RICS director Nick Talbot, who is climbing Mount Everest for charity, is now more than halfway through his challenge.
Talbot aims to be the first person with cystic fibrosis to conquer the world’s tallest peak, which rises to 8,800m.
He says: “There’s a lot of hope at the moment for breakthroughs in cystic fibrosis treatment, but the key thing missing is the funding.
“Before this venture the way I used to help the cause was by being a guinea pig in drugs trials. But when I got put on a breakthrough drug a year ago, it meant I could no longer participate in these trials, so I was looking for a new way to help other people.
“It’s a slightly crazy venture and I wasn’t sure what people would think, but I’ve been surprised and inspired by the response.”
Talbot’s journey began on 31 March and is expected to take nine weeks. He aims to raise £100,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Tweets from the top… follow @CF_vs_Everest
3 April Kathmandu blessing for our expedition involving the drinking of rocket fuel and eating of eggs. This will not be my usual daily attire! Arrived Sunday and prepped for expedition before leaving on Tuesday at 4am – though those of you who know me will realise this can be nearer to my bedtime than getting up time!
3 April Landing in Lukla. Took a plane which literally skims the mountain side before landing on a really short runway on the edge of a mountain.
3 April First glimpse of Everest with wind blowing off top. Bridges get interesting when you meet a herd of yak coming the other way! Acclimatisation going reasonably well, eating very well, in
good shape, sleep could be better but always tricky as you ascend.
7 April #cfvseverest All well, been up past 5,000m point, so higher than highest western Europe mountain. Thanks for donations, keep the ideas coming!
Show your support
The industry is encouraged to turn up at Box Hill, Surrey, with their bikes next weekend (26-27 April) to join Nick Talbot’s RICS colleagues’ pedal to the ?top to match the elevation of Everest. Participants are asked to make a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. E-mail kcreighton@rics.org or Jmurphy@rics.org for more information.
To support Nick Talbot’s Everest campaign, e-mail talbot_nicholas@yahoo.co.uk or visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CFvs.Everest
Intrepid cyclists Tuffin it out at the Olympic velodrome
Staff and clients of property and construction consultancy Tuffin Ferraby Taylor overcame the daunting prospect of riding bikes with no brakes when they were among the first non-Olympic athletes to pedal around the velodrome at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20, prior to its official opening.
The intrepid group, from M&G, AEW, Amazon, CBRE and BNP Paribas Real Estate, pedalled around the 250-metre, 42-degree banked circuit, eventually building up enough confidence to do a timed “flying lap”, on 3 April.
David Mann, executive partner at Tuffin Ferraby Taylor, said: “We felt extremely privileged to be allowed onto the historic velodrome ahead of the general public. I am delighted that no one came to any harm, although the trackside toilet, designed in consultation with Sir Chris Hoy, was put to good use before the final race.”
A close competition saw BNP Paribas Real Estate taking first and second place, with Dan Wye winning on a lap time of 18.4 seconds. Rob Sorby came in just?half a second behind. Lea Valley VeloPark staff guided the cyclists through the event.
Card sharps deal a winning hand for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Property’s card-playing aficionados smashed fundraising targets when they turned out in force for the annual Capital & Counties and Brookfield Multiplex Poker Evening on 19 March.
Players from companies including Keltbray, Tudor Toone, Aldgate Developments and Byrne Bros dug deep to raise a record-breaking £35,000 for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – twice last year’s amount.
The evening saw more than three hours of poker played in the Apex Room, Olympia, W14.
Gary Yardley, investment director at CapCo, said: “We are delighted with the result for the charity, which we know will be put to good use to help young people in need across the capital.
“CapCo and the DofE Award have exciting plans for the future and this ?is just one of our commitments to improving the employability of young people in west London. Thanks to everyone who supported the event.”
A raffle on the evening featured a 2014 Harley-Davidson as the top prize, won by Bradley Smith from Earls Court and Olympia. Other prizes included a team entry at a DofE golf day, a weekend in Prague, and a stay at the five-star Cliveden House hotel in Berkshire.
The event was organised by Yardley and Ashley Muldoon of Brookfield Multiplex.
Visit www.DofE.org for more information about the charity.
Newbies perfect their poker faces for charity
A case of beginners’ luck saw a tense final round dominated by first-timers when Estates Gazette laid on a charity poker tournament for staff in its Holborn HQ on 10 April.
Around 20 wannabe hustlers gathered in a room awash with pink to indulge their fondness for a flutter in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
The stakes were high as piles of chips swelled before the novices. Seasoned players, such as Henry “High Roller, Darling” Poole, Ben “Used To Be Flight But Now He’s Alright” Colclough, and Andrew “I’m Strawberry Blonde” Toy, bowed out, regretting passing on their poker wisdom in the practice rounds.
But in the end it was Matt “Gambit” Gruber who claimed top prize, beating Ella “von Schweetz” Garrick in the final.
A total of £620 was raised for the ?charity – www.breakthrough.org.uk.
A pitch for cricket on Mount Kilimanjaro
David Harper of Hotel Partners Africa is looking for cricketers to play the highest cricket match in history – at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Harper, who is head of property services, is hoping to raise more than £500,000 for Cancer Research UK and Tusk, an anti-poaching charity.
The match will need seven to nine days of your time – starting on 20 September – and will cost £4,192 for flights and porterage. Players will be selected based on their desire to raise funds, rather than ability to deal with an inswinging yorker.
If you fancy the challenge, e-mail ?David.Harper@HotelPartnersAfrica.com.
If you don’t fancy playing but would like to sponsor the venture, donate via www.justgiving.com/teams/MtKiliMadness.
