What ? You don't believe they really made it to the top!!

This isn't like the film Capricorn 1, Here are the pictures of the team at the summit. Oh, and despite having topped £11,000 they would really like to make it a little bit more so if you haven't yet had the chance to sponsor them, or if you feel they deserve a bit more for this magnificent effort now is the time.

Any way on with the piccies:

 Here they are  - the group and guide

Here is  Paul suitably obscuring Richards  face from view, and finally

  Paul and Richard  at  Sunrise, only you  can see Richards  face this  time!

Just when you thought it was safe......

Paul has  finally  finished emptying his dirty sicks and other  unmentionables from his ruck sack.  In amongst all this was a roll of film that he has  got  developed.  The results are really quite  scary - you have  been warned:

Everyone at the top of the Petit Fourche (3520m) -- Paul notes he is holding tightly and hating every minute!

Looking back on hte Aiguille de Tour, Second Peak in the training regime at 3,544m, taken during the descent back down the valley on day 3

and finally  ......
The famous snoring brothers…….ear defenders totally failed on all counts. The Frenchman staying in dormitory was so impressed he videoed the softly sleeping Crossers at one point…..! Please take note of the commitment being shown on all our parts….water only all week (almost!)

Who has been watching

So who  has  been following this expedition?

According to  our  map  people  have logged in from across the  world - see  below for a snapshot of viewers

Agriascent and Europe

Message  just in from the airport - apparently the  Mountain was the simple task, Alastair  has  had to  donate  his  bounty in the  shape of a rather  fine  bottle of Sancerre to the  Geneva  police as  it  didn't meet the requirements  of carrying liquids on a plane   (Me I would  just  have  drunk it, problem solved - Ed).  However did they  manage with a  mountain?

From that we  can take it they are on their way  back.

Now is the  time to remember to Donate  Some  Cash to the  Agriascent Charity  Project!

The Team Debrief

The  debrief looks to  have  been a serious affair - expect  more tails from the team later:

They've done it! Telegram confirms

Alastairs telegram today announces that Paul, Jonny, Richard, and Andrew  were successful in reaching the summit earlier today. As Alastair says  they are  total Legends - Even though they can't  hear us we should give them all a  big cheer, they are  All Legends.

Here is picture  taken this  morning of the  challenge they  faced,  Well done Guys.

Carrier pigeon brings news

Alastair confirms the training a success after three days with beautiful scenery and a few blisters.



Andrew  fleixng his  toes


John and Liz - the instructors who have the unenviable tast of keeping the team under  control



Finally some realaxation with a drink (non alchoholic) as a let down after a 4:00am start.

Biding time

Well that new fangled telephone gadget seems to have given up at the moment. I knew we should have stuck with carrier pigeons. Anyway here is a picture taken of the team just before they set off. Will update once they get closer to civilisation again.

Another telegram - Day 2

They were up early this  morning, I'm the one  holding the news  up.  Anyway here is what they were  up to  this  morning

Abseiling into a  cravasse and noticing the altitude (well you  would if you lived in Cambridgeshire wouldn't  you!)

Richard on the  way  down, assume the  others  followed!

Final report on Day 1

Carrier pigeon arrived late last night from the explorers with  this picture and message as  follows:

"Glacier at end of first  day.  Everyone in good spirits and no reported  blisters....result!!! "

The Adventure begins - Day 1

Another telegram has  arrived.

Day 1. Night  Stop in the distance....Kitted  up and anti-inflammatories consumed.

The  team all booted up:

They're off!

OK -technology is still working, here are Thursdays telegrams sent from Alastair:
"It starts here, Andrew checking with his solicitor that his will is up to date"

 Next one of the team, Paul having discovered his will is in order (and still smiling).

and Jonny pre flight, confident and chilled:

 Richard taking the whole training thing seriously right  until  the last  moment

Final testing of supplies and equipment:

Accident !!!!

Traffic in Baldock was held up this afternoon as a local farmer rushing to sponsor an assault on Mont Blanc hit the railway bridge on the North Road.

It is suggested that the driver was distracted by a text message asking him for a donation while driving under the bridge and lost his load.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire police called for anyone who received a similar message to come forward before any more damage is done.
Mont Blanc is somewhere on the far side of Royston

Avoiding Panic Stations

As DDay fast approaches we're all remaining calm and collected about the adventure in front of us. Here's a picture of one of us in a calmer state following a session with our therapist !!!

Loading up equipment

Having now decided on what we are going to take with us to Mt Blanc, we felt a test run packing up the pickup ready for the trip to the airport might be worthwhile. Between 5 of us we thought we had done well. Now is the time to check with Easyjet what our weight allowance is !!!!

Resting Up

Following a hard weekends work hammering out the miles, it was deemed necessary to get the physio to come to the office, as there was no way I was going to make it to the surgery !!

Not too sure about the seating arrangement ???!!!

TRAINING GOES WELL

LAST MINUTE TRAINING SEEMS TO HAVE GONE WELL !!!!

Last Minute Training

Thought I'd get in some last minute training. Hope it's not too late.

Our fan base is not just restricted to the UK, check out the our supporters in Peking !!...i hope those are sponsor forms they are waving.

Although we don't head off until Wednesday evening, the queues of fans waiting for us at Luton Airport to say farewell is resembling a scene from Wimbledon or Glastonbury !!

Support Team

Whilst the stock pile of supplies has increased, we have found a willing group of young, strong, highly motivated individuals who have agreed to act as our sherpas.....excellent

Supplies for the trip are building up nicely. Concerns have been expressed as to how we will transport them all to Mt Blanc, but we'll sort that out nearer the time !!

This is what it's all about

This was taken in Cambridge, a classic venue for those training for jumping across crevasses !!

Knowing of his dislike for heights, this picture was taken of Paul overcoming his fear, and what a great job he has done of it as well. Taking it to the extreme I think it can be safely said !!!

TRAINING CONTINUES

Training continues at a keen pace. As well as North Face shares it might be worthwhile buying a few shares in Astra Zeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, as Boots will probably sell out of painkillers this weekend.

This photo shows a classic East Anglian training trip...not !!!!!!

Buy Shares In North Face

North Face shares are going up on the back of the AgriAscent following Mr Fosters visit to the Cambridge outlet to purchase his 'gear'. The staff soon realised that confidence was not at a high when he tried to smuggle in a stretcher !!
Meanwhile Andrew is now fully refreshed after his holiday in Spain where he managed to avoid a drop of booze all week. The training regime was maintained by walking from the beach to the apartment at least twice a day.
Richard remains in positive mood having survived the 'extreme' weather conditions that were dished out at Cereals on the first day. The wet weather gear was removed from the rucksack and lived to tell the tale. Thumbs up were received for the mouth piece that allows perfect access to any pint size glasses.
Meanwhile, in latest correspondence with Jonny, I hear that training has come to a halt, although that could be that he is at the peak of physical fitness anyway. The queue is building already to be Jonny's climbing partner.

Training underway

First pictures of the Team at a secret training camp in Cumbria

The Idea

Andrew Crossley and four other middle aged, unfit blokes are going to attempt to climb Mont Blanc during the first week of July 2010. The team is; Andrew - Trumpington Farm Company, Richard Warburton - Bidwells Agribusiness, Paul Foster - UAP Ltd, Jonathan Bland - Manor Farm Feeds and Alastair Pawsey - North Herts Farmers. All are connected with agriculture in some way. Mont Blanc is not Everest, but at an elevation of 4,810 m is the highest mountain in Western Europe and given that none of us have any technical mountaineering experience it will be a significant challenge.

We have decided to complete this task in aid of two very worthy charities. Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and MacMillan Cancer Support (Addenbrookes)

This year RABI celebrates it's 150th year of helping farmers, farm workers and their families in times of need. Many of you will be familiar with the good work that they provide in the farming community.

Macmillan Cancer Support is a national Charity that provides support for people living with cancer. Not only for the cancer sufferer but their families too. They also fund and provide specially trained MacMillan cancer nurses nationwide, but more relevantly at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. All monies raised for MacMillan will only be used within Cambridgeshire, with the majority at Addenbrookes, which leads the way in cancer care.