Gav prepares for Everest - again

Its been a busy year...

I've been away on expedition now since more or less March. Low's Gully in March seems an age away yet was by the far most dangerous of the lot this year. Nepal - it was great to visit my medical students and teachers in the villages and to see the monastery we built, and to put into first gear the plans for the hydro-electric project in Bumburi.

Then there was Elbrus, followed by Kilimanjaro and a whole summer of Africamps. I think the group from Rainey was one of the best I've ever taken away to Kenya, several people in the group showed me they had the potential to be great expeditioners, and of course the trips which Chris and all my leaders took were all 100% successful, leaving great projects in place for the future.

I then had to rush off to Kili again and took Peter and Kelly with me and a wonderful group of climbers who raised loads of money for Moving Mountains, and then I rushed off to Russia again with an equally excellent group and now I'm back for a bit ! A few weeks here and I'm off to do the New York Marathon and then a month back in Borneo with the West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation charity trek on Kinabalu.

In December I'll be doing a winter ascent of Elbrus and I might just tackle that fabulous mountain Ushba in Georgia which I've been looking at for so long. Then off to Kenya for the New Year, a trek in Nepal in February and then I'm weeks away from Everest !!

First time in 2000 - part of the 7 Summits bid - I turned back from the south summit, 100 vertical metres from the top - but the 7 summits expedition was hugely successful with Andy Salter, who I did the whole expedition with, currently holding the world record for the fastest ascent of them all. I came back though with a knowledge that Everest was in my system, there was unfinished business and I knew I could do it.

Then in 2002 I went back to the north ridge with Will Canning, and he dislocated his knee around the Second Step and we retreated in rather a dramatic fashion just 200 metres from the summit ! That was without oxygen or any Sherpa support, and although it was much much harder doing it that way, I preferred it. More purist, more challenging. To get as far as we did, and indeed to descend the way we did, without oxygen or support, was quite a feat. Not many people survive up there, less so those who have an accident.

Will was a hero, and I'm not sure how we got down. I remember a very very long time edging down the face, me with all the gear hanging off my harness. I still wake up at night with dreams of us like ants on that vast face, completely alone. But we also both felt that what we achieved in many ways exceeded what it would have taken to summit Everest without any problem. So I came back knowing I had the strength, the ability and the particular metabolism to cope with 8,800 metres without bottled oxygen since I never so much as had a headache.

So now I go back but this time with better reason than personal endeavour to stand on top. I find now that the personal dream of standing on top is not enough, I want to raise money to build a hydro-electric project in the village of Bumburi and as childrens hospital in Nairobi. Total goal is £35,000.

I want to try it this time without bottled oxygen, without support and by the SE Ridge. I leave on April 1st and anyone can join me for any one of three treks into Base Camp, but I also need people to help out on the project itself, working in the village and so on.

Some people can also climb a 20,000' peak called Imja Tse with me - thats the first trek.

I then plan to follow Everest with a rapid attempt on Ama Dablam - and people are welcome to join me on that (experienced climbers only) - which is one of most beautiful of all mountains in the world.

I'm looking for people to sponsor me to climb Everest - £50 to stand on top of the world ! I'll be putting up a special page on the Justgiving.com site or you can send it here and make the cheque out to Moving Mountains.