Al Carns exudes competence.
That’s Colonel Alistair Carns – DSO (Distinguished Service Order) OBE (Officer of the British Empire) MC (Military Cross) MP (Member of Parliament) and Government Minister for Veterans.
It was this competence, sharpened by years of Royal Marines training, which led to him being awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in Afghanistan in 2011 (It is understood the noteworthy incident involved “bad guys” in caves. The bad guys came second.).
It was this competence which last year made the Labour Party jump at the chance of having Carns run for parliament. They parachuted (metaphorically) him into the seat of Birmingham Selly Oak, which he won. He was then immediately appointed as Minister for Veterans and People.
And it was this highly developed level of competence which led him to join three old military pals in signing up for an audacious challenge, ‘Mission: Everest’ – to get from London to the summit of the world’s highest peak and back in just seven days.
Success will require the fastest-ever ascent and descent of Everest on record.
The fastest London-Everest-London trip to date is three weeks. The four aim to slice two thirds off this.
Carns, 45, told WM News he reckons he and his mates have a 30% chance of success – factoring in the imponderables of the weather and what effect the altitude will have on each of them.
While it might seem to some this is a mission more prone to fail than succeed, given his past endeavours, those are odds Carns fancies.
What made you decide to do this?
“Since being elected [as MP] for Selly Oak I’ve been amazed at the number of people who volunteer, going above and beyond to keep things running and make things happen. I thought to myself: ‘What can I do? How can I go above and beyond to help others?’
“I met some of my old military buddies down the pub and one of them said: ‘Fancy climbing Everest?’ I said no, I can’t, because that’ll take six to eight weeks but they said: ‘No, we’re going to do it in seven days.” So, I said count me in.”
The team are raising money for various veterans charities – and their target of £1m is every bit as ambitious as the feat itself: Mission: Everest – GiveWheel
Who else is going on Mission: Everest?
Major Garth Miller, age 51 – a seasoned mountaineer who was part of the team who previously set the existing record of 21 days from London to the top of Everest and back. A veteran of three operational tours in Afghanistan with the Royal Ghurka Rifles.
Anthony Stazicker, age 41 – 13 years’ service in the Special Forces. Awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his actions in Afghanistan in 2013. Founder of the outerwear brand ThruDark.
Kevin Godlignton, age 49 – joined the Royal Engineers at 16 and later the Special Forces, serving all over the world. An experienced mountaineer with longstanding links to veterans charities.
Between the four of them they have won every gallantry medal apart from the Victoria Cross.
What training are you doing?
All four are sleeping in hypoxic (lower oxygen than the body requires) tents to mimic the thin air at more than 5km, 6km, 7km and 8km altitude.
Alongside, in Carns’s case, three 90-minute cardio sessions a week, including “long, boring” weighted stepping exercises with an oxygen-limiting mask on to create the conditions of a steep, high-altitude ascent.
“Last night I slept at the equivalent of base camp (17,600ft / 5,364m),” says Carns.
“It’s fine, but you do occasionally wake up in the middle of the night gasping for breath.”
The four are each targeting 450 hours of altitude training before they depart.
“We are going to go to the top of Everest [virtually] and back three times before we go,” says Carns.
What are the chances of success?
“We think about 30% – for the simple reason that the weather and how the altitude affects each of us are outside our control,” says Carns.
“If we arrive at Kathmandu airport and the weather is bad, we’ll just have to wait.”
Carns has experience operating at around 12,000ft in Afghanistan, but Everest is a difficult ball park entirely at nearly triple that height: 29,030ft.
“We’re approaching this like a Special Forces mission: no waste, best science, best kit – to reduce the chance of failure.”
When is the likely departure date?
Flights are provisionally booked for May 15.
“Routes are pegged out [on Everest] in April. The precise date will of course depend on what the weather is doing. We’ll go when there’s a window.”
How are you enjoying Birmingham?
“I think Birmingham is amazing. I love it. I’d only been here previously to drop casualties at the hospital in Selly Oak. But now it’s home and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so welcomed anywhere. The Brummie spirit and culture are great,” says Carns.
“I’m an honorary Brummie.”
And if anyone has a problem with that, you can take it up personally with Britain’s hardest MP!
