Lewis Pugh will begin his trek up Mount Everest today to the 17,000-foot glacial lake where he will do his unprecedented swim under English Channel rules (no wetsuit, no neoprene cap, all guts).
His website explains the details of his journey, an adventure like the exploits of the great pioneers of the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
“I expect to do the swim around May 23rd,” said Lewis as he was doing his final preparations earlier today from Kathmandu. “In four hours time, I start walking up the mountain. This morning’s task is to load up all the gear (950 tonnes) onto 25 dzoopkyos (a cross between a yak and a cow) and start walking them up the mountain. I am part swimmer, part cattle herder and part environmentalist.”
Lewis will be sending tweets along route. Follow him here.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.