A DALE geologist has devised a clever long-term exercise in which those who are self-isolating can climb the equivalent of Mount Everest in six months.
Trevor Morse, from Barnard Castle, came up with the idea after he had to go into complete lockdown because his wife, Lynn, has an underlying medical condition and the coronavirus would potentially be devastating should she catch it.
He said: “We live in a weavers’ cottage with two staircases. It is one of those things that came into my head because we might have to be in isolation for six months.
“My wife has chest problems so absolutely she cannot catch the virus in any way, shape or form. We are not going out and everything is being delivered.”
Being isolated is tough for the active couple, who in the past have completed a coast-to-coast charity run in memory of their son, David, who died a decade ago.
Mr Morse, a member of Teesdale University of the Third Age (U3A), said: “It just seemed like something that people could do.”
Mr Morse worked out that people need to climb 20 staircases, of 12 treads each day to reach the height of Mount Everest in 182 days. The 72-year-old recommends five climbs four times a day – after breakfast, morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.
His calculations worked out that from sea-level to Kathmandu (1,400m) would take 29 days and people would arrive at base camp (5,400m) after 11 days.
People would arrive at camp two (6,500m) after 152 days, camp three (7,400m) after 152 days and camp 4 (8,000m) after 164 days.
The summit (8,850m) can be achieved after 181 days.
Mr Morse said: “Linda Fowler, a member of the Open University, has suggested that if you find the challenge too long and would like something shorter, chose your favourite mountain and then divide its height by 8ft and that would be the number of staircases you would have to climb, then divide by 20 to give you the days to complete.”
