Share page Day 1 – Planes, Goodbyes & (tragically) No Crocs
6:30 a.m. Brisbane time and the adventure finally got real. We were meant to take off at 9 a.m., but in true “Everest doesn’t care about your schedule” fashion the flights got shuffled. The new plan: Brisbane → Singapore → Bangkok → Kathmandu. If all goes to script we’ll tumble into Kathmandu at about 3:15 a.m. Brisbane time—that’s 10 p.m. Kathmandu time—so it’s a long haul ahead.
First leg with Singapore Airlines is already setting the bar high. Lunch? Chicken stir-fry with bread and crackers—absolutely delicious, and the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re in the sky. Complimentary Wi-Fi too, which I might have used to send Mum a cheeky message implying we’d crash-landed… purely to test how fast she can type in panic. (Sorry Mum. Love you.)
The family waved me goodbye and Samuel came back for one more teary cuddle—and that cuddle absolutely ruined me. Not going to lie—leaving them hit harder than I imagined. That hug’s going to have to last until I’m back.
Right beside me on this mad adventure is Derryn, with his own cheer squad back home—Andy, Ruby and Hazel. Their support (and probably a few anxious refreshes of the flight tracker) is every bit as important as the mountain gear in our packs.
Oh, and in true Mark fashion I forgot my Crocs. Maybe the Himalayas just aren’t ready for that level of high-altitude fashion crime.
Before we even left the tarmac, the tally for Movember and men’s health hit a mind-blowing $5,100—way beyond anything I dared hope for. Every dollar feels like a little push toward Base Camp and a solid reminder of why we’re out here.
Next stop: Singapore. Kathmandu, we’re coming for you—eventually.
How I'm
getting involved
getting involved
TEAM
Your feed
Leave Mark a comment
13 hour(s) ago
13 hour(s) ago
15 Week(s) Ago
Note: As donations can be made privately, not all donations are displayed to the public.
