Ailsa Wright - Seven Summits Blog | Home

Many a mountaineer will get a little cross when they hear the line:

“Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe“

As, to be precise, part of that big lump of land in the northern hemisphere, Russia, is European too.

(as we all have learnt from their fantastic eurovision entires)

Russia is split into European Russia, and Asian Russia.  The caucasus mountains, lying between the black and caspian seas, just above georgia, is home to many a peak taller than Mont Blanc- Including Mount Elbrus - the true , and official tallest peak in europe!

i am very pleased to let you all know, that next wednesday, i will be flying to moscow and on down south, to attempt Mount Elbrus, and hopefully check another seven summit off the list.

Though, this ascent is a little different from the others. 

I will be climbing Elbrus, entirely on my own, known as “soloing” the peak.

Me, Myself, and I, will be setting off on foot the entire way (not using the infamous ski lifts up the first slopes!) , in a one person tent, carrying all my own equipment and cooking my own food, hopefully all the way to the top of 5642m tall elbrus.

This is one mammoth challenge, but carefull and strategic planning has been going on for months, and i am confident that im ready to take my first steps as a “proper” mountaineer!  (apparently!….as i was told by another climber!!)

Though, with reaching the summit in mind, i decided against taking one of the harder routes up the back of Elbrus, and will stick to the “normal route”  which, hopefully will have been well trodden by climbers earlier this season. 

….As technically easy as elbrus is, with its gentler slopes, and moderately safe terrain, it is still a mountain, a big cold icy unpredicatable mountain.  There are risks and dangers all along the way, and success is not granted to everyone. 

 Fingers crossed, and i will try my very best to reach the summit and stay safe! .. Plus, i will make every attempt to take a few good snaps along the way!   See you all when im back home safely in england! 

JUST in time for DREADED A level results!!

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In other news… the seven summits challenge has become much more business minded, with the primary goal of finding some sponsors.

There is now an  network of people in place doing their bit to get me to the summits and raising for Make A Wish.  I am enourmously gratefull for their hard work and perseverance, especially one of my very best friends and  designer, Katherine Thomason at elevations (http://www.elevations.co.uk/)

Here is a sneak preview of some of the new publicity we have been working on!  BE WARNED!  The best is yet to come:  

Hot off the press: Ailsa has broken a record, but no, not a daring mountaineering feat, or another seven summit scaled. She has spent the grand total of….  wait for it…   

**FIFTY FIVE HOURS**  working this week, on **MINIMUM WAGE!**

.. to be more precise, this massive culmination of hours has been counted up through a combination of floor mopping, cutlery polishing, pint pouring, tray balancing, toilet scrubbing  and last but not least food delivering.

( at least working a 11 hour day on your feet, does indeed remove the need for most of gym based training !)

a majority of this hard graft has been partaken in the very lovely church restaurant, (www.thechurchrestaurant.com)  with the rest being clocked up with other forms of labour at various stations around the town.

So why, readers, is this relevant to the Seven Summits challenge???

because there was a famous saying that goes:

“A little hard work and elbow grease goes a long way”

a quote which is very true, as next week, my endless weeks working on minimum wage will be taking me  2948 KM to Russia and 5642M up Seven Summit No. Four, the mighty Mount Elbrus.

Another famous man, (i believe Mr. Thomas Edison) once quoted:

“There is no substitute for hard work”

Mr. Edison, i believe the substitute in part is called a “SPONSOR”

..something which i very much need, and am finding much harder to acquire than my new cleaning skills……

The entire summer working flat out to pay for the seven summits may destroy just a few more braincells than 3 months at altitude up everest !!

(and just to prove my hidden talents exist:)

Before:

After

  Today,   For the second year running, Collingtree Village hosted the Seven Summits Coffee morning …..

  After last years great success, we decided to organise the event to allow the good people of  collingtree to descend on the village hall to hear about what ive been up to over the past year, and to enjoy a good cup of tea and a slice of cake!

In true quaint English Village style,  the cakes were delicious, and all homemade… ( many thanks to those who donated) and the plant sale went down brilliantly!

The Younger attendents had the chance to try on some of my mountaineering kit… providing some very amusing photographs!

Thankyou to everyone who lent a helping hand and to everyone who came along to support the seven summits challenge! 

See you all again next year!

Ailsa 

  After last years huge success, myself and my mum once again dug out our gardening gloves and got our green fingers busy with our summer season hanging basket business!

Many thanks to those who bought a basket, especially to the local pubs who dug deep in exchange their greenery!

Although with eminent departure to Russia for mount elbrus, there is still an opportunity for us to make you up a hanging basket!

We offer SIZES  MEDIUM at £15.99 and LARGE at 19.99  with the option of a reds/yellows  or  purples/pinks theme!
Please contact us through the guestbook if you are interested!

Ailsa

 I would like to express my thanks to the brilliant volunteers of Edale Mountain Rescue:

www.edalemountainrescue.co.uk

On Monday, myself, and fellow climber Alex King were climbing at Rivelin Edge, a popular crag up in the peak district, just outside of sheffield.    At about 5.30  Alex sustained a horrible fall from the “rivelin needle”  - a landmark stack climb at rivelin, and injured himself landing on a shelf about 10 metres below.   The mountain rescue arrived within 15 minutes of the call , and within 20, there was about 25 people there to help

 Both i, and definately Alex! are incredibly gratefull for their help,  especially as the team is made up solely from volunteers and relies entirely on charitable donation.

Alex was rushed to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, and fortunately he wasnt too badly injured and is recovering nicely!

We all found it very amusing that ITV news cameras turned up at the scene filming for a new programme on mountain rescue. . .

( !! there has been some speculation about the length i will go to, to get onto TV after last weeks Antiques Roadshow escapades!!! i assure you, it is all entirely coincidental!)

  Last Thursday (the 22nd of May) i decided to take some of my most prized mountaineering possesions along to the Antiques Roadshow. . . .

The objects in question, were books, which my school bus driver geoff had kindly given me earlier this year.  One of the books, a first edition of Wainwrights walks: the eastern fells,  is my particular favourite as i started climbing up in the Lakes, on many of the mountains documented in the book.

Arriving with friends early in the morning at Althorp House, we were met by a vast que of like minded northamptonians. As soon as we got in, we were approached by the producer asking us what we had bought, and  when i told her about my books, and my current pursuit of climbing the seven summit, much to our suprise she was extremely interested in filming us!

We were shortly ushered into the beautiful stately home of Althorp, for “hair and make-up” and even offered tea and biscuits while we waited!

I was definately star struck, when not only did i find out i was going to be filmed, but that the one and only Fiona Bruce - Antiques Roadshows new host would be filmed with me!

Make sure you look out for me when the programme is aired next autumn!

…  i never would have guessed my seven summits first national tv coverage would be on antiques roadshow!!!

 On Monday 14th April 2008 i reached the summit of Kosciuszko, Australias highest peak, and one of the seven summits. We reached the top at 6.00am to an amazing sunrise, luckily with light wind and little snowfall, so  were able to spend a good hour on the summit enjoying the views!

Many thanks to my friend Tim, who climbed Mount Kosciuszko with me, being the honarary chauffeur and travelling buddy!  I most definately couldnt have done it without him! .. and travelling with a friend definately made the whole trip much more fun!

Photos are in the gallery, and as soon as i unpack the lead, theres a few more to come!!

 Ailsa 

Hello!

Just a very quick post to let you know how travels to my seven summit number three, Mount Kosciuszko are going!

 Last Sunday i flew from London to Hong Kong to spend a few days with some people i met when i spent a month over there last summer, before i set of on the second leg to Australia!

i had the chance to sample a few of the “stranger” foods on offer, from chickens feet, sharks fin soup, to drinking bone marrow straight from the bone through a straw! (which wasnt too nice! but at least i can say i tried!!… see photo below!)

On Thurdsday, i flew the remaining 8 hour flight on to Sydney, Australia to begin the journey all the way down to the Snowy Mountains.  Whilst in Sydney yesterday, we managed to do a whistlestop tour of the city, and saw a few of the sights before heading off to canberra! 

Tommorow we are heading down to Thredbo by car, where on monday or tuesday dependant on weather we will head up to Kosciuszko!

Wish me Luck!!

Ailsa

    I pleased to let you all know that this sunday (6th) i will be off on my next expedition, to climb Mount Kosciuszko, Australias highest peak and one of the Seven Summits. 
 
After turning back due to injury only a short way from the summit of Aconcagua, i spent most of January hobbling around on crutches and beleived that my plan to climb another ‘7 summit’ in April would be an impossible task…
 
… But luckily, my knee has been prodded and poked back into shape by a great physio, and a while back i decided that i would attempt the third peak in my mad mountain challenge, all the way down under!
 
Mount Kosciuszko (luckily for my knee) is the smallest and easiest of the seven summits , and at just under 7500ft is less than a third of the size of my last peak, Mount Aconcagua :22,841ft. 
 If all goes to plan, I am hoping to reach the top of Oz on April 14th 2008… along with my Make a Wish foundation and sponsors flags!

News and photos of the climb will be posted on here as soon as possible after the 14th!  So make sure you check back regularly!

Ailsa

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I would also like to say the Best of Luck to my brother, Hamish,  who as of sunday (we are both escaping, much to our parents delight) is joining the Royal Navy.    He is off down south for training, and the whole family is looking foward to his passing out parade already.  We are all incredibly proud of him, and know he will make a great member of the armed forces.     

Good luck bro, and dont crack too many jokes!  

( ….  Photo is from his fancy dress leaving party at Northampton Navy Club)
 

 On december 14th, Bury Lawn School hosted the Seven Summits Snow Ball. A  team of 6th Form party organisers had been working for weeks to create an evening for Staff, Gcse and A level pupils to end the term in style.

Tickets were sold (thankyou Mrs.Fuller!) Decorations were bought (thankyou IKEA) an amazing buffet was being prepared (thankyou mr.staerk)  so we were all set for an evening in a Milton Keynes Antarctica!

The event was a great success,  from how we had managed to transform the school with realms of fairy lights and plenty of tinsel and bauballs to the incredibly cheesy disco tunes being played by my “ever entertaining” brother! (those who know him will understand!)

We even had a suprise performance from the unofficial cast of hairspray, seeing year 11s, johny and ross dressed in pink sparkley dresses and high heels definately livened the evening up!

Thankyou to everyone who came along and supported the event!