“Much Tougher Than I Ever Imagined” – Fiskerton Woman in Her Late 50s After Incomplete Everest Escapade With Her Husband, Fueled by a Charitable Quest

Coming out of their comfort zone of the quaint village of Fiskerton, a climber duo set out on an adventurous mountainous escapade. The 58-year-old woman, Vicky Osbon accompanied by her husband Kevin Osbon tackled challenges on the dizzying heights of the Himalayas. 

Enjoying the thrills of life, they completed the remarkable feat of paying a poignant tribute to Vicky’s late mother who passed away from a stroke, and raising funds for a charitable cause. Their high-altitude climbing adventure weaves a tale of determination with unexpected twists.  

Climbing for a cause adorned with impediments

From the beginning itself, the ambitious couple set high sights as they started navigating through treacherous routes, touching the Cho La Pass that stands at an altitude of 5,367 meters, the 5,364 meters Everest Base Camp followed by the 5,550 meter Kala Pattar. 

The back-to-back triplet succession has been completed to support the charity, raising funds for the Stroke Association. In memory of the demise of Vicky’s mother to stroke, their climbing endeavor has successfully collected £6,280. However, climbing such great heights had not been a cakewalk for the couple. 

In an interview with Newark Advertiser, Vicky stated, “I have never been so exhausted in my entire life, I never appreciated just how thin the air is high up and how your body has to work twice as hard as normal every day trekking, my nausea and inability to eat and take on fuel surprised me and the extreme cold dropping as low a minus twenty degrees made me appreciate my high altitude sleeping bag and how difficult it was to get out of it every day and trek/climb for eight to twelve hours.” However, it was the generosity of the supporters towards the cause that encouraged the climber duo to overcome the physical and mental challenges. 

Overcoming altitude-sickness to climb new heights

Although Kevin had prior experience in high-altitude climbing that played a crucial role during the expedition, his primary focus has been to support his wife, who is a newcomer in the world of mountain climbing. In this process, she overcame her fear of crossing rope bridges by walking through the Hillary Bridge, the world’s highest suspension bridge. 

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However, the perilous climb has taken a toll on her physical health as she battled with unexpected health hurdles like nausea and exhaustion paired with her difficulty in consuming enough food. The high altitude, backed up with thin air lacking in oxygen, caused serious trouble, aggravating his pre-existing conditions of asthma.

Vicky shared her experience, “It was much tougher than I ever imagined and I’m so grateful to my husband Kevin for patiently cajoling me along throughout the adventure, making me laugh and appreciate the challenge and incredible views, I can now see why he has loved climbing for over 20 years but you won’t find me venturing this high ever again, way too hard’.”

It was after she conquered Kala Pattar, that their climbing expedition came to a halt owing to Vicky’s deteriorating health. The situation turned out to be so serious that it demanded the intervention of the Team Leader and Medical Team.

Even though the daily demand for the climb had pushed Vicky Osbon to new limits, overcoming the challenges, she has gained an appreciation for her resilient spirit while basking in the awe-inspiring beauty of the Himalayas. Fueled by love and the mission for a noble cause her high-altitude climbing odyssey left an indelible mark in their lives and on the people who received their support.

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