Ben Fogle & Victoria Pendleton to 'conquer' Everest

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 TMM 11 Dec 2017
The Red Cross is a noble cause but I do wonder if the best way to raise money/awareness is for Kenton Cool to lead another couple of celebs to the top. Interestingly Fogle states that xxpedition funding is coming from 'his good friend Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, of Jordan, in memory of her father.
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 The New NickB 11 Dec 2017
In reply to TMM:

Similar thoughts, but to trivialise thing, I really hate the use of the term conquer when it comes to mountaineering, especially when it comes to very serious mountains. I prefer the idea that you are sneeking up on them and hoping they aren’t looking for long enough for you to get a photograph then run away as quickly as you can.
OP TMM 11 Dec 2017
In reply to The New NickB:
Agreed. I deliberately quoted the press release which used the word ‘conquer’.
There is an imperial arrogance associated with it, the mountain and nature are to be subjugated and subdued rather than celebrated and respected.

 Pedro50 11 Dec 2017
In reply to The New NickB:

We look forward to the final assault.
 Nevis-the-cat 11 Dec 2017
In reply to TMM:
If he writes about it, I hope Fogle's book is better than his execrable "Land Rover" book.

Utter junk, in which he writes about his friends Binky and Chlamydia and their Defender, repeatedly and spells Alfa Romeo "Alpha Romeo" and gets most LR facts wrong.
Post edited at 14:41
 J Whittaker 11 Dec 2017
In reply to The New NickB:

You can't conquer a mountain. It will be there long after you're gone and no one cares who you were. I also loathe the term. At best you conquer yourself by achieving it.
 Pedro50 11 Dec 2017
In reply to Nevis-the-cat:

And Victoria's book might be called "Attached to the Lines"
 nufkin 11 Dec 2017
In reply to TMM:

> I do wonder if the best way to raise money/awareness is for Kenton Cool to lead another couple of celebs to the top. Interestingly Fogle states that xxpedition funding is coming from 'his good friend Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, of Jordan, in memory of her father.

In fairness to him, despite coming across as just posh totty, Ben Fogle does have some pretty respectable expedition chops. Just putting up with James Cracknell for long periods in confinement is pretty laudable. Doesn't mean he should go clutter up Everest, but that aside he's probably perfectly capable
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Deadeye 11 Dec 2017
In reply to Pedro50:

> And Victoria's book might be called "Attached to the Lines"

I suspect she might surprise you. Her cardiovascular fitness is probably better than Kenton's.
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 Ian Parsons 11 Dec 2017
In reply to TMM:

Harding's classic take on "conquest":

"As I hammered in the last bolt and staggered over the rim, it was not at all clear to me who was the conqueror and who was the conquered. I do recall that El Cap seemed to be in much better condition than I was." — Warren Harding (1925—2002).
 Pedro50 11 Dec 2017
In reply to Deadeye:

> I suspect she might surprise you. Her cardiovascular fitness is probably better than Kenton's.

Indeed I greatly admired her track career. I was thinking more in terms of fixed ropes than O2 lines.
 David Lanceley 11 Dec 2017
In reply to Nevis-the-cat:

> If he writes about it, I hope Fogle's book is better than his execrable "Land Rover" book.

> Utter junk, in which he writes about his friends Binky and Chlamydia and their Defender, repeatedly and spells Alfa Romeo "Alpha Romeo" and gets most LR facts wrong.

Agree, complete garbage, I'd be ashamed to be associated with it.
 Jonny 11 Dec 2017
In reply to The New NickB:

Right. It's like an ant conquering a sleeping face - when the face wakes up, it's all over for the ant.

On the other hand, perhaps we should just play along, else the only real expression of conquering will be razing the entire mountain. Conquerors will want to conquer, after all.
 wert 11 Dec 2017
In reply to TMM:

Wish they'd just donate the cost of the expedition directly to the Red Cross and not milk the publicity. (Perhaps they could also volunteer for the Red Cross for the equivalent length of time climbing Everest would take without publicising it?)

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