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Alpine Climber Kenton Cool inspires at Westonbirt School

On Wednesday, 3^rd November, Kenton Cool, one of Britain's leading alpine climbers and the only European to summit Everest 8 times, gave a talk at Westonbirt School.  The event was attended by some 150 members of the public, plus girls from Westonbirt School.  Kenton’s inspirational presentation included an insight into his Everest summits leading Sir Ranulph Fiennes' 2008 and 2009 Expeditions, as well as his experiences at the ‘death zone'...  so-called because of the thin air where no human body can acclimatize and where 8 people died on one day in 1996.  Kenton also showed video taken on Everest, including the aftermath of an avalanche and reaching the summit itself. 

Asked how he keeps calm while guiding on Everest, Kenton replied “you don’t really have a choice. You have to keep calm in those conditions, as you are literally faced with decisions which are a matter of life or death.”  He stressed the importance of clear communication and working as a team and the consequences for those that attempt the climb without proper preparation.  Kenton’s passion for climbing and the outdoors was evident, “not many can say their view from the office window is like this” he said, with the glistening peak of Everest on the slide behind him.

The event, sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, was also a fundraiser for Westonbirt School's World Challenge Team.  Westonbirt School’s team of 12 girls (Sophie Falkenburg, Zoe Garling, Laura Green, Annabel Jardine-Blake, Ellen Cen, Hannah Lawrence, Alice Marsh, Christine Sun, Georgina McCulloch, Alexandra Noon, Fiona Vincent and Natasha Williams) will be travelling to Southern Peru in July 2011 to help the local Peruvian community.