An MP will attempt to climb to the summit of Mount Everest and return to London within seven days, to raise awareness of veteran welfare.
Veterans and people minister Alistair Carns, with three special forces veterans, will be attempting the challenge to raise £1 million for a number of armed forces and veterans’ charities in May.
The former Royal Marines colonel and his team plan to reach Everest base camp in a day and a half, climb to the 8,848 metre-high summit over three days, and descend, recover and return to the UK, within a week.
Mr Carns, 44, said: “Our objective is to unify the military community, especially the veterans who have served king and country, and to raise funds for their charities, especially those which support the families of those whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms.”
He joined the Royal Marines aged 19 and led several tours in Afghanistan during his 24-year military career.
He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for exceptional operational service in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours, and elected MP for Birmingham Selly Oak in July 2024.
The expedition is being led by Major Garth Miller, 51, who is a seasoned high-altitude mountaineer and has experience climbing Everest and other 8,000m peaks.
The team will be using a combination of technology and intense physical training to enable them to climb at speed at altitude, and will spend hundreds of hours sleeping in specially adapted tents to simulate the thin air on the Himalayan mountain.
