Oliver to climb the equivalent of El Capitan

The 18-year-old will scale the equivalent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park when he takes on the endurance climb at the Up Climbing centre in Rue de Galaad tomorrow – which will involve climbing the wall 157 times to complete the distance.

‘After my mum developed ovarian cancer in 2015, I have felt a drive to do something to help the lives of women suffering from gynaecological cancers,’ said Oliver, senior prefect at Elizabeth College.

‘This climb is not only to raise money for an amazing cause, but also to help me channel some of my emotions about the experiences we went through as a family.’

The Eve Appeal is the chosen charity and focuses on prevention, early detection and screening of the five gynaecological cancers. Oliver chose El Capitan because it is one of the most famous climbs in the world. He has calculated it will take him four to five hours, and training has included running, long climbs and technical climbing coaching.

‘The training has been tough and as much to prepare me for the mental aspect of the climb as the physical. I plan on taking two-minute breaks every 10 minutes and longer breaks every hour or so to try to alleviate the “pump”, where your forearms stiffen up and hurt a lot, making it harder to climb.’

Supporters are able to attend and cheer on Oliver as he takes on the challenge from 6pm tomorrow – the venue is a large space. But everyone is asked to wear a mask and take a lateral flow test before attending.

There will be cakes for sale and more information available about The Eve Appeal and gynaecological cancers.

n Oliver has a JustGiving page for donations at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elcapitanguernsey.