On May 16th through to May 22nd, endurance cyclist Chris Hall will attempt to cycle seven Everests, one every day of the week, to raise awareness and funds for the work Movember carries out in supporting mental health.
The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: pick any hill, anywhere in the world and complete repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. Chris will be tackling his challenge on the iconic Stwlan Dam in Snowdonia, North West Wales.
In total, the seven day challenge will take in a total (mind-boggling) elevation of 61,936m (203,202 feet).
Hall will need to complete 33 reps of the climb every day to climb the 8,848m required per day. In distance covered, this will total around 182km each day and is expected to take around 14 hours. The endurance cyclist is also inviting people to come and join him in his quest to complete this challenge.
No stranger to ultra-endurance challenges, Hall is a seasoned racer who regularly competes in the National 24hour Time Trial competitions. In 2017 he rode 107km every day for 107 days raising money for children’s charity The Pace Centre.
He also completed a ‘Trenching’ Challenge, descending (and climbing) 91 reps of Box Hill, in Surrey, England, in November 2020, to highlight the alarming statistic that 91 men a week take their own lives.
Earlier in 2021 he raced in the Badlands gravel race in Spain and cycled from England’s widest points; from Land’s End to Lowestoft to raise additional funds for Movember. He also raffles off one of his bikes every year.
Chris Hall explained “I really think this one is going to be up there as one of the toughest things I have ever done. When I did the trenching challenge back in 2020, I wanted people to really understand that even if you are spiralling downwards, there is always a way that you can climb back out.
“It’s very much the same with the 7 Everests. There is so much incredible support out there if you are struggling in any way. With this challenge I really hope to highlight that people can suffer at any point, no matter what day of the week or what time of day it is. Cycling, for me has been a huge help in my own mental health which I have struggled with in the past when I worked in design and still do at points.
“There’s something so simple about traveling under your own steam, the momentum of rolling forward which I think allows people to open up, talk and share. Mental health has become a bit of a ‘buzz word’ in recent years but it’s so incredibly important to be looking after yourself and reaching out to others, especially a friend who has maybe been a little distant recently.
“We have had a few tough years globally and I think we all need to be giving ourselves a little more self-care sometimes.”
“During the challenge, I’m more than happy for people to join me for a few reps if they would like to. I’ll be starting early each day and probably going late into the evening still.”
www.chrishallrides.com/7everests
uk.movember.com/mospace/6408721
