A former Royal Marine has completed what he describes as the "longest climb of Everest in history". Mitch Hutchcraft, from Cambridgeshire, reached the top of the world’s highest mountain on Sunday 11 May at 7:30am (Nepalese time).
This marked the end of his record-breaking triathlon from the UK to Everest. The challenge, named Project Limitless, started with a 35km swim across the English Channel.
Mitch then cycled over 12,000km to India and ran 900km to Kathmandu, Nepal, before trekking 360km to Everest base camp – and, of course, climbing the peak itself.
On reaching the summit, Mitch said: "It was more magical than I could have ever dreamed it would be... It's been tough. Really tough. The most difficult thing I've ever done. But I couldn't be happier and more proud of finishing this epic adventure."
A fortnight before the climb, Mitch said he was "honestly bricking it. With my lost voice, sickness and exhaustion, I’m gonna need these next two weeks to prepare body and mind for the summit push".
On the way to the summit, Mitch navigated landslides, witnessed a huge avalanche and crossed the mighty Khumbu Icefall, which he describes as "not for the faint hearted".
Mitch hopes to inspire people to realise what they’re capable of. "Never in a million years did I think this would be how I’d get here," he said.
"This has been the most painful, but fulfilling, adventure. I just want it to inspire others to believe that whatever they’re dreaming, however small, they just need to get out there and smash it."
Mitch has had his sights on Everest for a long time, ever since he saw a picture of the mountain in a book when he was eight years old.
Breaking barriers
At the age of 20, he lost his father. This drove him to join the Royal Marines, even though he was told it was impossible as he’d need a knee reconstruction. He proved them wrong though, serving in the Marines for six years.
After leaving the Marines he undertook several epic adventures, including rowing 4,800km across the Atlantic, cycling 5,000km across North America and climbing some of the most demanding mountains in the world.
Project Limitless is his biggest challenge yet, and it’s taken years to plan. From the very start, it was supported by Molly McDonald, founder and producer of Blue Door Productions. Throughout the trip, shooting and editing was done by adventure filmmaker Stanley Gaskell.
Molly said: "It's been a long road since Mitch first pitched his dream to us. As a small team, without funding or a social following to support the expedition, we knew Project Limitless was a big risk, but we saw a real magic in who Mitch is and the message he wanted to share."
Any successful attempt to climb Everest needs reliable kit. Mitch wore a "ridiculously warm" down suit and three pairs of gloves. "If I took them all off on the summit, I’d lose my fingers in mere minutes,” he said. He also took an ice axe, helmet, harness, crampons, ski mask and summit boots.
He sums up his epic adventure as "years of preparation, eight long months of physical endurance, swimming across the Channel... the hardest day of my life, cycling across 19 countries, running 900km, and following in the footsteps of the first ever climb of Everest to reach base camp".
A good cause
For Mitch, climbing Everest wasn’t just about personal challenge. He’s also raising money for SAVSIM, a wildlife conservation non-profit that provides mental health support to veterans.
He said: "For me this is so much more than just a dream to make history, it is also the chance to raise funds and awareness for an amazing non-profit organisation very close to my heart and give back to veteran mental health and wildlife conservation."
The non-profit has supported him along the way. CEO and co-founder Joe Giordano said: "When Mitch first connected with SAVSIM over three years ago, I had no idea how far his journey would go.
“Thanks to Mitch’s efforts and the incredible support of our wider community, we’ll be able to deliver more programmes, reach more people and expand our conservation work around the world."
To support Mitch’s record-breaking world’s longest triathlon, visit Limitless - 12,0000km to Everest.