Veterans Minister Alistair Carns is aiming to get from London to the top of Everest and back in just seven days.
Success for the Birmingham Sellyoak MP, and three Special Forces vets accompanying him, will require the fastest-ever ascent of the world’s highest peak, which stands 8,849 metres tall.
Everest expeditions like this typically take eight to 10 weeks.
Going with Mr Carns are Major Garth Miller, Kevin Godlington and Anthony Stazicker from TV series SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The four want to test themselves while raising money for vets’ charities.
Mr Carns, the most decorated MP since World War II, told BFBS Forces News: “Veterans aren’t mad, bad and sad. Yes, there’s people that need support, but veterans are a net contributor to the economy and can do amazing things when they put their mind to it.
“I would argue that fortune favours the brave. There’s every chance that we might not succeed but, actually, I think with the right people, the right science, the right tech, we’ve got a really good chance of succeeding.”
Mr Carns has been an MP since July 2024, when he was also appointed as the Minister for Veterans and People.
Before becoming an MP in 2024, Mr Carns served in the Royal Marines for 24 years. He won the Military Cross while serving in Afghanistan.
He joined the military at 19 as the most junior Marine and worked his way up to the rank of Colonel
