Teenager to undertake challenging expedition in Himalayas (From York Press)
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Teenager to undertake challenging expedition in Himalayas
8:35am Friday 13th July 2012 in News
By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter
Declan Rogers
A TEENAGER from York Sea Cadets is heading off on a challenging expedition to the Himalayas that will take him to heights of almost 6,000 metres.
Declan Rogers, 15, of Chapel Haddlesey, near Selby, has completed a tough training programme over the past 12 months to be able to go on the four-week trek, culminating with final training in the Peak District and at Totley Camp, near Sheffield, last weekend.
Declan, who attends Holy Family School in Carlton, is among 19 cadets and six adult instructors from across Yorkshire and the Humber who were chosen after a rigorous assessment process to take part in the trip, organised by the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA) for Yorkshire and the Humber.
Departing at the end of the month, they will spend four weeks trekking in the Nepalese Himalaya, passing Lukla and Namche Bazaar and finally going to Gorak Shep, where they will make the final ascent of Kala Patthar, a shade under 6,000 metres altitude.
From Kala Patthar they will be able to see Mount Everest, the surrounding peaks and the Khumbu Glacier, and will be above Everest Base Camp 4.
Declan said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I can’t believe that in just a few weeks I’m going to be in the heart of the world’s highest mountain range, trekking across an unbelievable landscape, in what could be quite harsh conditions – even in summer the temperatures can reach -10C overnight.
“However, we have prepared for the conditions on the trail and trained hard. With the help of our instructors I’m confident we’ll be ready for anything the expedition may throw at us. I can’t wait!”
Col David Fuller, Commandant, Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, who has been training the cadets for the trip, said: “The cadets have worked really hard over the last 12 months, not only in training for the challenging conditions they may face, but also in raising the money needed to go on the expedition.”
