Feature Life on the edge If 2004 left you flat, why not pep yourself |
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THE SCOTTISH Highlands might seem an unlikely starting point for an attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest, but it is where mountaineer Paul Deegan (above) began to put his dream plan into action. Paul had a dramatic introduction to a life of danger. “In my teens, I was thrown out of the window of a car when it crashed at 80 mph,” he says. “I was incredibly lucky to survive. A policeman came to my hospital bed and told me that, statistically, I should have died. The experience taught me life is incredibly precious. So I made a promise that at the end of every day for the rest of my life I would be able to say that I had enjoyed a great day. I’ve kept that promise for nearly 20 years. “Mountaineering seemed like a good idea, because I liked the outdoors and the challenge that climbing the world’s highest peaks would represent. So I learned mountain rescue work in the Highlands, as a form of preparation for what, I hoped, could become a way of life for me.” Paul’s dream came true last year when he finally reached the summit of Mount Everest after a 17-year quest. But it was his introduction to the mountain that earned him a title — The Dustman of Everest. He explains, “I was working part-time for an outdoor and trekking shop when the managing director said that he was putting together a club to combine adventure with conservation. I’d seen a programme on television where the well-known mountaineer Doug Scott had been talking about the vast mounds of rubbish that existed at Everest base camp. So I suggested going to clear it all up. My bosses agreed and allowed me to help plan the expedition. “I sought a lot of advice, because I’d never done anything like it before, and eventually put a team of 47 people together from all walks of life. We received loads of media coverage — including an interview on breakfast television with Jeremy Paxman on the morning I should’ve been sitting an English exam at school! I’d never co-led an expedition before and I made lots of mistakes but when we reached base camp we found so much rubbish that it could have filled three football pitches!” Later, Paul returned to Everest Base Camp, first leading another clean-up, then a youth expedition. And he became determined that he would attempt to reach the summit of Everest. His first attempt in 1995 ended just 800 vertical metres from the summit because he wasn’t strong enough physically. Then in 1996 he was beaten back by a storm. Tragically 11 people died there that season, including a personal friend of Paul’s. “That experience affected me enormously,” he explains. “The thing is, the weather can change so quickly high on the mountain. “If I’m just trekking to base camp, things are very relaxed. I can get up at about five in the morning, walk along silent trails for a couple of hours before any other trekkers get up and about, and then stop at about eight for a leisurely breakfast of porridge and omelettes. “However, if I’m attempting to reach the summit of Everest I have to leave the top camp at 10 pm in order to reach the summit at around 9 am and return to the camp before nightfall.” While climbing, Paul has to be careful not to become dehydrated. “I aim to drink about four litres of water a day, although high on the mountain this is impossible because it can take up to an hour to melt a lump of ice into a litre of water, and another hour to boil it. Climbing at high altitude is physically demanding, and so at Base Camp I relax with my fellow climbers.” An attempt on the summit of Everest takes months of planning. “It’s why, when you get there, you don’t want to give up for any reason, other than endangerment of life,” Paul says. When he hasn’t got Everest on his mind, Paul has taken parties on treks through India, Patagonia and Nepal, and also organised his own private expeditions to remote corners of the world with close friends. He says one of his most exciting moments was climbing uncharted mountains on the border of China, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. “To actually put a name to a mountain that has never been climbed before is a huge privilege,” he smiles. Paul finally achieved his lifetime ambition last May but, incredibly, after years of seeking the ultimate mountain thrill, he didn’t stand on the summit of Everest. “Over the years I’ve come to respect the Buddhist faith which the local Sherpa people follow,” he explains. “The summits of the Himalaya are the abodes of the gods. So I took care not to touch the final few inches of summit snow, although I touched an old metal survey pole poking out of the top, in case anyone got pedantic and said I hadn’t actually reached the top! Summit day was beautiful and clear and it seemed as if I could see half the world. But my focus was on safely completing the two-day descent. So after 15 minutes I started heading down. “I can remember thinking that the Highlands of Scotland — Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe and Slioch in Wester Ross were very dramatic when I first went there. And the world’s highest mountain is no less so.” To read Paul’s diary extracts from Everest visit www.cotswold-outdoor.com/everest His first book, the award-winning The Mountain Traveller’s Handbook (British Mountaineering Council, £13, ISBN 0903908476) is available from bookshops,
www.amazon.co.uk or direct from the BMC on 0870 010 4878. |
Paul Deegan |
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WHEN ANDY HINE (rigt) was just six years old he climbed aboard the Grand National roller coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, held on tight and kept his eyes shut for the whole ride, little realising that the experience would shape his adult life and make him a professional
thrillseeker. “I took that first ride alone — apart from the other riders around me who were laughing and screaming,” Andy remembers. “I was at the park with my parents, who didn’t want to ride. And at the end of that ride something made me want to do it again and so I did. I knew I wanted to ride more and more from then on.” Andy is the founder and Chairman of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain. He now rides 50 days of the year, usually around 100 times a day. He has visited over 20 countries to experience more than 600 different coasters — an estimated 35,000 rides. “No matter how many times I ride, they are all as much fun as each other,” he smiles. “But I no longer have to do so alone, thanks to the Club. It came about when I wondered if there were other people like me who loved coasters, wandering around the parks. “I put up a few signs and got around 10 names. Then in August 1988 I organised an event at Dreamland in Margate and the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain (RCCGB) was pretty much formed as a result of that day. Little did I know that 16 years later there would be over 1500 members in 17 different countries. It also went from taking the odd day here and there to organise, to being my full-time job.” Andy is addicted to the feeling of exhilaration he gets on the rides, but he says different rides offer different experiences. “The type of coaster varies the feeling that you get riding it,” he explains. “Traditional wooden coasters have more of a ‘shake, rattle and roll’ feeling while modern steel coasters can offer more elements such as loops and inversions. As long as the coaster leaves you smiling and wanting another ride then it’s a good one!” The Roller Coaster Club offers more than just the thrill of the adrenalin rush, however. “It is very much a social club,” Andy explains. “We’re enthusiasts but we’re not interested in how many nuts and bolts a ride has, just how much fun it is to ride. We’re a bunch of adrenalin junkies who like sharing a good time together. In fact, during the Club’s history, we’ve had seven marriages and many more relationships born. That’s a better success rate than Blind Date!” He can’t recall ever having a really bad experience on a roller coaster. “Sometimes the coaster is just badly designed and you get a bit of an ear-bashing from the overhead restraint system. But they offer such a great mixture of fun, exhilaration, escapism and excitement. The down side is that there are not enough of them.” When it’s winter and the parks are closed Andy heads to Florida for his adrenalin buzz — and the Club also organises a skiing trip. The Phoenix coaster, in an American park called Knoebels in Elysburg, Pennsylvania is Andy’s favourite ride in the world and his top UK thriller is Megafobia at Welsh park, Oakwood, Pembrokeshire. “Phoenix is everything a good coaster should be. It’s made of wood, has lots of airtime (where you float out of your seat), great dips, and always leaves you wanting another ride. Megafobia is, again, wooden. It has a great combination of speed, dips and turns and everyone gets on smiling and gets off laughing.” Andy was awarded an MBE last year for services to the tourist industry. And he says meeting the Queen was as scary as tackling a new loop-the-looper. “I was very honoured to receive the award and when I went to Buckingham Palace for the presentation it was much more nerve-racking than any white knuckle ride. However, the Queen was very down- to- earth and asked me a lot of questions about the parks. She wanted to know all about the Club and asked if we were all crazy!” The RCCGB are currently campaigning to have new wooden roller coasters built in the UK, something that they haven’t built here for years. “Many parks are obsessed with building ‘media’ rides,” Andy explains. “Those that are the ‘highest’, ‘longest’, ‘fastest’ and so on. Sadly, though, a lot of these aren’t fun! Fun is what the whole amusement industry is about. What good is a ride if you get off thinking, ‘Done that, what’s next?’ People should get off thinking ‘Wow, let’s go round again’. And most wooden coasters give that feeling. “I’d recommend our club to anyone,” Andy concludes. “We have members from five to 90 years old. It’s a great way to meet new people and have a great time together.” l For further information see www.rccgb.co.uk or send an SAE to RCCGB, PO Box 235, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB10 0EL. By Dawn Donaghey |
Andy Hine
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FOR STU THOMSON (right), nothing beats the thrill of peering over the top of a steep hillside — ready to tear down the slope on two wheels. The 22-year-old from Stirling is one of Britain’s top downhill mountain-bikers. He competes in Scotland and across the rest of the UK as well as travelling the world to take part in world cup events. No matter where he races, the anticipation Stu feels while waiting on the starting line is a rush he could never give up. “The racing is exciting, but nothing beats the buzz just before you set off,” he smiles. Stu has been a downhill rider for the past seven years. He entered his first competition in the Lake District, aged just 15, and he has never looked back. His interest began in his early teens, when he and his pals went cross-country biking. As Stu’s skill and confidence grew, and he was prepared to take more risks, he moved into the risky realm of downhill riding. “Cross-country biking is all about fitness and having the stamina to cross the finish line. Downhill requires different skills. You’re on the edge between going as fast as possible, but keeping enough control to stop from crashing.” Stu has had his fair share of bumps and bruises but, as downhill bikers go, he’s probably one of the luckiest. “I’m quite good at crashing,” he laughs. “There’s a skill to coming out of a crash unhurt. The worst injury I’ve had is a broken wrist.” But Stu is well aware of the serious risks involved in his sport. At the 2003 world cup he saw an Australian competitor left in a six-month coma after a bad crash. “I wear full body armour, including a helmet. But the buzz of the race tends to make up for the pain of the falls.” Stu needs to make sure he’s in peak condition to take the hard knocks. When he’s not racing during the winter months, the sports marketing graduate works at his local gym. “My pals think I’m crazy if I don’t drink at the pub on a Friday night, but I’ll often be off riding the next morning.” It looks as if Stu will be going easy on the nights out for the foreseeable future — 2005 is going to be a big year for mountain-biking in Scotland. This September Fort William will play host to the 2005 World Cup finals, and Stu is hoping to make a big impact amongst the best riders in the world. It takes years of dedicated training to reach that level of skill, but Stu would encourage anyone to give biking a go. “Anyone can take it up on a basic mountain bike. Start easy and build up your confidence. The important thing is to have fun.” l For more info about the Mountain Bike World Cup visit www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk By Paul Hastie Are you a self-confessed adrenalin addict? Do you feel the need for speed, drama or danger? Or perhaps you spend your spare time on an unusual or interesting hobby. If so, we’d like to hear from you. Send your stories (typed if possible) with your name, address and phone number to: Me And My Hobby, Post Plus, PO Box 962, Glasgow G9 6SP or e-mail magazine@sundaypost.com We’ll pay for all published but regret we cannot return submissions. |
Stu Thomson
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