The £10k Interview with Poole-man and Dorset Chamber member, Joel Nurser
“How did I get here?” is exactly what Joel Nurser will be ruminating when the world’s most legendary mountain stares down at him this November 2019.
By definition, ‘a tall feat’ is an extraordinary act or achievement, displaying boldness, skill; a noteworthy accomplishment of great courage, skill, or imagination!
Poole born and bred, Joel Nurser has set himself the very tall feat of climbing the 5,380 metres to Everest Base Camp, whilst also attempting to summit neighbouring peak, Kala Patthar, sitting 263m higher at 5,643m. His inspiration, his Mum who sadly passed away from Pancreatic Cancer aged just 59yrs old. Her parting advice “LIVE YOUR LIFE! do not be afraid to do the things you wish you could do, life is too short.”
In 2016, Joel raised £5,180 for Marie Curie charity climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in his Mum’s memory. This November, he is trying to add a further £5,380 – the height in metres of Everest Base Camp – to make a total of £10,560.
“The thought of helping others receive support when they need it most like we did, drives my commitment to this challenge and fundraising for Marie Curie.”
Based in Poole, Joel Nurser is the Operations Director at Composite Profiles UK, and over the past 10 weeks, he has been sharing his thoughts, challenges and tips about his Everest venture in a weekly Q&A published in full here or can be found online at www.compositeuk.com/everest.
Dorset Chamber wish Joel the best of luck. To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joel-nurser1
1. Lukla Airport in Nepal is one of the most dangerous airports in the world, how do you feel about flying into it?
“Yes, I have to fly into Lukla Airport, which is notorious for being one of the most dangerous airports in the world. It is literally located on the sloped side of the Himalayan Mountains 9000 feet above sea level. The runway is only 527m long at a gradient of 11.7%. If you think that a running track is 400m, it gives you an idea of how unbelievably short it is! Also, the high altitude means low pressure, which apparently makes it really difficult for pilots to land.
An interesting fact I have discovered in my research, Bristol Airport is our UK comparison. Bristol Airport has one of the shortest international airport runways in the UK. It’s 2011m long – still it’s four times the length of Lukla Airport. Most of the people who want to climb Everest have to fly to Lukla.
So how do I feel about landing there? In all honesty, none of the dangerous things I have read about my trip really phase me. There’s nothing I can do about it. If I crash and die, well it’s out of my control so there’s nothing I can do about it. That’s really how I look at it. Maybe that’s my Mum’s inner voice telling me to live my life to the full. If we didn’t do things for the fear of it, we would live much more boring lives. I am looking forward to the views!”
2. How high is Everest Base Camp? How cold will it be? How long will the climb take? What will you eat?
“Mount Everest itself is nearly 30k feet or 9k metres high (29,029 ft / 8848 m). Some people find it easier to think about it in miles – it’s 5.5miles high but it actually grows 4mm every year due to some geologic uplift.
I am trekking to Everest base camp, which sits at nearly two thirds of the height of Everest at 5,380m. It’ll take 10 days to get there. We only get two proper acclimatisation days – on Day 5 at 3500 metres and Day 8 at 4500 metres before climbing an extra 1000m by Day 10. By the time I arrive, I will have trekked for 78hrs at high altitude with temperatures down to -20.
Day 11 will be the greater challenge though. For those that are feeling okay and not struggling too much from the altitude, we will attempt to climb Kala Patthar, which is 300m higher than base camp at 5,643m. If the weather is clear, we should be able to get stunning views of Mount Everest, which is why people push themselves to do it. I am sure I will be fine though. I am fit and determined so will just get on with it.
As for food, it all has to be carried on the backs of Yaks or by Sherpas. We’ll stay in tea houses along the route, where meals will be prepared. They say the food is a mix of Nepalese and international. I’m led to expect that there’ll be a lot of eggs, porridge, pasta, noodles, rice and potato to keep us going. Any meat is flown in via Lukla Airport and carried up without refrigeration, so we have been advised to stick to a veggie diet!”
3. What kit do you need to climb to Everest base camp? Why did you choose to go with Action Challenge?
“The hardest part of preparing, training aside, is working out which vaccinations I need to have. So far, it’s Hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, Rabies and maybe Malaria. I have had to buy some pieces of specialist clothing and equipment too. I have a super warm down insulated jacket, Goretex trousers and jacket for the wet weather, Merino Wool thermal clothing, boots, high wicking layers etc. I have hired stuff too, like a thermal sleeping bag, silk sleeping bag liner, mountain gloves and hiking poles. You do have to budget this in though, I’ve probably spent around £800 on clothing and equipment on top of the cost of the trip.
Why I chose to go with Action Challenge? I went with them to climb Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago just after my mum died. I knew they were well respected and that they worked with hundreds of charities and offered a huge range of activities and challenges. I raised nearly £5k for Marie Curie back then. I am hoping to beat that this time. In the spirit of living your life to the full and helping others, I would strongly recommend that people look up Action Challenge online to see the range of activities that are possible to do and the charities that are hopeful of your support. You won’t regret it!”
4. Do you think anyone can take on the challenge? What was your knowledge of climbing beforehand?
“Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to see Conrad Anker deliver his Hold Fast mountaineering talk at the Lighthouse in Poole. He is one of the world’s greatest climbers and is a true inspiration for people like me who essentially lead quite ‘normal’ lives. Conrad Anker has numerous first ascents to his name and was the lead climber of Everest North Face Climbing Team for 26 years. He led the expedition to locate George Mallory’s body, which had been lost since 1924. Recently, I have been watching lots of Ed Stafford’s shows, he’s an explorer and adventurer and puts himself into the most challenging situations to push his personal growth.
So can anyone do it? YES. We are all capable of pushing ourselves and by training our resilience as well as our body we can achieve much more than we believe is possible. That’s what all the top explorers have in common, their strength of mind. Everest Base Camp trek is a tough challenge as you’re trekking at altitude for long periods of time. You definitely have to have a good level of fitness, the terrain is varied with some steep uphill climbs and downhill passes, so if you’re fit and strong you’ll be able to do it. I don’t think you have to be an elite athlete but you do need to train your stamina and strength as well as mentally prepare. In the word of Ross Edgley – “Be so naive you start, but so stubborn you finish.”
5. What training have you undertaken ahead of the climb?
“You can’t really simulate high altitude training in the UK so really it’s all about building strength, stamina and endurance. There are some long days of trekking in Nepal so the best preparation is to walk for long periods at a time in the UK. I have walked several sections of the coast path in Dorset, which is really hilly so a great place to train. I am lucky it’s right on my doorstep. I have also had a week in Exmoor, where I ran most days and subjected my family to numerous hill walks. A few months ago, I climbed Mount Snowden which is the highest altitude I will climb to before heading to Nepal.
But really the bulk of my training is done in the gym. I am really dedicated and go three times a week to build core strength, which will help keep my back strong on the climb. Being tall I suffer from a bad back from time to time, so I need to look after it.”
6. How do you prepare for altitude sickness?
“There is no failsafe way to prepare for altitude sickness, the tips are to climb slowly, eat carbs, avoid alcohol, drink water and take it easy but in reality you are going to feel it, it’s just a question of how much. For most people, the symptoms start to kick in around 2,500m, but it can be as low as 2,000m. The higher you climb the more severe the effects of altitude and the only way to reverse the effects is to climb down. Being physically fit will certainly help on the climb, but there is no correlation between fitness and how the effects are felt, it is impossible to say who will suffer more and who less.”
7. How did Marie Curie help your family?
“Marie curie provide hands-on-care in your own home as well as in hospices and whole range of information and support for people living with a terminal illness. They offer bereavement support as well, which is priceless when you need to try and grieve, support others and arrange the practical matters that need to be dealt with after losing someone so close to you. The amazing thing is that all donations go towards helping your local community. It doesn’t go into some big central pot, it’s grass roots fundraising. Their website www.mariecurie.org.uk is a great resource and has all the information you need, as well as how to make first contact”.
8. You climbed Snowdon in a training walk, what top tips can you give for climbing Mount Snowdon?
“We climbed Snowdon in October and was so glad we did; we had great weather and when we summited, we shared it with only 5 or 6 others. We set off at 6am in the dark but it soon became light and we were even graced with clear skies at the summit.
My top tip would be to choose a season that suits your ability for the climb and take the appropriate clothing and equipment to suit. When deciding what to wear, you can be as prepared or unprepared as you like. People walk up in trainers, jeans and a jumper with only a bottle of water. Others hike up in all the latest technical gear with huge rucksacks. The season makes a big difference to what you need. Personally, I would recommend a pair of hiking boots, which have been well worn in, layers of clothing to suit the expected conditions plus a warm top layer and waterproofs. The weather changed very quickly for us and we went from loads of layers to keep us warm at the start, to a T-shirt once the sun had cleared the clouds and we had worked up a sweat from the hike. You don’t need anything majorly specialised, but climbing Snowdon is more than a stroll around the park, so you do need to be prepared. We took around 3 litres of water each and I’d recommend a rucksack bladder to carry it. We also had a good breakfast before we took off and plenty of snacks/bars to keep our energy going.”
9) Are you scared? Can people follow your progress while you’re out there?
“No, I’m not scared. Nothing like this worries me. I am quite matter of fact about it. If I die, I die, there’s nothing I can do about it so there’s no point in ruining an adventure of a lifetime by worrying about something you can’t control. Well I guess you can control it a bit by being fit and prepared, which I am, so no I am not scared at all, just looking forward to it.
We have an itinerary to follow but of course it will have to be flexible due to the weather. In a nutshell, I leave from Heathrow on 2nd November and arrive in Kathmandu on 3 Nov. The next day we fly to Lukla, which is renowned for being one of the most dangerous airports in the world so that should be fun! Lukla stands for the ‘Place with many goats and sheep’ so I expect to see lots of them. The route we’re taking is along a centuries-old trading trail that runs from Nepal to Tibet so that’s pretty cool.
11 November is when we’re meant to arrive at Everest Base Camp. We have to set off at dawn that morning and traverse the Khumbu Glacier towards Gorak Shep, which translates as ‘Graveyard of Crows’. We don’t actually stay the night at base camp, we traverse back to the Graveyard of Crows and stay there in a couple of simple mountain lodges. Poignantly it’s Remembrance Day, and whilst I am always remembering my mum, it will feel all the more significant whilst at Everest. Afterall, it was her advice that is the reason why I am going and raising money for Marie Curie of course.
But actually, 12 November is meant to be an even tougher trek up to summit of Kala Patthar, which is 263m higher than Base Camp Everest, but it gives you spectacular views of the Everest. Then it’s the return trek and I arrive back into UK on 17 Nov and my plan is to sleep, if my gorgeous wife and children will let me!”
10. So the $Million question (well more like the £10k question), what’s next after Mount Everest? How can you top it?
“This will be a real high for me but I’m hoping that another adventure awaits. As my family grows up, I think the next challenge will be one for all of us. We are keen to walk the Inca trail and explore the wilds of Japan but who knows.
Through work*, I have recently come across Pip Hare. She’s a professional sailor based in Poole and is soon to embark on her incredibly inspirational Vendee Globe Campaign. The vastness of her challenge is little known beyond the sailing community but in the scope of adventure challenges, it’s often claimed to be the absolute toughest sporting event there is. Pip is a real inspiration for adventure and resilience, her single-handed sailing experience is immense. You should check her out. I have a strong interest in sailing at the moment and hope to plan a trip from Poole in the next few years where our family can enjoy an adventure together.”
*Composite Profiles is supporting Pip Hare’s Vendee Globe Campaign through the Business Syndicate sponsorship programme. Find out more at www.piphareoceanracing.com
Dorset Chamber wish Joel the best of luck.
Joel departs the UK on 2 November 2019 and should reach Everest Base Camp on Remembrance Sunday, 11 November 2019. If Joel reaches his fundraising target of £5,380, he will have raised more than £10K for Marie Curie – all funds used to support local families.
Please share Joel’s story www.compositeuk.com/everest.
To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joel-nurser1