PROJECT 39 — Challenge 1: Evereststing
Challenge 1: Everesting – Project 39
Date: June 17–18, 2025
Location: The Blorenge, Abergavenny, Wales
Target: 8,848m (Everest height)
Completed: 6,069m
Time Limit: 48 hours
Type: Solo
Everesting is simple in concept but brutal in execution. You pick a single hill or mountain and climb it repeatedly until you’ve reached the height of Mount Everest – 8,848 metres. No shortcuts, no gimmicks. Just up and down until you’ve earned it.
For me, this was the starting line of Project 39. A year-long journey of endurance challenges, fundraising for Demelza, and testing myself in ways I’d never done before. And it began on the steep, unforgiving slopes of the Blorenge in Wales.
Setting the Stage
The Blorenge sits on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, looming over the town of Abergavenny. I travelled down from Kent by train, making my way through London, Newport, and finally into Abergavenny, with the Premier Inn just under a kilometre from my chosen start point.
It was a solo effort — though not entirely unsupported. Gareth, a retired local hiker I’d connected with on Instagram, joined me for several ascents across both days. His company gave me a lift early on, but for the majority of this challenge it was me against the hill.
Day 1 – Into the Heat
The first ascent went smoothly — roughly 550 metres up, straight into thick woodland where a stream cut through the path, before climbing into rocky scrambles and endless steps. A brutal but beautiful climb.
By mid-afternoon, the reality of the conditions set in. The weather was hot and humid. Inside the woods the air felt heavy and suffocating. Sweat poured with every step. My GPS started glitching under the tree cover, throwing off my elevation tracking and rhythm.
Worse still, I hadn’t come in fresh. I carried niggles in my hip going into the challenge, and by the time I was 30–40km deep, my left leg was screaming. Every ascent was harder. Every descent was riskier. I fell twice — rare for me — and realised how dangerous the technical ground could be.
As night fell, I switched tactics. Instead of forcing more steep, rocky scrambles in the dark, I repeated shorter 100m inclines on tarmac sections. Safer, but mentally brutal. Round after round, hour after hour. By midnight, I had climbed around 3,800 metres. Exhausted, limping, and running on fumes, I chose to rest.
Day 2 – A War of Attrition
The morning came with no mercy. The heat was back — 27 degrees and humid. I forced myself up and down again, often in sets of just 50 metres at a time. Painkillers dulled the hip for a while, but the problem never left.
It became a mental battle. Could I keep grinding out reps, no matter how small, until the number ticked higher? I tried using poles, I tried changing terrain, I even wandered over to Sugarloaf to test a different hill. But the hip pain and the GPS issues followed me everywhere.
By the end of Day 2, I had logged over 116 km of movement and around 6,100 metres of elevation gain across two days and 28 hours of effort. Not the full 8,848 metres of Everest — but still a huge test of body and mind.
Lessons from the Hill
Everesting broke me down, but it also sharpened me. Here are the key lessons I walked away with:
Location matters. I chose a punishing route — steep, wooded, technical, and humid. Next time, I’ll pick something clearer, more open, with longer climbs.
Don’t cling to comfort. The Premier Inn was convenient, but it trapped me in a loop. I should have been willing to shift to a better base when needed.
Preparation counts. My Kent Downs training (1,000m and 2,000m days) wasn’t enough. I needed real hill legs, and I shouldn’t have carried niggles into the start.
Mindset is everything. I didn’t quit. I adapted. I found ways to keep moving until I couldn’t. That resilience is the real win.
The Takeaway
I didn’t conquer Everest this time, but I laid the foundation. Challenge 1 of Project 39 wasn’t about perfection — it was about starting. About putting myself out there, testing my limits, and learning what it takes to go again, smarter and stronger.
The hill will always be there. And I’ll be back.
Support the Mission
Project 39 isn’t just about me. It’s about raising funds and awareness for Demelza Hospice Care for Children and proving what’s possible when you choose the rugged path
Follow the journey, support Demelza, and stay updated on future challenges at Project Rugged.