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Everest – May Hill Challenge
03 Aug 2024 - 04 Aug 2024
Everest – May Hill Challenge has now closed and you will not be able to sign-up for it. Please check the Organiser's Description for any organiser updates.
This event is in a testing state, and is not open for public sign-ups until the organiser has launched it.
Organiser's Description
EVEREST - MAY HILL CHALLENGE
2024 EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO BEREAVEMENT
Full refunds will be processed ASAP.
Any questions please to info@everest24h.org
Climb the height of Everest in 24 hours with your friends
Saturday, 3rd and Sunday, 4th August 2024
The Challenge
Everest at 8,849m above sea level is represented by 48 climbs of 184.4m from ‘Base Camp’ at the car park of the Yew Tree Inn to the ‘Summit’, the triangulation pillar or Trigpoint, atop May Hill.
- The challenge must be completed in 24 hours starting at noon on 3rd August 2024
- Each team will have 48 tokens that must be carried up the hill and validated with a stamp at the Trigpoint.
- No team member may carry more than one token up or down the hill
- Each team will be permitted only a small number of tokens in play at any one time.
- A new token will be issued by Base Camp upon receipt of a validated token. The team must therefore operate relay style. Larger teams have more tokens in play at any one time.
- At a moderate walking pace, the ascent takes around 26 minutes and the descent, around 22 minutes. This is intended as a walking effort but some will want to run to complete the challenge faster. The focus remains to complete the challenge within 24 hours rather than on completion in the fastest time.
- The challenge is completed when your 48th token is validated at the Summit.
Levels of difficulty, team size and number of tokens in play
Chose carefully how many members you want in your team. The smaller the team, the greater the challenge as the number of ascents per member increases and the time between repeats decreases. Fitness groups and sporting clubs may want to enter teams of 6, 8 or even 12. Village and pub teams may want to enter teams of 12 and more. One village team has expressed an interest in having 24 members walking twice each. Teams of 4 are for tough guys only!
The difficulty level is assigned a colour similar to ski runs with green being the least challenging and black, the most challenging.
| Difficulty level | Number of team members | Avg # ascents per member | Number of team tokens in play at any time | Avg rest time per member between repeats |
| Green | 12 | 4 | 4 | 5 hours |
| Blue | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 hours |
| Red | 6 | 8 | 3 | 2 hours |
| Black | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1 hour |
An illustration of how the tokens work.
Suppose you are in a blue team with eight players. You will be given four tokens to start. You might choose to have four of your players walk up together, validating the four tokens at the top and then walking them back down to the Base Camp. For each validated token returned a fresh token will be issued. Anyone in your team can take one token to the top, including someone who has just returned from the hill: you do not have to take turns. For example, you may arrange yourselves so some players walk up and down for a while as others get a decent rest in the darkness hours. It is up to you.
A special note for Black level teams of four.
You have just two tokens in play. It takes the best part of an hour to walk to the top and return and you have only an hour on average to get each two tokens up and back if you are to complete the challenge. This puts a particular time pressure on Black Team players to return to Base Camp before their team members or they themselves can head upward again with a fresh token.
Start time
The challenge will commence on Saturday, 3rd August 2024 and should be completed by noon the following day.
Entries
Entries will be accepted on a first-come basis
- Team name, number of members and level/colour
- Players names
- A preferred team email address to which I can send additional details. If you are happy to use WhatsApp I will add you to a community chat for the event.
Entry fee
£24 per member, being a modest £1 per hour. Those under 15 years old at the start of the challenge are free.
Sponsorship
This event is being run for fun, community spirit and to challenge ourselves and one another. We are also trying to raise some much-needed funds for three very worthy causes and hope that each member participating can raise at least £48, being £1 for each ascent by the team.
There is an international, a national and a local charity:
Angkor Hospital for Children (Cambodia)
Mission: Every child in Cambodia gets quality compassionate healthcare, wherever they live and whatever their ability to pay.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
“Everyone deserves the right support at the end of life. We’re here for anyone with an illness they’re likely to die from, and their family and friends”
St. Peters Church, Cliffords Mesne
St Peter’s church is the focal point of Clifford’s Mesne, a small village near the market town of Newent in north-west Gloucestershire. The Church desperately needs funds to tackle a rotting floor and roof repairs
The route to the top
Base camp is at the Yew Tree Inn, Clifford's Mesne, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1JS. This will be the base for all teams with a bar, relaxation area and live music. What3words are: endings.trails.fittingly
The main route follows the lane up the hill for 1.23km, steeper to start and then levelling out after the cattle grid, before turning left at the top car park up a steeper footpath, through a kissing gate and levelling out across the open commonland to the trees and Trigpoint. The total ascent route is 2.27km for a climb of 184.4m.
There is an alternative route that has the same start and bears left some 50m past the cattlegrid, up a National Trust forestry track. This alternative route is slightly more direct and therefore, naturally, steeper. I have found it to be around 4 minutes quicker to the top.
This second route up the forest track will be available aside from the darkness hours of 9:30pm through 5am.
May Hill is one of the most familiar landmarks in the Forest of Dean. On a clear day you can see 12 other counties and it is especially celebrated as a sunrise and sunset spot. The hill is easily recognised from many miles upon approach due to the iconic plantation of trees on the summit.
Sunset and sunrise conditions
On Saturday 3rd August sunset is at 20:55, with Civil Twilight until 21:35.
If cloudless it will be a fantastic stary night as there is no moon
Civil Twilight commences at 04:54 on the Sunday with sunrise being at 05:37
Facilities, food and fun
- Cash bar and snacks available
- Free tea, coffee and soft drinks throughout for team members
- Sign up for dinner on the Saturday
- Sign up for Sunday breakfast
- Sign up for Hog Roast lunch on the Sunday
- Free parking a few minutes away
- Free farm camping a few minutes away
- Bring a sleeping bag for on the floor rest area in the Yew Tree Inn
- Live music
We hope for the best weather and for a fun time for all of relaxing and walking/running with friends and family as we all try to meet the challenge.
Medals for all who complete the challenge.
Parking and camping
Free parking is available six minutes walk from the Yew Tree Inn.
Free farm camping (limited facilities) is available 15 minutes walk or a short drive from the Yew Tree Inn
Commemorating the 1924 British Everest Expedition
101 years ago Andrew Irvine helped record the only win for Oxford in the boat race in an otherwise unbroken run of Cambridge dominance. A year later he and George Mallory were last seen through a break in the clouds making their way towards the unconquered summit of Everest. The clouds came in and they were lost. In 1999 George Mallory’s body was found in a position that seemed to answer the question of whether in fact they had been the first to make the summit. Andrew Irvines body has never been found.
We commemorate 100 years of the 1924 British Everest Expedition, those lost in the attempt and the spirit of adventure.
Thanks to our sponsors
Thank you to ABOUTAsia Travel - the leading travel company for Vietnam, Cambodian and Laos - for their kind support of this event and adventure.
ABOUT
The Everest-May Hill Challenge was conceived by Andrew J. Booth OBE. Andy lives between Clifford's Mesne and Siem Reap in Cambodia where he helps many travellers get the very best from their time in Indochina, builds and repairs schools and offers consular support through his position of British Honorary Consul. When in Clifford's Mesne, Andy tries to walk up May Hill every day.
Thanks goes out to the enthusiastic support and assistance of Saryroth, Rob and Ruth, Sam, Jan, John and of course our cool mayor, Sara.
Prices
| Until | |
|---|---|
| 01 Jul 2024 23:59 | £24.00 |
For each sign-up, the organiser pays the Service Fee of 4% (min 50p). You pay no surcharge
Dates and Status
Start: 03/08/2024 12:00:00
End: 04/08/2024 12:00:00
Status: Closed
Total Places: 300