Glasgow Hawks centre Ricky Munday has recently returned from a mighty mountain climbing expedition in Krygyzstan in aid of Maggie’s Cancer Centres. Adventurous Ricky, who’s previously trekked across deserts for charity, was using the climb as preparation for scaling Mount Everest in 2008.

The impressive peak - Khan Tengri (6,995m/ 22,949ft) - was shrouded in bad weather during the trip and so unfortunately Ricky wasn’t able to make the summit. He did however reach camp at 5,800m.

He said:"The experience was a massive step up in terms of scale and steepness and we had to concentrate on every step. We learned some important lessons on how to operate in a high altitude environment (melting ice for water was a constant concern and forcing yourself to eat despite a lack of appetite was vital) and how to be patient when you're straining at the leash to get on the mountain. The altitude was really telling - it was a case of taking 20 steps and then stopping for however long it took to get my breath back (up to 5 minutes) before attempting another 20 steps.

"Overall, the trip was fantastic and has certainly fired my enthusiasm for planning my next expedition."

Ricky has raised an amazing £2,120 for Maggie’s so far and if you or your club would like to make a donation, visit his website on: www.justgiving.com/rickymunday where you can sponsor Ricky securely online. All money raised through this site will go directly to Maggie's.

This article was posted on 22-Sep-2006, 17:25 by Hugh Barrow.