A LOCAL man cycled the entire height of Mount Everest last weekend to raise money for his upcoming charity work in Ghana.
Bratton man Chris Joyce cycled almost nine vertical kilometres on Saturday and Sunday, by making 61 ascents of a 2.8km route up Cheddar Gorge.
The ride, amounting to a distance of more than 170km, was completed to raise money towards Chris’s charity trip to Ghana later this month.
Chris said, “The part of the gorge we climbed was 145m vertically and we had to do it 61 times, taking 28 hours! We finished just after 10pm on Saturday.
“I’ve done some cycling in the Alps and Pyrenees before, but that was after a good few months of training. This time my training was mixed with six Christmas dinners and too many mince pies!
“The idea came because I had to raise £1,500 for my upcoming project in Ghana, and a friend said I would only be sponsored for something ridiculous. I obviously didn’t have the time to climb the real Mount Everest so my friend Simon Thursz and I settled for cycling the height of it.
“We were very kindly supported throughout the ride by Trevor Pictor from the White Horse Pottery, who cooked our food and looked after us.”
Chris will soon be heading to Ghana for three months with Scotland-based charity Challenges Worldwide, to help encourage the growth of small businesses in the country.
Chris said, “I’m told that Ghana has a ‘copy-cat’ culture with a real lack of innovation, which results in many people selling the same items as the guy next door. Challenges Worldwide aims to support the growth of new ideas, with the ultimate aim of creating sustainable employment.
“During my time in the country I will be paired with a local who has been selected because they have an innovative idea for a business start up. Together we will train and work towards a business consulting qualification while trying to get their business up and running.
“The aim is that by the time I leave at the end of April, the business should be running independently with a five year growth plan in place.”
Chris will contribute and teach essential skills such as the ability to use a computer and write fluent English.
He continued, “I wanted to use my time and skills for something that is an investment in the future, and in my mind, this type of work is absolutely brilliant because it is based around education and ultimately creates employment and encourages financial independence in developing countries.”
To find out more about the charity’s work go to www.challengesworldwide.com
