A north-east butcher manager has raised more than £1,500 for charity on an adventure to the world’s tallest mountain.
Paul Guest, a technical manager at the Inverurie-based Donald Russell, successfully trekked to the base camp of Mount Everest in the Himalayas in aid of the Princes Trust.
Mr Guest, who turned 44 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 17,598 foot ascent by bagging as many Munros around Scotland as he could, in order to get his body used to going up gruelling, steep mountainsides.
Mr Guest arrived in the community of Lukla in Nepal on September 14 for the start of his arduous journey.
Over the course of his eight-day trek to the base camp, the 44-year-old faced white-out conditions, heavy rain, low oxygen levels and more – but he also enjoyed welcome breaks in villages and monasteries along the way.
Finally, after days of hiking, Mr Guest arrived at around 11am Nepal time at the base camp of Everest on Saturday, September 21.
In an online post from Nepal, Mr Guest said: “I don’t think there are words to describe how I felt reaching base camp.
“It was very overwhelming and quite humbling feeling to have achieved the goal.
“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, and helps to transform their lives.
All donations for Mr Guest’s fundraiser have gone directly to the trust, as he self-funded his training and journey to Everest.
To donate visit www.justgiving.com and search for Paul Guest.
