Don’t take Toffee Crisps to Everest. Don’t eat yellow snow. Don’t overload your porters! Don’t go to Everest unless you have a head for heights? Don’t go to Everest if you can’t live without Wi-Fi. Do think about adventures. Don’t take your gloves off when the temperature is minus 72 degrees. Do use books to read about the adventures of others and fuel your imagination. These were all takeaways from Matt Dickinson’s talk to Lower School, on Wednesday morning. Matt has been to Everest three times, summiting once which has provided much material for his award-winning novels and documentary work for National Geographic, The Discovery Channel and the BBC. The boys were inspired by his tales of the highlights, and a few of the lowlights, of a trip to Everest. They were able to appreciate the excitement of the adventure and the awe-inspiring experiences as well as the reality of living in a tent for 10 weeks and being short of oxygen for much of the time. The talk ended with a preview of his latest children’s book Popcorn-Eating Squirrels of the World Unite! that I am sure will become a firm favourite amongst the boys.
