Latest news with #KevinGodlington
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Scot makes history with world's fastest ascent of Everest taking just FIVE days…& says ‘I won't climb again'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOTS MP made history today with the fastest ascent of Mount Everest — using xenon gas. Ex-Special Forces Commando Al Carns, 45, and three former SAS and SBS pals reached the roof of the world at 7am local time — 2am in the UK. 4 L-R: Veterans minister Al Carns, 45, Kevin Godlington, 49, Anthony Stazicker, 41, Garth Miller, 51 scaled the world's tallest mountain in just five days 4 Everest team the night they set off having left London last Friday 4 Al Carnes MP Minister for Veterans hopes to raise £1million for charities Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun Their lightning ascent came just five days after they'd left London. They even survived an avalanche. Most expeditions take 70 days to let climbers acclimatise to the thin air at 8,850m (29,035ft). But the group slept in low-oxygen tents to prepare their bodies for the conditions. And they inhaled controversial xenon gas, which helps the body produce red blood cells to avoid deadly altitude sickness. A photo from the summit showed Aberdeen-born Carns with a Union flag he'd carried on all his military tours, including to Afghanistan. He said the climb was 'off the scale of a challenge', adding: 'Now we've done the biggest, I am never doing another mountain again.' The Veterans Minister was with ex-comrades Garth Miller, 51, Kevin Godlington, 49, and Anthony Stazicker, 41, They were accompanied by cameraman Sandro Gromen-Hayes and five Nepalese Sherpas. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach, 47, who spoke to The Sun from Everest Base Camp, told how the team had a narrow escape on the first full day of their climb. He said: 'An avalanche came down on them from Nuptse, a 7,800m peak. "They were covered in white powder but not buried. It was a shocking moment for them.' I climbed Mt Everest with no experience & 3 weeks training He revealed the final ascent had been 'tough' due to 35mph gusts. Furtenbach said: 'Conditions were windy, so it was a hard day for them. It was right on the edge. 'They spent about half an hour on the summit then came down to Camp 4 at 8,000m. They are doing great and are in high spirits.' Their feat is a record Everest ascent without acclimatising in the Himalayas beforehand. The group are hoping to raise more than £1million for veterans' charities. Carns is Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak. He said he was an 'average schoolkid from Aberdeen' before he joined the Royal Marines at 19
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brit MP completes record-breaking Everest ascent reaching summit after 5-day dash from UK…& says ‘I won't climb again'
HIGHEST PEAK Brit MP completes record-breaking Everest ascent reaching summit after 5-day dash from UK…& says 'I won't climb again' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRITISH MP has made history with a record-breaking ascent of Mount Everest. Ex-Special Forces Commando Al Carns, 45, and three former SAS and SBS pals reached the roof of the world at 7am local time today, 2am London time. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Alistair Carns OBE MC MP has completed a record-breaking ascent of mount Everest Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 6 L-R: Veterans minister Al Carns, 45, Kevin Godlington, 49, Anthony Stazicker, 41, Garth Miller, 51 6 Veterans Minister and ex special forces Major Alistair Carns (L2) with his three ex special forces colleagues in training, Garth Miller (L), Anthony Stazicker (R2) and Kevin Godlington (R) Credit: Simon Jones Their lightning ascent came five days after leaving London and they survived an avalanche on the way up. Most expeditions take 70 days to let climbers acclimatise to the deadly thin air. Carns said the climb was 'off the scale of a challenge'. And he joked: 'Now that we have done the biggest, I am never doing another mountain again.' He and his former comrades Garth Miller, 51, Kevin Godlington, 49, and Anthony Stazicker, 41, slept in low-oxygen tents to prepare their bodies for the conditions. And they inhaled controversial xenon gas which helps the body produce red blood cells to avoid deadly altitude sickness. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach, who spoke to The Sun from Everest Base Camp, said the climbers were "feeling strong". 'They said it was really windy and cold. But they are doing great, in high spirits and highly motivated to come down.' A photo from the summit showed Carns, 45, waving a Union Jack which had carried on all of his military tours, including multiple combat trips to Afghanistan. They are hoping to raise over £1million for veterans charities. Limbless Afghan veteran Gurkha Hari Budha Magar from Canterbury who hopes to reach the top of Everest by Coronation Day has set off from Base camp The final ascent was 'tough' because winds were gusting over 35mph. Speaking from Everest Base Camp, Furtenbach told The Sun: 'Conditions were windy, so it was a hard summit day for them, it was right on the edge. Not dangerous but hard.' 'They spent about half an hour on the summit then came down to camp 4 at 8,000 metres, they rested for about half an hour and now they are on their way to Camp 2, just above the Khumbu Icefall.' The four Special Forces veterans were flanked by cameraman Sandro Gromen-Hayes and five Nepalese Sherpas, Pasang Tendi Sherpa, Pemba Rinji Sherpa, Gelu Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa and Phu Dorji Sherpa. They are planning to descend the Khumbu Icefall in darkness tonight because the plummeting night time temperatures make it safer. Furtenbach said the team had a narrow escape on the first full day of their climb, whern they were covered in powder from a nearby avalanche. 6 Mountain guide Lukas Furtenbach in Kathmandu, Nepal Credit: AP 6 The Everest team on the night they set off 6 Most climbers take 70 days to tackle Everest but Al Carns and his team of ex-Special Forces pals finished in under a week Credit: Getty He said: 'Right after they had crossed the Khumbu Icefall, at the upper end, there was an avalanche that came down on their right hand side from Nuptse, a 7,800 metre peak. 'The powder from the avalanche hit the climbing route. 'They were not buried with snow or ice, but thet were covered white and it was definitely a shocking moment for them.' Furtenbach has pioneered the use of xenon gas. But it has split the climbing community as traditionalists fear it could make mountains like Everest even more crowded with the cash-rich, time-poor Instagram crowd buying their way to the top. Speaking before the ascent Kev Godlington joked that their training had been so gruelling that, 'no one's gonna want to put the four months we have put in, whatever the price." Carns said the team were treating the climb like a Special Ops mission – using every advantage they could get. He told The Sun: 'This is like a Special Forces mission. We have the best people, the best training, the best kit and we are at the very cutting edge of science. We'll go in, hit the objective and leave no trace, no waste.' Garth Miller, a Gurkha officer turned long-haul pilot, said xenon was safer for the climbers and better for the environment — as the team's footprint on the mountain will be a tenth of normal expeditions. He said: 'We are all fathers, so as fathers we are going to load as many of the variables as we can in our favour.'
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Brit MP completes record-breaking Everest ascent reaching summit after 5-day dash from UK…& says ‘I won't climb again'
A BRITISH MP has made history with a record-breaking ascent of Mount Everest. Ex-Special Forces Commando 6 Alistair Carns OBE MC MP has completed a record-breaking ascent of mount Everest Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 6 L-R: Veterans minister Al Carns, 45, Kevin Godlington, 49, Anthony Stazicker, 41, Garth Miller, 51 6 Veterans Minister and ex special forces Major Alistair Carns (L2) with his three ex special forces colleagues in training, Garth Miller (L), Anthony Stazicker (R2) and Kevin Godlington (R) Credit: Simon Jones Their lightning ascent came five days after leaving London and they survived an avalanche on the way up. Most expeditions take 70 days to let climbers acclimatise to the deadly thin air. Carns said the climb was 'off the scale of a challenge'. And he joked: 'Now that we have done the biggest, I am never doing another mountain again.' He and his former comrades Garth Miller, 51, Kevin Godlington, 49, and Anthony Stazicker, 41, slept in low-oxygen tents to prepare their bodies for the conditions. And they inhaled controversial xenon gas which helps the body produce red blood cells to avoid deadly altitude sickness. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach, who spoke to The Sun from Everest Base Camp, said the climbers were "feeling strong". 'They said it was really windy and cold. But they are doing great, in high spirits and highly motivated to come down.' Most read in The Sun A photo from the summit showed Carns, 45, waving a Union Jack which had carried on all of his military tours, including multiple combat trips to Afghanistan. They are hoping to raise over £1million for veterans charities. Limbless Afghan veteran Gurkha Hari Budha Magar from Canterbury who hopes to reach the top of Everest by Coronation Day has set off from Base camp The final ascent was 'tough' because winds were gusting over 35mph. Speaking from Everest Base Camp, Furtenbach told The Sun: 'Conditions were windy, so it was a hard summit day for them, it was right on the edge. Not dangerous but hard.' 'They spent about half an hour on the summit then came down to camp 4 at 8,000 metres, they rested for about half an hour and now they are on their way to Camp 2, just above the Khumbu Icefall.' The four Special Forces veterans were flanked by cameraman Sandro Gromen-Hayes and five Nepalese Sherpas, Pasang Tendi Sherpa, Pemba Rinji Sherpa, Gelu Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa and Phu Dorji Sherpa. They are planning to descend the Khumbu Icefall in darkness tonight because the plummeting night time temperatures make it safer. Furtenbach said the team had a narrow escape on the first full day of their climb, whern they were covered in powder from a nearby avalanche. 6 Mountain guide Lukas Furtenbach in Kathmandu, Nepal Credit: AP 6 The Everest team on the night they set off 6 Most climbers take 70 days to tackle Everest but Al Carns and his team of ex-Special Forces pals finished in under a week Credit: Getty He said: 'Right after they had crossed the Khumbu Icefall, at the upper end, there was an avalanche that came down on their right hand side from Nuptse, a 7,800 metre peak. 'The powder from the avalanche hit the climbing route. 'They were not buried with snow or ice, but thet were covered white and it was definitely a shocking moment for them.' Furtenbach has pioneered the use of xenon gas. But it has split the climbing community as traditionalists fear it could make mountains like Everest even more crowded with the cash-rich, time-poor Instagram crowd buying their way to the top. Speaking before the ascent Kev Godlington joked that their training had been so gruelling that, 'no one's gonna want to put the four months we have put in, whatever the price." Carns said the team were treating the climb like a Special Ops mission – using every advantage they could get. He told The Sun: 'This is like a Special Forces mission. We have the best people, the best training, the best kit and we are at the very cutting edge of science. We'll go in, hit the objective and leave no trace, no waste.' Read more on the Irish Sun Garth Miller, a Gurkha officer turned long-haul pilot, said xenon was safer for the climbers and better for the environment — as the team's footprint on the mountain will be a tenth of normal expeditions. He said: 'We are all fathers, so as fathers we are going to load as many of the variables as we can in our favour.'
