"This is a massive achievement. Rupert Laing and his team have shown guts, courage and fierce determination in achieving this challenge and one that has never been completed before." Lieutenant Colonel John Cummings
Students scale height of Mount Everest in British Isles climbs
Four University of Exeter undergraduates have successfully climbed all five of the highest mountains in the UK and Ireland.
The intrepid students’ challenge involved running 131 miles and travelling over 1000 miles by minibus.
This extraordinary feat of endurance was via a route with an overall incline of around 9000 metres, which is well over the height of Mount Everest. It is thought to be the first time that this marathon has been attempted.
All students are members of the Exeter’s Officer Training Corps (EUOTC) based at Wyvern Barracks. They raised thousands of pounds for Bowel Cancer UK and the Help for Heroes charities which supports those wounded in the army whilst fighting in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Officer Cadets’ record-breaking climbs began with Scafell Pike (England), followed by Snowdon (Wales), Carrantuohill (Eire), Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland) and finishing with a marathon up and around Ben Nevis (Scotland) last weekend.
Politics student Rupert Laing, said “It was an enormous challenge and we could not be more delighted and relieved to have conquered it.”
The team was made up of students across arrange of academic disciplines. Simon Long (Geography and French), Tom O’Connell (Russian and German), James Boggis (Engineering), Rupert Laing (Politics) and with added involvement from Exeter graduate Mark Dorman. They received advice from Sir Ranulph Fiennes and are now looking at the possibility of getting a Guinness World Record.
Lieutenant Colonel John Cummings, Commanding Officer of EUOTC, said: “This is a massive achievement. Rupert Laing and his team have shown guts, courage and fierce determination in achieving this challenge and one that has never been completed before. This is precisely the kind of activity that the Officer's Training Corps encourages. We are here to provide young men and woman the opportunity to test their leadership, resilience and strength of character.
Exeter University Officer Training Corps sponsored the event enabling the team to concentrate on raising money for the two charities. As they returned to Exeter in triumph last night, they were well on the way to raising £5000.
Donations can be made by visiting for one of the two charities.
http://www.justgiving.com/rupertlaing1
http://www.justgiving.com/rupertlaing
Date: 13 October 2008
