Mount Everest Base Camp Trek for OCD UK

If you know me, then you’ll be aware that Mount Everest has always been on my hiking bucket list. That’ll finally be a reality across February and March 2025, when I’ll be trekking to Everest Base Camp through the Nepal Himalayas, which is 17,598 ft (5,364 metres) above sea level. I’ll be doing the trek across 12 to 16 days, with 100% of the money raised going to OCD UK, which is a charity run by, and for, people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The charity provides life-changing advice, information and support for people affected by OCD, and campaigns to end the trivialisation and stigma of OCD, which is so often misunderstood as “neatness” or “perfectionism”, but is much more complex. Uniquely, everyone who works for the organisation has a personal experience of OCD, either directly or through a loved one, and their support can be a lifeline for people who are navigating the condition.

I’d be grateful for any donations since OCD is a health disorder that’s close to home for me.

The trek, which takes up to 16 days depending on weather conditions and altitude acclimatisation, will take me to the peak of Kala Patthar, which is a notable landmark located on the south ridge of Pumori in the Nepali Himalayas above Gorakshep. I’ll be joined by my two friends Hannah and Louis on the adventure, and we will be carrying all of our own kit (lots of hikers use local sherpas as porters, but we’ve decided against this). The trek is approximately 130km in total, and at night, we will be stopping at tea houses scattered along the route, which are lodges run by local Nepalese people. We will have a local guide with us for the entire trek, also.

My training began at the beginning of December 2024 with the fitness instructor Robert Cazacu, who is helping me get into the best shape possible to prepare me for the challenge. Currently, I’m on a strict diet and training schedule designed by Robert as I prepare for what will likely be the most mentally and physically challenging test — and hike — of my life.

Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for supporting a cause that’s so valuable to so many people.

Image found on National Geographic

https://www.ocduk.org