Gloucestershire dads raise £125k in formidable charity climb for their kids
Bob Parkinson and Damian Cox scaled one of the Himalayas’ most dangerous peaks, Ama Dablam, for causes close to their hearts, with Bob making it all the way to the summit.
Gloucestershire father Bob Parkinson last month made it all the way to the top of one of the world’s toughest climbs in a mission aimed at honouring his late son, Jonty.
Ama Dablam (6,812m) in Nepal is a steep, exposed peak that is considered one of the region’s most technically challenging climbs. Though lower than Everest, its difficult terrain means it has seen fewer successful summits than the world’s highest mountain.
Bob, 49, from Coln St Aldwyns, set off on the arduous ascent on October 15 with his long-time friend Damian Cox, 50, from near Northleach. The pair had prepared for the 15-day climb with months of physical training and six weeks of acclimatisation training, which involved sleeping in hypoxic tents.
Bob, an award-winning chef and founder of the Cirencester Made by Bob culinary brand, was climbing in memory of his son, Jonty, an 18-year-old apprentice tree surgeon whose life was cut short last year in a tragic workplace accident.
With the funds raised, he hopes to launch The Jonty Trust for Young Arborists, aimed at improving safety and mentoring for those entering tree work.
Damian, CEO and founder of billboard company Wildstone, climbed to raise both money and awareness for Young Epilepsy and Lupus UK, charities supporting conditions his eight-year-old daughter, Milla, has suffered from since infancy.
While Bob made it all the way to the summit, Damian was also within striking distance, successfully climbing to Camp 2, approximately 730m below the summit.
“The weather was bad for our last approach and the leaders of our expedition were questioning whether we should even attempt the last stretch,” explains Bob.
“In the 24 hours leading up to the final part of the climb I hadn’t been feeling well, so I was quite malnourished. But I couldn’t turn back; I really wanted to give it a go to see if I could get there.
“That last push was so much harder than I thought it would be and tougher than anything that came before. At one point I started hallucinating and climbing those last 700 metres felt like it took an eternity. I was spurred on thinking about Jonty and how much I wanted to get to the very top for his sake, and somehow I made it.”
Damian adds: “I was so determined to make it to the top, but the exhaustion was much greater than I’d anticipated – every step at that altitude felt as though it took a superhuman amount of effort.
“When they warned us of the dangers on the day of the last climb, I was torn between wanting to raise money for Milla and wanting to survive for everyone in my family. In the end, I went for the latter but I’m still enormously proud of how much I’ve raised so far and very grateful to those who’ve supported me so generously.”
Damian’s fundraising is now very close to his £100,000 target, with £97,765 raised to date. Bob has secured £31,609 in donations, meaning between them the total exceeds £125,000.
The pair is hoping to secure further donations at a charity dinner and auction planned for later this month.
To support Damian, visit: givewheel.com/fundraising/8945/ama-dablam-a-dedicated-ascent/
To support Bob, visit: gofundme.com/f/ama-dablam-climb-for-jonty