Andy Eddington, Team Leader
Andy Edington is a major in the Royal Engineers, currently living in Maidstone and working in recruiting. He started hillwalking while at school in Edinburgh and took up climbing while a student at Aberdeen University. Since joining the Royal Engineers in 1979, he has expanded his experience considerably and has climbed and ski-toured in Austria, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Peru, South Georgia, New Zealand, Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, India, Tibet, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan. He is 42 and married to Fiona. Most memorable experience - probably an unplanned bivouac, without gear or even warm clothing, at 17 500 feet on Batian on Mount Kenya on Christmas Day 1989 - it wasn't pleasant!
Darren (Swifty) Swift
Started climbing and hill walking at the age of 13. Climbing mostly on Dartmoor, Dewerstone, Sheepstor and Haytor. Then other areas like Senan, Bosigran and Lands End.
Also walking on Dartmoor and taking part in the Ten Tors race. Then on to places like the Brecon Beacons and the Lake District.
Then after joining the Royal Marines in Feb 1990 and then the RN,RM,MC. "I've had chance to climb in a lot of different areas. Places like N. Wales, Scotland and the USA. Then the Alps on the Joint Service Alpine Meetings and now to Nepal on BSKE 2000".
David Nicholls
David Nicholls, aged 51, is a Royal Marines Brigadier who was commander British Forces Falkland islands. During his 32 years service he has op operations in Oman, Northern Ireland, and Falkland Ireland and in Bosnia. He was decorated for bravery in Oman and received the queens commendation for valuable service in Bosnia. He is married and has a son (23) and daughter (16).
David's mountaineering achievements include the British Services ascent of the north face of the eiger, many alpine north faces, expeditions to mount cook in New Zealand, Borneo and the Himalayas. Everest north face in 1988, first ascent of the north face of Phabrang, Himachal Pradesh in 1980 and solo first ascent of the east face of the highest mountain in the Lygen Alps in arctic Norway. Most recently he climbed in South Georgia in the winter of 1999.
Mark Reed
Mark Reed is currently serving as part of British Forces Germany, stationed in Fallingbostel with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. Employed in the Adjutant Generals Corps his work is mainly administrative in support of the armoured regiment to which he is attached. His climbing experience encompasses most of the UK, France, Austria, Switzerland, various parts of Germany and Canada. Mark is 28 and married with a young daughter.
Euan Lawson
Joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1995 as a medical cadet whilst studying at Aberdeen University. Qualified in 1997 and joined the Third regiment, Royal Horse Artillery as Regimental Medical Officer in January 1999 prior to deployment in Bosnia.
Euan started climbing at university and has climbed widely in Scotland inj both summer and winter. Euan has also visited the Alps on several climbing trips and the Kanchenjunga expedition will be his third visit to Nepal.
Emma Smith
Flight Lieutenant Emma Smith is an RAF doctor. She has had an interest in mountaineering since her final year at school although she trained at Cambridge she managed to participate in expeditions to European Alps, Iceland, Corsica, Sardinia, Ecuador and Nepal.
Ben Macinnes
Lieutenant Ben MacInnes is a platoon Commander. Based in Bordon, Hampshire, in the REME. As an experienced mountaineer he has climbed in Scotland, Alps, Rockies, Pakistan and Nepal. In 1996 Ben was part of the British Services Gasherbrum II expeditions junior team. His ambitions are to summit an 8000mtr peak and to lead expeditions to the high mountains.
Mark Lewis
Lance Corporal Mark Lewis has been climbing since 1992. He started climbing in the Alps and summited Mt. Blanc and similar peaks. His experience developed and he was able to visit Nepal with HKE in 1995 and summated Mera Pk. In 1996 he attempted the six North Faces in the Alps, succeeded on four but was unable to finish two. In 1997 he attempted the Seven Continental Summits. He again succeeded on five but was unable to complete Everest and McKinley. Since then he has successfully climbed Ama Dablam in the Himalaya and has climbed in Norway. He is a qualified Mountain Leader with ambitions to lead expeditions and to complete the seven. Mark is happily married to Elizabeth.
Tom Martin
Tom Martin has been commissioned in the Brigade of Gurkas for the past seven years. During that time he has served in Hong Kong, Kenya, Australia and New Zealand to name but a few.
For the last eighteen months he has been heavily involved in service mountaineering, in particular Ex Himalayan Dragon, the 168 strong Army expedition to all the trekking peaks in Nepal last year.
Toms one fear that is one day he might have to do a proper job.
Dave Goldsmith
Lieutenant Dave Goldsmith has served in the Royal Navy since Sept 1989 as a Weapons Engineering Officer. From Sept 1990 he read Electronic Engineering at Loughborough University and was the secretary of the Mountaineering Club. He now works at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. Dave has climbed in the Peak District and Wales. In preparation for this expedition he has also climbed in the Alps and Scotland.
Paul Randell
Lieutenant Paul Randell joined the Royal Signals after studying for four years at Warwick University. He is currently serving with 20 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200) in Paderbron, Germany as an Armoured Troop Commander. He has previously climbed in Nepal, Morocco, France, Scotland and Switzerland.
Steve Bright
Petty Officer Steve Bright, originally from Essex works as an Air Engineering Artificer in the engine workshops at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset. He began mountaineering twelve years ago and has since climbed in the French, Italian and Swiss Alps. Last year he took part in a Naval Expedition to Spitzburgen where the team undertook a pulking journey climbing some of the highest peaks in the area. If he were to leave the navy he would take up politics.