Adventurer from Cumbria marks decade since surviving Nepal earthquake disaster by scaling 446 peaks
Alex Staniforth, who lives in Kendal, was just 19 when he survived an avalanche on Mount Everest following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 25 2015 which killed thousands of people and injured thousands more.
Recalling the moment he believed he would lose his life, he describes hearing a loud crack before being hit by the avalanche during his second climb of the world's highest peak: "At this point, I wasn't aware of an earthquake. I didn't feel the ground shaking, but my teammates did.
"I was completely on my own, and I remember feeling something was wrong.
"I could sense there was an avalanche coming towards us, but I couldn't see it because the cloud was so bad... I remember feeling really confused, and then feeling this massive blast of white just knocking me off my feet.
"For the first time in my life, at 19, (I remember) thinking 'This is it, game over', and that sickening feeling of fear that I've never really felt before."
Now a motivational speaker, he said he is "grateful" to have survived the avalanche and is now commemorating 10 years since the earthquake by scaling 446 mountains across England and Wales in 50 days for charity.
In the UK, a mountain is generally considered to be a summit of more than 2,000ft (600m), according to the Ordnance Survey.
Alex said: "I'm very grateful that I survived that day, but I think, ever since then, I've just tried to make it count and try to give something back, and I hope that this challenge will do that."
He is carrying out the challenge to raise money for Mind Over Mountains, the charity he founded in 2020, which focuses on using walks in nature and venturing outdoors as a tool to support people with mental health issues.
Alex says that the charity helps to "give people the tools to stay mentally and physically well" by providing safe spaces for people to walk and talk about challenging topics around mental health and suicide, adding : "The outdoors has always been my natural health service, and I want other people to have access to that.
"By doing this challenge, it's not only opening conversations around mental health and suicide, but it's actually directly providing more access to (the outdoors), which, for me, is what makes it all worthwhile."
Starting last week with the mountains of Yes Tor and High Willhays in Dartmoor, Devon, Alex is expected to finish in the Lake District at the end of June to mark his 30th birthday.
But not content with just climbing the mountains, the whole of his journey will be human-powered with Alex running and cycling to every mountain before scaling each one.
His bike ride was 103 miles (166km) and his longest run to come will be 36 miles (58km), while his highest mountain climb will see him tackle 11,483ft (3,500M) of ascent.
He said he wants his challenge to provide a "bit of hope" for young people, particularly those approaching their 30s, who might be struggling to find a sense of purpose in life.
"I think when a lot of people reach 30... they feel like they're not where they should be or they feel like they're not where they want to be," he said.
"There's a lot of mental health challenges and depression, and I just wanted to be a bit of hope for those people that things can go wrong but you can always pick yourself up and find another way.
"I think Everest, for a long time, was like my idea of success. It was like the be all and end all, and actually it's given me much bigger opportunities."
Alex has already faced ankle issues and feeling sick from the 6,500 calories he is eating daily, but said the recent good weather and support from his team has encouraged him to persevere.
The journey will see him travel from Dartmoor to Bristol and through the Brecon Beacons and North Wales, before reaching the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland and the Lake District.
So far, Alex has raised nearly £12,000 of his £100,000 target which forms part of Mind Over Mountains' Project 500 campaign to raise £500,000.
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ITV News
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- ITV News
Glastonbury 2025: Tips, tricks and money-saving advice from seasoned festival-goers
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The Herald Scotland
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- The Herald Scotland
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Edinburgh Live
16-06-2025
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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Youtuber took his viewers with him as he explored the Leith area of Edinburgh, following routes on a map from 1852. Edward Burns took a walk through Leith using the Ordnance Survey's Town Plan from 173 years ago, taking in the sights, history and of course a pint at the well loved Teuchters Landing. Speaking to his followers on his Ed Explores Edinburgh page, he said: "Leith has changed a lot, it's been a port or harbour since the 13th century and is often the case with places beside large stretches of water, whether it's the sea, or wide rivers or firths, there's been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the land and the sea. "Some areas that were once the sea or the water have been reclaimed and are now land, new docks have been built and then later those docks have been filled in. It's a constant, almost battle between the land and the sea." To kick off the historical tour of Leith, Ed's first stop was Tower Street, which he feels knows this battle better than any other. Overlapping current maps with those from 1852, he talks through the history of the area, highlighting the differences between old landscapes and new, showing how Leith has developed. On his tour he shows his viewers the restaurants decorating the shore, comparing them to the taverns that would have served sailors over 170 years ago. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox From there he walks to Timber Bush, the remnants of what used to be a huge market area where timber off-loaded from ships was sold before Ed makes his way to Bernard Street- which would have house even more taverns. Most notably was Carriers Quarters, a pub that still exists today and is said to be the oldest unaltered public house in Leith. It can be dated back to 1785. The penultimate stop on his 1850's tour was Commercial street where he discusses what could have been Leith Railway Station. Ending the video with a well deserved drink, Ed reflects on the price of beer today and the trouble drinking can get you in! Full of interesting insights into the history and sights in Leith, Ed's tour offers a new, or should we say old, perspective of one of Edinburgh's most vibrant areas. You can watch Ed's full video here.
