Ain't No Mountain High Enough for MatrixLloyd

THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 2007

Co-director of yacht consultants and managers MatrixLloyd SL to tackle Europe’s highest peaks in aid of an Argentinean community charity

Captain Justin Newcomb, co-director of consultants MatrixLloyd and Doog Menzies, an engineer with PalmaWatch, will be spending June in the high Alps, climbing unsupported some of the world’s best known mountains, to raise money for the charity Alimentar Ensenando.

The MatrixLloyd Alpine Expedition 2007 will consist of three weeks of intensive Alpine-style mountain climbing. The team plan to reach the summit of both Mont Blanc, via one of the hardest routes, and the Matterhorn.

The expedition involves months of preparation and physical training. Often just to get all the equipment to a suitable base camp takes a huge amount of effort, hauling 25kg rucksacks over glaciers and ridges. A common summit day will involve departing the tent at around 0100hrs in sub-zero conditions. To complete a safe ascent and decent can then take as long as 18 hours.

It is as much of a mental challenge as a physical one. The Italian ascent of Mont Blanc is a great deal tougher than the other relatively easy routes, involving four days of lugging equipment and provisions up steep faces of snow, ice and rock, with the constant danger of falling debris, all at breathless altitudes above 15,000ft.

Companies are invited to make a donation to MatrixLloyd’s dedicated charity account. Major donors can have their logo featured on the expedition’s clothing and flag, which will be carried to the summit of the Matterhorn. The flag will be displayed at various functions including the Pinmar Golf Tournament dinner, where a traditional ice axe will also be auctioned.

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