Ed and James decided to climb Mount Elbrus to raise funds for Brain Research UK as a result of their families' experiences with brain-related conditions. They each have close family members affected by stroke, brain tumours and dementia.
Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe, located in the Caucasus mountains on the border between Russia and Georgia. In preparation for their climb, Ed and James undertook gruelling training that included endurance strength conditioning, cardio-based circuits, weighted runs and climbs in the Lake District.
This hard work paid off, enabling them to cope with the extreme conditions on Mt Elbrus, where they faced -20 degree temperatures, ice falls and crevasses whilst overcoming the effects of altitude and exhaustion.
The challenge pushed them to their physical and mental limits but they made it! They conquered Mount Elbrus and raised a phenomenal amount of money in the process - more than £11,000!
