MollieHughes
“Mollie is a unique young lady with a genuine passion
for adventure and achievement. I am proud to support
her record attempt on Mount Everest and wish her every
success on the mountain. Also in her efforts to raise money
and awareness of the anti-poverty charity ActionAid”
Sir Ranulph Fiennes
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“My goal: to raise money
for the ActionAid charity by
becoming the...
Youngest British Woman
to climb Mount Everest.”
M
y name is Mollie
Hughes I am 21 years
old and come from
Torbay in South Devon.
In spring 2012, six weeks before the
start of the London Olympics, I am
planning on becoming the youngest
British woman to climb Mount Everest.
I have always had a passion for
mountaineering from my first climbing
expedition to Mount Kenya when I
was 17. Since then I have had the
opportunity to take part in many other
expeditions which have included
climbing in the Himalayas, the Andes,
the High Atlas and East Africa.
I have just finished my final year at
the University of the West of England
where I studied Psychology with
Sports Biology. For my dissertation
this year I decided to incorporate
my passion for mountaineering into
the project. I conducted a research
study investigating the ‘Psychological
Experience of Climbing Mount
Everest’. As part of this study I
Mollie
interviewed a number of high-altitude
climbers who had successfully
climbed Mount Everest and explored
their psychological experiences on
the mountain.
MollieHughes
Climbing Mount Everest has always been
The timing of my Everest expedition in May
a long term ambition of mine. Drawing on
2012 means that I plan to reach the summit just
the inspiration of interviewing and studying
six weeks before the opening of the London
high-altitude climbers during my thesis I have
Olympics.
decided to climb Mount Everest myself during
spring 2012, raising money for ActionAid and
becoming the youngest British woman to climb
Everest at the age of 21.
At this time the UK will be gripped in sporting
fever and what better way to begin the London
Olympics than to have a new British record
on the highest and most famous mountain in
Next year I will be climbing Mount Everest with
the world. Media interest is expected to be
the leading British expedition company Dream
high for my attempt to break the record for
Guides and it’s founder and world renowned
the youngest British woman to summit Mount
mountain guide Kenton Cool. Next year Kenton
Everest and my association with Kenton Cool
will be attempting to summit Everest for a
and his own European record attempt to scale
record breaking tenth time! Climbing with
Mount Everest for the tenth time. Dream Guides
Dream Guides will give me the best possible
are in talks with a television company to film a
chance of success on the mountain due to their
documentary about the expedition I am taking
extensive knowledge, expertise and previous
part in.
success on Everest. Climbing Everest is not
only a personal ambition of mine but one that I
hope to use to raise money and awareness of
the leading poverty fighting charity ActionAid.
ActionAid is a well established charity that
helps to combat poverty and the causes of
poverty that unfairly affects so many millions of
During my training and the Everest expedition
itself, your company, staff and customers will
be able to follow my progress through regular
blog updates on my website and via Twitter.
I would be happy to send you personal updates
on my progress as well as pictures and videos.
people around the world.
I am currently looking for sponsors to help with
the costs of climbing Mount Everest. Mount
Everest will be a great opportunity for me and
my chosen charity ActionAid; however this
project will also greatly benefit your company.
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“Mollie is a unique young lady with a genuine passion
for adventure and achievement. I am proud to support
her record attempt on Mount Everest and wish her every
success on the mountain. Also in her efforts to raise money
and awareness of the anti-poverty charity ActionAid”
Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Climbing Mount Everest
T
aking on Mount Everest is
a major sporting challenge
incorporating months of
tough physical training
and a variety of warm up climbs,
intended to gain further experience
and test the capabilities of my
body at extreme high altitude. To
reach the summit of Mount Everest
at 8,850m, I will need to spend
almost two months on the mountain
acclimatising as much as possible to
the extreme altitude. The reduced
levels of available oxygen on Mount
Everest especially above 8,000m
cause a major physiological and
psychological demand on the body.
This demand along with the adverse
weather conditions, high level of
physical risk, disrupted sleep and
loss of appetite all add to the shear
extent of this challenge. However, I
am confident that the achievement
of standing on top of the world at
the age of 21 and raising awareness
of my chosen charity ActionAid
will adequately counteract these
challenges.
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I will be climbing Mount Everest
with the expedition company Dream
Guides; (www.dream-guides.com).
Dream guides was founded in 2005
and has fast become one of Britain’s
leading mountain guiding and
expedition companies, with an highly
impressive success rate on Everest.
The expedition will be lead by Kenton
Cool who is accredited by the
International Federation of mountain
guides association (IFMGA). He
possesses expert knowledge
of running successful Everest
expeditions backed up by personally
summiting Everest an impressive 9
times. We will be climbing Everest
via the south col from Nepal, a more
popular route than the North side due
to its higher success rate and less
time spent above 8,000m. This route
was also the journey taken by Sir
Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay
on the first successful ascent of
Everest in 1953.
MollieHughes
To climb Mount Everest I will need to be
at the height of physical fitness and have
the experience at altitude to know how my
body will react to the extreme environmental
conditions. I am currently undergoing a training
programme with the sports specialists at the
University of the West of England. This involves
various high intensity cardiovascular sessions
based on current sports physiology literature,
resistance sessions specific to Mount Everest
and frequent progress tests with the strength
and conditioning coach at the university.
Having a high level of physical fitness is of
great importance to success on Everest but
so is further increasing my mountaineering
experience especially at high altitude. Knowing
what to expect on Everest and how my body
will cope at extreme altitude will be a great
psychological advantage and therefore produce
a greater chance for success. I am therefore
planning to do two main expedition climbs
before going to Everest next spring. These will
be Mont Blanc in July 2011 and Ama Dablam in
November and December.
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Mont Blanc - This is the highest mountain in
Western Europe and is situated in Chamonix in
the French Alps. Climbing this mountain will
greatly increase my experience of snow and ice
climbing and the experience of altitude.
Ama Dablam - also know as the Matterhorn
of the Himalayas stands at 6,856 mtrs above
sea level in the Everest region of Nepal. Ama
Dablam is thought of as a more technically
challenging mountain than Everest, largely
due to a mixture of rock, ice and snow
climbing. This mountain will therefore offer me
experience to be fully competent on Everest.
Climbing Ama Dablam will also offer me the
experience of extreme high altitude, I will
understand how my body will react to this
altitude and be able to further tailor my Everest
training programme to the results of climbing
this mountain. The expedition is very similar
to the actual Everest expedition in terms of
acclimatisation, equipment used and mountain
conditions. Ama Dablam will therefore offer me
the perfect opportunity for an Everest warm up
climb and consequently increase the likelihood
of success on Everest.
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The charity
Over the past few years I have spent quite a bit
of time travelling through some of the world’s
most economically deprived countries such as
Kenya, Tanzania, India, Ecuador and China.
I have therefore witnessed firsthand the extent
of poverty and the challenging lives faced by so
many people in so many developing countries
around the world. Inspired by this, I decided
to focus my search for a charity to partner with
- on one that would make a difference to the
people that I have witnessed struggling to live
in poverty.
I have decided to raise money for the charity
ActionAid through my Everest climb. Climbing
Mount Everest is not only a personal challenge
for myself but one that could help make a
difference to other people through raising
awareness of the extent of poverty faced by so
many millions of people across the globe.
ActionAid is an established, highly efficient
charity that has been fighting poverty around
the world for over 30 years. In 2003 it was
reported that ActionAids work reached almost
13 million poverty stricken people in Africa, Asia
and the Americas. ActionAids focus revolves
around a few main areas deeply associated
with poverty. These include; reducing hunger,
increasing education, promoting economic
justice, tackling the spread of HIV and Aids,
and promoting women’s rights. In December
this year, after my Ama Dablam expedition, I
will be visiting action aid projects in Nepal to
see for myself the difference this charity makes
to impoverished communities.
ActionAid and associated charities do a great
deal in improving the quality of life for many
impoverished people in a variety of developing
countries. However, due to the vast extent of
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the fundamental problem of poverty and its
associated sociological, health and civil justice
factors much more could be done.
Help is needed to improve the lives of people
whose situation prevents them from having
opportunities to help themselves. Through my
Mount Everest expedition I hope to not only
raise much needed money for ActionAid but
also to raise awareness of the extent of poverty
and the challenging lives so many millions
of people lead all over the world. I hope to
achieve this through my personal website,
implementation of charity schemes in local
schools and businesses and through the media
interest associated with my expedition.
Help needed!
Currently I am searching for financial support
to enable me to complete the challenge of
climbing Mount Everest and becoming the
youngest British woman to do so. Climbing
Mount Everest is a large scale expedition
and therefore understandably comes with
a significant price tag. The actual Everest
expedition itself will cost £36,690. Dream
Guides success rate on Everest and the
level of support received from this leading
expedition company is second to none and will
undoubtedly increase my chances of success
on Everest.
MollieHughes
How to sponsor me/What you will receive
A guideline for sponsorship for this Everest expedition comes in three tiers; Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Bronze level – £1K
✔ Company logo will appear on my personal website.
✔ A picture on Everest with your company logo/name will be taken.
Silver level - £6k
✔ Company logo will appear on clothing and rucksack.
✔ A picture will be taken on the summit of Everest with your company logo/name.
✔ A section on my website will refer to and advertise your company.
✔ On my return, I can visit your organization and give a presentation to you, your
team and customers about my experiences on Everest.
Gold level- £20K
✔ Named event - e.g. ‘company name’ Everest expedition 2012.
✔ Logo on all clothing, rucksacks and tent.
✔ A picture will be taken on the summit of Everest with your company logo/name.
✔ Prime position on website, adverts and through all press statements.
✔ Your company will be mentioned in all press releases regarding Everest.
✔ On my return, I can visit your organization and give a presentation to you, your
team and customers about my experiences on Everest.
Therefore the budget for my Everest challenge is as follows:
Item
Price
Everest expedition with Dream Guides, March-May 2012.
£36,690
Flights to Kathmandu with Qatar airways
£794
Insurance for Everest with the British mountaineering council (BMC)
£1,000
Main Expedition Kit
Expedition down jacket
£410
Expedition salopettes
£220
Expedition overboot
£120
Andes sleeping bag
£460
Thermarest pro-lite
£94
Expedition boots
£660
Further personal kit
£1,000
Kit total
£2,964
Grand total:
£41,448
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MollieHughes
What I would like to do for you.
During my training and the actual Everest
expedition you will be able to follow my progress
through regular blog updates on my website
and via Twitter. I would also be happy to send
your company personal updates on my progress
as well as pictures and videos. Tracking my
Everest climb could act as a great way to
increase staff motivation and team building
within your company and could be used on your
website to engage your customers.
do all over the world. ActionAid have already
contacted local and national papers and radio
stations regarding my expedition and are
enthusiastic to create more media associations.
On my return I would like to come to your
company and give a presentation to you, your
team and customers about my experiences
on Everest.
Climbing with Dream Guides will also help
with media attention. Dream Guides are one
of the largest and most successful expedition
companies on Everest and their leader Kenton
Cool will be attempting to summit Everest for
the tenth time, which is a European record. A
television company are currently in negotiation
with Dream Guides for the opportunity to
film and broadcast a documentary about this
expedition.
Media attention
How to contact me
This Everest expedition is already receiving a
large amount of media attention and expected
to receive even more as time draws closer
to the expedition. My attempt to break the
record for the youngest British female to climb
Everest especially so close to a major British
sporting celebration, the London Olympics is
an attractive story to the press. Mount Everest
seems to hold a certain allure for people with
someone’s attempt to climb to the top of the
world holding a fascination for the public as a
whole. Beginning the sporting atmosphere in
the UK next summer with a new British record
on Everest will be a great start to the Olympics
and a reason to celebrate a British sporting
achievement.
Thank you for taking the time to read my
sponsorship proposal and I hope you found it
interesting! I really look forward to hearing from
you and potentially climbing for you in spring
2012. If you would like to know any further
details regarding myself or my expedition please
don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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7 North Rocks Rd. Paignton, Devon, TQ46LF
07879 698543
Alternatively you can contact the expedition
leader Kenton Cool;
kenton@dream-guides.com
Or my supporter events manager at ActionAid
Miranda Harman;
miranda.harman@actionaid.org
Or my PR officer at ActionAid Therese Bjorn;
Therese.bjorn@actionaid.org
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ActionAid have offered a large amount of
support with raising the profile of my expedition
within the press and their PR officer Therese
Bjorn (contact details below) is writing my
press releases. One of my main aims through
climbing Mount Everest is to increase awareness
of ActionAid and the impressive work they
Web: www.molliehughes.co.uk
Email: info@molliehughes.co.uk
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