Team Tabei is Renata, Victoria and Clare. They’re hoping that they’ll be able to help the Everest in the Alps event to reach its fundraising target of £5 million. They were kind enough to answer a few questions about their preparations.
How has the training been going and has the pandemic affected it?
We decided to do the event last September so have been training for 5-6 months. Unfortunately, Clare got COVID over Christmas so had to take a few weeks off!
What was the inspiration to get together and sign up in the first place? Do you have any first-hand experience of the work the charity does?
We are all 40 somethings and determined to live life to the fullest. This event sounded like a great way to challenge ourselves and all for a great cause. We have been been inspired by those who have completed it before, and by the amazing progress the charity and the research centre have made in the last few years.
What is the part of the challenge you’re not looking forward to?
Long steep inclines, burning legs, monotony…but honestly I think we are all looking forward to it more than not.
How do you help each other with training?
All three of us share our progress often. Victoria and Clare have trained a bit together.
How do you keep your training motivation going especially when tiredness hits?
The fear of not being able to keep going on the challenge itself is a pretty good motivator!
I know Rob’s (the creator of the Everest in the Alps event) rhetoric is that it’s not a competitive event but is it a little bit? Are you very competitive with other teams?
Honestly, we’re just aiming to do our best, enjoy the four days and try to have a laugh! And, we are looking forward to the after party!
Everest in the Alps in numbers
If they’re going to help push the fundraising total past £5 million, Team Tabei will first need to get through an event that’s been described as the ultimate winter endurance challenge and is known as the toughest four days on skis.
The premise for the event is simple enough to understand, the teams will be attempting to climb the height of Mount Everest as they trek across the Alps. However, that description really doesn’t do the challenge justice, so we’re breaking in down in numbers:
8,848 metres
The distance they’ll need to climb over the course of the challenge!
10-14 hours
How long the teams will need to climb on skis every day!
4 days
How long they’ll be taking part in this grueling challenge.
3 nights
Each one spent sleeping in a mountain hut before setting out before dawn each morning.
10,000 calories
How much energy the teams will burn every day.
3 back-to-back marathons
How much energy is generated by burning 10,000 calories.
-30 degrees Celsius
How cold it got during the challenge in 2018!
3,500 metres
The altitude the teams will be reaching at points.
£5,000,000
The fundraising target set by Rob Ritchie when Everest in the Alps began back in 2015.
5 years
The amount of research that £5 million could pay for at The Everest Centre, a ground-breaking programme to help further research into childhood low grade brain tumours.
26,000
The number of children currently living with a low grade brain tumour in the UK.
500
The number of children diagnosed with a low grade brain tumour in the UK every year.
The story behind Everest in the Alps
Toby Ritchie was diagnosed with a low grade brain tumour at the age of five. In 2015, his dad – Rob – led a unique and physical demanding challenge – Everest in the Alps – to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity.
2022 will be the fourth Everest in the Alps challenge and the first attempt since 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with subsequent attempts.
So far, the event has raised a remarkable £4.5 million and is so close to hitting Rob’s target of £5 million.