Michael Woods: Why my next goal is to reach the summit of Everest (BSL)

The time has flown by so quickly. The last time I wrote an article was in early 2023, back in February. It was about my three expeditions for this year, which have been incredible.
My three expeditions were to Everest base camp, Morocco’s Mount Toubkal, and Mount Kilimanjaro. However, things have changed after discussing with my team, and my main goal is to summit Everest. To prepare for that, I needed to adjust my expeditions and train my body accordingly.

I swapped out Mount Kilimanjaro for Lobuche because I needed to gain experience at an altitude of at least 6000m to be eligible for an Everest climbing permit. Unfortunately, my Mount Toubkal expedition was canceled due to an earthquake in Morocco, so I’ll be looking for a new expedition to replace it soon.

During the summer of 2023, I trained rigorously and prepared myself for the upcoming expeditions. I summited many mountains in the UK, and I’m pleased to say that my training has paid off. I summited Snowdon more than 20 times this year, and I reached the 50th Snowdon summit with a weight vest of 30kg, carrying it all the way to the summit in 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was delighted with the results.

Not long after that, I took on the Welsh 3000s challenge, which involves summiting 15 peaks in 24 hours, covering approximately 30 miles. I completed it in 19 hours and 47 minutes. I also trained on various other mountains to maintain my peak fitness.

When the time came for my first expedition, I was set to do Everest base camp and Lobuche together while staying in Nepal for 3 weeks, away from my family to focus on training and preparation. After two weeks of daily walking for an average of 10 hours, including the first pass trek route, my body was already worn out, but I understood it was part of the training.

When we finally reached the Everest base camp, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I had longed to see it for so long. This experience gave me a taste and an idea of what it would be like to stay there for two months during the Everest expedition. We then headed back to Lobuche village and up to the high camp at 5500m to further train my body for the higher altitude and acclimate myself. Additionally, I had to demonstrate my skills with ropes, axes, crampons, and more to secure my climbing permit for Lobuche summit, standing at 6119m.

After successfully passing the test of my skills with rope work and more, it took only 20 minutes for them to confirm my readiness. They were confident in my knowledge and skills. That same night, I went to sleep at 6pm, and we woke up at 2am for a quick breakfast. We set off at 2.30am in the dark with headlamps all the way.

This moment was one of the best experiences of my life. I witnessed the sunrise and the breathtaking landscape of the Himalayas. As we neared the summit, the terrain became extremely steep. I was told that even the most experienced climbers gave up at this point, but I persevered. I kept going, knowing that this was a test, and if I wanted to summit Everest, I needed to conquer this challenge. When I finally reached the summit of Lobuche at 6119m, the view was fantastic, with a 360-degree panorama of 7000 and 8000m peaks, including Everest. The experience was overwhelming, and my guide expressed confidence in my ability to tackle Everest after witnessing my climbing skills. This motivated me greatly.

After three weeks, when we safely returned to Kathmandu village, I received a certificate confirming my summit of Lobuche at 6119m. To qualify for an Everest climbing permit, you need to have experience at an altitude of 6000m or higher, which I had now achieved. I was one step closer to realizing my dream of summiting Everest.

Now, I need your support to make this expedition a reality and create history as the first deaf man from the UK and possibly Europe to summit Everest. I still require approximately £35,000 for the Everest expedition, so if you wish to support through donation or sponsorship and be part of this historic journey, it would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to support by going to my website on www.michaelssummits.com

Today, I am establishing my own workshop to inspire people and children across the UK to pursue their dreams, no matter how big they may be. We may face daily challenges as deaf individuals, but we must persevere and work hard towards our goals. I want to share my experiences and mountaineering skills with people across the UK, believing that it can greatly benefit mental health and well-being.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my sponsors who have made this journey possible. Now, I need your support to make the Everest expedition a reality, as I am now one step closer to achieving it.

A big thanks to my sponsors