Lifestyle United Kingdom

Experience: I’ve climbed Mount Everest 20 times

In 1996 doctors told me I wouldn’t walk again unaided, but in 2022 I took the record for the most Everest summits by a non-Sherpa I grew up in Slough…

By The News Engine Desk Based on reporting by The Guardian

23 Oct 2026, 09:30 IST Updated 55 min ago 1 min read 0 views

Image accompanying the story: Experience: I’ve climbed Mount Everest 20 times — Image: Photograph: Gareth Iwan Jones/The Guardian · via The Guardian

According to The Guardian, in 1996 doctors told me I wouldn’t walk again unaided, but in 2022 I took the record for the most Everest summits by a non-Sherpa I grew up in Slough, Berkshire, in a bungalow beside a farm.

My father was a scout leader, and I was always outside, building dams and dens, sleeping out and hiding in trees. In my teens, family holidays were two weeks in Wales.

This lifestyle story centres on the United Kingdom. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Mount Everest, Sherpa I and Slough.

Why it matters

Lifestyle trends like this can influence everyday choices about health, money, home and family.

Key details

Location: United Kingdom · Europe
Reported by: The Guardian
First reported: 23 Oct 2026, 09:30 IST
Key names: Mount Everest, Sherpa I, Slough, Berkshire
Section: Lifestyle
Figure cited: When I was 17, a school friend took me to a climbing wall where he was a regular. (The Guardian)