly, Victoria had to pull out of the challenge… What happened? Vic got altitude sickness and her oxygen levels dipped by half of what they should be. People die in that situation, but luckily we got her to the doctors in time. Vic made me promise to reach the top.
Did you also have problems with your equipment? My oxygen equipment failed near the summit. Kenton swapped my mask for another one, but then the cameraman’s equipment failed. It was all a bit scary.
How did it feel when you finally made it to the summit?
It made me feel that anything is possible. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it was also the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen, but I think I’m done with mountains!
OUR everest Challenge IS PREVIEWED ON PAGES 72-73
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