Scouts set to climb in Indian Himalayas
Four members of Southbourne Sea Scouts Explorers Unit are planning an expedition to climb Stok Kangri, a 6137m mountain in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayas.
The four Explorers, Will Barker, Mark Keightley, Ben Rigby and Jake Elsbury, will fly to Leh, the world's highest commercial airport on July 9 and then make their way to the Stok Kangri. It will take about six days to complete the climb which will be their first introduction to high-altitude climbing.
The team has had training in snow and ice climbing in Glencoe this winter and Ben spent six weeks last summer as part of the British Schools' Exploring Society expedition to Greenland. He is familiar with glacier crossing and climbing out from a crevasse when an ice bridge collapsed.
The Explorers will be led by Ben's uncle, Pemba Sherpa, who met Ben's aunt when she was working at an orphanage in Kathmandhu. The team will be completed by Ben's godfather Jamie Doble.
After climbing Stok Kangri they will traverse the Himalayas highest motor-able pass in two jeeps, spend time with the nomads on the high plateau and go to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple.
They will visit the Indian Pakistan border, travel to Delhi and finally Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, returning to the UK on July 29.
The Explorers are raising funds for the Royal British Legion through sponsorship. They are taking clothes and toys for Buddhist monasteries and orphanages in the mountains.
Will Barker is deputy harbour master at Littlehampton, Mark Keightley is reading Ship Studies at Southampton University, Ben and Jake Elsbury are A-level students in Chichester. To donate visit www.justgiving.com/williambarker.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
