After being inspired by a television programme on climbing Mount Everest back in 2003, Browne has spent the past five and a half years training on peaks in France, Switzerland, Argentina, Bolivia, New Zealand, Nepal (twice) and Tibet (oh, and Wales!).

Browne will be leaving for Kathmandu on 28th March and raising the Davis Langdon flag on the summit sometime towards the end of May (just around the time Everton are lifting FA Cup!).  He needs to spend that much time there acclimatising to the altitude and drop in oxygen levels. The air at the top of Everest contains only about 30% of the oxygen that there is at sea level and even using oxygen only gives around 45% of sea level quantities. So the body has to get used to working at this reduced level, and basically the longer spent at altitude the more efficient the climber’s system gets. 
 
So, the trek to base camp, which could be done in four or five days from Lukla, will actually take around 15 days as the group will probably walk for no more than four hours on most days. After staying for two days at Namche Bazaar and four days at Dingboche, doing relatively short day hikes up surrounding hills, they will get to base camp at around 5,500m, with their bodies becoming used to the thin air.
 
There are four intermediate camps above base camp, and Browne will probably make three trips up the mountain getting higher and spending longer each time, but always heading back to base camp.  They will then head right back down the valley to Dingboche and rest up for a couple of days before heading back up to base camp and going for the summit, some time mid to late-May.

Browne will be keeping us up to date via his blog (www.peteoneverest.blogspot.com) at regular intervals thanks to the internet services which now proliferate on the Everest trail and at Base Camp.