Some 78-year-olds might opt to enjoy a more leisurely pace of life, but not local adventurer, Martyn Bould.
Bould, who previously climbed Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro in 2019, is gearing up to scale Mount Aconcagua in Argentina to raise funds for the Red Cross.
He said he wanted to continue his “Climb for Red” campaign to raise awareness about the work the organisation does in Cayman and around the world.
A helping hand to those who help
Bould explained that the essential life support work done by the Red Cross doesn’t get as much publicity as it should.
He highlighted witnessing the Red Cross in action, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters, “where we go and inspect buildings and negotiate settlements with people that have suffered damage following hurricanes,” the local surveyor said.
Bould said he wanted to reignite what he started before COVID, bringing attention to its disaster relief work, through his climbs.
“Typically after Kilimanjaro, which is the 20,000 ft mountain, and after COVID, the next challenge, to follow seven summits, was to climb Aconcagua in Argentina, which is some 22,840 ft. So it was the next step in challenging myself,” Bould said.
Mount Aconcagua is deemed to be the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere.
He said the 18-day trek to the peak climbs gradually, in order to acclimatise to the decreasing oxygen levels. It includes rest days along the way, with the summit day requiring a 12-hour climb.
Bould, together with his wife Vivian, have climbed peaks including Blue Mountain in Jamaica, Pico Duarte in Dominican Republic, and Mount Sopris in Colorado.
In 2019, Bould reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, “So, Aconcagua was a natural progression,” he said.
As for a fundraising target, he said the goal is “to raise as much money as possible”.
Set to depart Cayman on 11 January to begin preparations in Argentina for the climb, Bould said he had originally prepared to be a party of between four to six climbers, accompanied by other guides and porters.
“I now found that I am the only one climbing,” he revealed, explaining that there is only a “small window” when it’s possible to climb the mountain.
“It’s the middle of summer in Argentina at the moment, so you can climb in December, January and possibly a little bit into February. But that’s the window, beyond that you cannot climb it,” he said.
Training for the trek
Bould said he has been training for months to prepare to take on the 6,965m (22,841ft) ascent of the world’s tallest mountain outside of Asia.
“I’m not worried about [the climb]. It’s key that you train for it. One of the issues, of course, is the lack of oxygen. By the time we get to the summit, the oxygen level is about 40% of what it is at sea level. So training at sea level is not the greatest way to train,” he admitted.
To help, he used a programme developed by Patrick McKeown, called Oxygen Advantage, which he had also used to climb Kilimanjaro.
It involves training at sea level by breathing out and seeing how long you can walk, run, or climb before having to take a breath.
He said he has done altitude training in Colorado and Utah, as well as continuing a daily workout routine with Dottie Rau, using Igor Burdenko’s programme which he has done for the past 20-plus years. According to its website, this method relies on training in both land and water to hone balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, speed and strength.
“I feel great,” he said.
Cayman Islands Red Cross Director Jondo Obi lauded Bould’s commitment and efforts.
“Climb for Red is a bold initiative by the Cayman Islands Red Cross, designed to raise awareness and vital funds for the organisation’s disaster preparedness and response programs. By scaling Mount Aconcagua, Martyn Bould embodies the spirit of resilience and preparedness we aim to cultivate within our community,” Obi said in a statement.
She said people can follow Bould’s journey on the CIRC’s social media accounts, and “hopefully while they are cheering him on and donating to our cause, they are also engaging with the information which we will be providing,” she added.
Donations will go towards supporting community programmes such as Disaster Management, First Aid/CPR & AED training, Aquatics training (water safety & lifeguard training), Child Protection & Sexuality Education and the Thrift Shop Referral Centre.
Anyone who wishes to donate to the campaign can do so via the Red Cross.
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Good for you Martyn. Proud of you.