Beech Hill Scouts Luton – From Snowdon To Everest

Beech Hill Scout Leader, Abbas Sultan, is part of Penny Appeal’s “Team Orange” making a bid for Everest Base Camp to raise £250,000 for the Rohingya Refugee Crisis.

This December, 34 volunteer fundraisers will make the gruelling 12 day trek to the Base Camp, which lies 18, 000 feet above sea level.

When the Beech Hill Scouts heard about the massive fund raising task that their leader had taken on, they decided to help with their own mountain challenge. Between them they have raised £7310, making an impressive dent in Abbas’s massive £10,000 fund raising target. This was achieved by organising an overnight trip to Wales, where they climbed Mount Snowdon.

Some of the scouts set up an online fundraiser whilst others held collections at schools in order to raise money and awareness about the situation of the refugees.

The expedition, which took around nine hours, was a great success, with scouts and leaders trekking together.

Encouraging and assisting each other to reach the summit.

The Scouts had been given a rough training plan to follow during the weeks up to the hike and had a fantastic experience. Most were challenging themselves for the first time, all the while using the necessary scouting skills to plough on, such as “always being prepared”, following Scout leaders’ instructions and being a friend to their fellow scouts. The youngest member of the group was just six years old, but this didn’t stop her from zooming up and down the mountain, simultaneously encouraging the rest of the group!

Base camp was a short drive away from Mount Snowdon. It was a scout hut, so the ideal location to relax, play games and eat pizza after a tiring yet successful day! It was an experience which will be treasured for the rest of their lives, and the beginning of many more adventures to come!

On too Everest itself. After 8 long days of hiking, freezing temperatures and very difficult conditions Abbas made it to Mount Everest Basecamp on Thursday 20th December with an expectation of raising his target of £10,000 in the next few days. At an altitude of 5,364 metres, Basecamp with his scout flag signed by Beech Hill Scouts earlier this term is five times the height of Mt Snowden.

If you want to help, visit Abbas’s just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbas-basecamp

Article by Aaisha Ahmed BHSG Scout Leader