7 Summits - Club Expedition members with photos 1 of 7

[bruce matthews]

I have been home for a week now and I am still not 100%...perhaps I may find the little changes are something I will live with forever…does anyone, having got close enough to touch Everest, ever revert to their “normal”? I think not!

During my time with the real team, those attempting to summit, I got close enough to some of the members and others remained aloof. That could have been due to the language barrier as many of the Russians had only a scant grasp of English. At meal times, Alex would give instructions in Russian and his wife Lyudmila would translate for the English few.

I never did manage to interview each member. However, my traveling companion back to Kathmandu, Amen, was able to give me enough on each member for me to be able to let you have an insight into these members.

I am sure it will help if you can have a face with each description and I am going to attempt to do this!

The “old fart” and your reporter thus far, Bruce Matthews, a 60 year old with hundreds of marathons under his belt and a recent IronMan finisher (March 2007, four weeks before leaving for Everest!) Not a mountain climber by any stretch, but an adventurer.

And in no particular order, the others!

Armen, my companion back to Kathmandu…had a holiday with his wife and two children in Dubai but when they got back to the airport to return to Russia, he informed his wife he was going to Everest…not a popular chap and the real reason for his departure!! Armen has climbed Aconcagua and now ABC