WELCOME
Update October 2007: Come this November 11th, it will be
one year since the Neverest Challenge took place. For those who were chiefly
behind that colossal event, a great deal has changed since. Andy
Morley (chief fundraiser for OAB at the time) has moved back to
his native Northamptonshire, in order to begin a different career path;
Brian H (Internet site extraordinaire) is busy 
biking
around France, and has also set-up his own business; while I (Ben
Allcock, aka “the challenger”) have recently completed
my MA in Modern History. With any luck, I should soon be in London, having
cut the umbilical cord of academic education: setting myself loose on “the
real world”.
Taking a quick look at OAB’s past fundraising events page you are immediately struck by the kind of devotion this charity can inspire. Dozens of people seem to be putting their legs through the hell of marathons and half-marathons; while Irene Priestly recently completed a trek across Peru. These are the kind of efforts which keep not-for-profit organisations running – especially local charities like the OAB. And, it is with great pride that I can include myself as part of these pushes, for improving the day-to-day living of those who are visually impaired.
However, following on from this fundraising community, I
believe that “Neverest” was a little unique; something which
got people thinking. Those who climb the mountain itself can always explain
their seemingly mad actions with the well-known sentiments of Sir Edmund
Hillary: “because it was there”. With
an indoor climbing wall, however, it’s a little harder to understand
what you are conquering. Each climb is only a few metres in length; there
is 
no
towering peak to aim towards. Perhaps this could work as a nice analogy
for the kinds of issues the event was – and still is – trying
to bring into focus.
Hard as I might, I cannot even begin to comprehend how strong-willed you must be to overcome the difficulties presented by a loss of sight. We may think we know our way around the kitchen, lounge, or bedroom (or local community), but close your eyes, and even pouring a kettle without serious spillage becomes a challenge. I applaud those who work through these issues, and to those at the OAB who are so dedicated to helping in anyway they can. It is only through a host of little actions, that we make our days.
The event raised respectable £1500 for the OAB, and money is still donated through the website today (if you wish to donate, see www.oxeyes.org.uk/neverest/donate.html). Despite this financial achievement, the event was primarily a promotional one; and I think it is here the challenge’s future lies. Neverest appeared in local press; national radio; and even the BBC news website – while the digital video for the event continues to attract a cult Internet viewing. There is something in the appeal of the sheer exhaustion of climbing the height of Everest, indoors, in a day.
Whether I will ever attempt such silliness again is not
known, but I am keen to reunite the “trinity” that Andy, Brian,
and I once formed. Neverest is a special and otherwise untried challenge:
maybe it is time to lay down the gauntlet to a few others. The challenge
is an opportunity to connect to important issues which directly concern
1000's of people (both around Oxfordshire and nationally); while anyone
with high ambitions could well-understand the appeal of surmounting such
a task. I am adamant that Neverest could become a popular, and indeed notorious,
annual team-event.
All we need is the will, desire, and understanding of a new group
of potential challengers. There are very few people across the world who
can say they climbed the height of Everest in a day: think of how good it
would be to add yourself to that list.