Fly from Everest: End Polio Now

Australian mountaineer and paraglider, Ken Hutt, is about to take on a life-risking expedition, with a world-first attempt to carry out a government-sanctioned solo paraglide from Mount Everest, all in the name of charity.

The 62-year-old adventure-fanatic from Berry, New South Wales, will be travelling to Nepal in late March for the expedition, which will see him summit more than 8,000m up Mount Everest, before paragliding back down from the mountain. Mont is proud to have kitted out Ken and his team with technical clothing and Julbo Eyewear, ensuring that they are protected from the elements on their world-first attempt.

“The entire trip is going to take about two months with six weeks of this time doing rotations up the mountain carrying equipment and acclimatising, then one week to attempt the summit and a flight of between 20 minutes and 40 minutes down depending upon weather...” Ken said.

Ken has decided to take on the challenge to raise money towards End Polio Now, which is a charity focused on completely eradicating polio from the world. He has already raised $60,000 in one week of fundraising including $50,000 donated by Rotary Club and the promise of Rotary’s various organisations to match the donation.

This is not the first time Ken has paraglided from a mountain in the name of polio eradication. He attempted a similar challenge in 2014 when he climbed the world’s sixth highest mountain, Mt Cho Oyu in Tibet, and then successfully paraglided back to Base Camp. Ken admits the biggest challenge for this attempt will be to summit Mount Everest, however he is confident of the preparation he has put in and the team who will be alongside him for the climb.

“I feel my preparation has been good and I have the mountaineering skills to do this but there are a lot of things outside of your control."

“To fly safely we need the right weather which in the sport of paragliding we know can be fickle, so the launch conditions need to be right”

Ken has been a member of the Berry Rotary Club since 1985 and in that time they have reduced polio cases from 1000 per day to only five last year, which continues to drive him to become an advocate for the cause.

“To completely eradicate polio is very difficult but achievable providing we don’t give up, because if we stop, it will come back very quickly.” Ken said.

“We have a chance to get rid of a virus that really was so tough on families years ago and still has a potential to kill and paralyse - yet this doesn’t have to happen.”

Support Ken's mission to help End Polio by donating to the cause, via the website: https://www.flyfromeverest.org/

Keep an eye out for news and updates as the expedition continues.