Day 15 - (The Summit)

Hi it’s Heather here. Day 15 of the expedition.

Finally back to civilisation and able to proudly share our summit picture from Ojos del Salado - the world’s highest volcano at 6893m! I can speak on behalf of everyone that this was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Every step above 6500m felt utterly exhausting but we were determined to fly the FWC flag. 

Prior to applying for the volcano most of the ladies had never climbed a mountain and most definitely didn’t own any walking boots 😂. They now practically own Go Outdoors and all submitted a 4100m, 5100m peak with 8 summiting a 6000m peak and 6 climbing the second highest peak in the Southern Hemisphere (on International Women’s Day).
I was told by so many people that it was too ambitious but hopefully we’ve proved that with determination, dedication and a team of badass ladies you really can achieve anything. 💪🌋👊

The question is... what’s next? 🏔🏃‍♀️🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️⛵️🛶⛷🏂

The FWC team are raising money for the Royal British Legion who work tirelessly to support forces families. If you’d like to support the FWC girls who would like to give something back to the RBL, and would like to make a donation, that would be ace.

Day 13 - (Push To The Summit)

Hi it’s Heather here on Day 14 of the expedition - Summit Day

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

It’s 2am (5am UK time)and we’re just setting off from Tejos Refuge at 5837m on a gruelling climb to the summit of the world’s highest volcano at 6893m. We are expecting  temperatures of -25 degrees so have set off pretty much wearing everything we have brought - 3 pairs of trousers, 6 layers on our top half, high altitude double mountaineering boots, 4 pairs of gloves and our harness (not too sure how we’re going to go to the toilet😂). The sky is absolutely stunning with the Milky Way clearly visible and shooting stars lighting the way.

We are setting out in the following order: Eduardo, Holly, Dawn, Lisa, Cat, Heather, Mario, Chino, Anna, Kez, Kate, Nic, Lins, Nico. We are really missing Paula and Etta and the team doesn’t feel complete without them but we can’t wait to be reunited once this volcano is cracked.

Our team is going to have to push itself to new limits but we have such a strong bond and incredible guides from Chile Montana that I’m confident we can do it - see you on the other side 👊💪🏻🌋 x

The FWC team are doing this to show what can be achieved when a group of forces wives work together as a team and also to raise money for the Royal British Legion who work tirelessly to support forces families. They would be so happy if you could support them by donating here

Day 12 - (Tejos Refuge)

Hi it’s Lisa, day 13 and we are on our pre summit push!

It was a busy day yesterday climbing to the Tejos refuge (5837m) but spirits were high as we all arrived in good form with no altitude issues! Tonight is an early night as we will be starting our Ojos del Salado climb at 2 am.

A thank you to Carinthia for their toastie sleeping bags, we are resting up now as we have a very tight weather window due to a forecast of high winds.

Day 11 - (Atacama Refuge / Sea Level)

Hello everyone. It’s day 11 and we’re going to deviate slightly from the norm, as today’s post is from Paula and Etta.

Camp Doc Kate has held a clinic every evening to keep a close eye on each of us, but unfortunately Paula has been struggling with altitude sickness on a fairly consistent basis since day 5. Last nights medical exam showed Paula’s oxygen saturation levels had dropped to 62% and coupled with a headache that medication couldn’t shift, low blood pressure and a worry that symptoms might worsen overnight (and getting down from Atacama refuge at night isn’t something you want to contemplate) the decision was taken to drop to sea level.

Once that decision was taken a team meeting was quickly called to explain the situation, and the request was that one of the team volunteer to descend with Paula, as she couldn’t descend alone.

A handful of girls volunteered to accompany Paula but due to Etta’s consistently low blood oxygen levels (which made her progress steady, but slow) she decided for the sake of the team to also descend, as on Summit Day they need to be at their quickest and most nimble.

Now having spent 16 hours at sea level both girls are feeling great, but missing their team mates.

Atacama Refuge

Atacama Refuge

Day 10 - (Atacama Refuge)

Hey, this is Holly and it’s day 10

Today we made our way to 5200m and have set up camp at the Atacama Refuge before we venture to Tejos tomorrow, 5800m

The drive between our two camps was nothing short of a white knuckle ride as we cruised the desert dunes at a pace that some people pay good money for

We got a good glimpse of Ojos del Salado and now can’t wait to attack that volcano

Don’t forget you still have plenty of time to donate to the Royal British Legion, a charity that provides essential assistance to our community and we’d like to give as much back as possible

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/forceswiveschallenge

Day 9 - (Laguna Verde, Rest day)

Hi, it’s Kate here.

It is day 9 of the expedition and we have been taking full advantage of Laguna Verde hot springs on our rest day. After an arduous climb yesterday, everybody has been in the mood to relax and there has been a great atmosphere in camp. Chino, Mario, Nico and Eduardo, our expedition guides, have been keeping us safe on the mountain and JC has been wowing us nightly with his culinary prowess.

Special thanks today go to Martin Hewitt and Lou Rudd for giving such sound advice and support from the very beginning. Martin and Adaptive Grand Slam, best of luck from all of us at FWC for your imminent departure to Everest. You’ll smash it!

Day 8 - (San Francisco - 6000m!)

Hi, it’s Kerry

It’s now Day 8 and our acclimatisation training took the FWC to the successful summit of San Francisco standing over 6000m.

It was a long tiring day that really pushed us all to our limits, but we pulled together as a team and made it through.

Tonight we are all happy and well and looking forward to our well earned rest day tomorrow... today was a real milestone in the expedition and our sights are now firmly set on the ultimate challenge.

Please forgive no image today.. really frustrating as we are having problems sending via sat signal.

Day 7 - (Laguna Verde)

Hi, Linsey speaking

It’s day 7! Which was a rest day for us.

We awoke to some incredible views of Laguna Verde! We are sleeping at an altitude of 4350m, which is higher than our first summit, so there were some tired faces at breakfast this morning as sleeping is more difficult while our bodies adjust to the change in oxygen levels.

Today we had a nice trek up to 5000m. There was no pressure for us to summit a peak or really push ourselves, but there was definitely some nerves before we set off, especially from the girls who suffered the effects of altitude on the last peak. The nerves soon disappeared though, and  it was lovely to hear everyone talking and laughing while we walked. Our acclimatisation plan is obviously working and we made it to 5000m in great time, with everyone feeling strong! We even managed to lie and chill for half an hour and take in the amazing views!

Today has massively boosted our confidence for our long day climbing San Francisco tomorrow. We know this huge 6000m peak will be no walk in the park, but we are putting into practice what we have learned from Rob at Judgement Index, and Mark from PDS Coaching, and our team is strong and ready for what lies ahead! 👊

The hot springs were also a nice touch at the end of a great day!

The FWC team are doing this incredible challenge to show what a group of forces wives can achieve when they work as a team. If you’d like to support us we’d be so happy if you could help us raise money for the Royal British Legion who work tirelessly to support military families like us. You can donate at our Just Giving page here →

Day 6 - (Laguna Verde)

Hi this is Nicola,

Bore da! Happy St David’s day!

It’s day 6 and we have traveled to Laguna Verde a beautiful camp but very busy. We got our first glimpse of Ojos del Salado on our way here and are continuing our acclimatisation process by camping out at 4200m.

Thank you to Di Allen for all of her support and teaching us about the different types of fun. After enduring some type 2 fun yesterday everybody is feeling better and we are now enjoying some type 1 fun relaxing in the thermal pools.

Happy 8th birthday to Heather’s daughter Georgia! Mummy is so sad she can’t be with you but is thinking about you lots and can’t wait to celebrate with you when she gets back!

Day 5-6 - (Cerro Dona Ines)

Day 5

Hi all, Cat here!

Today has been one of many firsts, waking up to a beautiful camp with stunning scenery, spotting Chilean guanacos, digging out our first latrines, reaching 5100m and being exposed to the real effects of altitude.

Some of the team suffered more than others, and the rest of us are in complete awe of their determination, grit and resilience in making it to the summit.

Special shout out to all our guides, who prepared us for this incredible adventure, especially Colin and Glynn. Our local guides are impressed with our performance, skills and team work. We are never last, we always take small steps and above all - we’re working together.

Unfortunately the audio file is poor quality!

The FWC team are climbing Ojos del Salado to raise money for the Royal British Legion who work tirelessly to support the Armed Forces community - serving personnel, veterans and their families. If you would like to support them with a donation that would be fantastic - thank you!



Day 4 - (Pedernalles Salt Flats)

Good evening. Etta here reporting on day 4.

After an eventful days driving (wayward tarpaulin, a flat tire) 8 hours and some breathtaking views later we finally made it to our destination of the Pedernalles Salt Flats. We stopped for a fantastic lunch halfway through our journey, rice, chicken and an incredible beef stew which was gratefully received. Our next climb is in sight from camp, an imposing 5100m. All the girls are in good spirits and getting ready for our first night spent in a tent at an altitude of 3300m.

Special thanks to Capital International, for their belief in us and generous support.

Day 3 - (Copiapo)

Hi, this is Paula and we are on Day 3

Today Chile gave us another fantastic sunrise to have breakfast to. We repacked our not inconsiderable kit, loaded up the minibus (after a short impromptu yoga session with Cat) and headed back to Santiago Airport for our internal flight to Copiapo

After yesterday’s long hike the travelling gave everyone’s blisters a chance to rest and the reduction in altitude also allowed those of us with mild symptoms to reset our systems. (And I can strongly recommend the Chilean double quarter pounder from a regular fast food restaurant!!) We landed in Copiapo and were driven to Bahia Inglesas where we will be spending the night. From what we’ve seen so far it’s a little shanty town on the coast and the weather is scorching. We’ve met our Lead guide, Eduardo, and will be leaving here at 10am tomorrow for a 300km drive to the Pedernales Salt Flats. Everyone is in great spirits and looking forward to the next stage

I’d also like to give a shout out to our sponsor “Genesis” for their support and our coveted Leaping Lady pins

Day 2 (Acclimatisation)

So today was our first acclimatisation day, we headed off towards our mountain all feeling a bit nervous, but very excited about what was to come!!

It was an excellent challenge and most of us got our first taste of what it feels like being at high altitude; breathlessness, headaches and a bit of nausea thrown in for good measure!! Experiencing the terrain was really useful and we all learnt a lot and feel a lot more prepared for Ojos del Salado, so that coupled with our day rock climbing yesterday (thanks to Helix Tactical for our helmets) we are ready and raring to go!!

Highlight of the day was when we all finally summited La Parva at 4100m, feeling absolutely elated!!

We also had a very welcome companian with us, Tezza the Dog, who joined us for the ENTIRE hike. Pretty sure he just wanted our turkey and cheese sandwiches 🤣 altho he didn't seem to be a fan of tomato 🤔

First day aclimatising, 4100 meters and everyone is feeling strong, bring it on Ojos del Solados!

The FWC team are raising money for the Royal British Legion who work tirelessly to support the Armed Forces community - serving personnel, veterans and their families. If you’d like to help us with a donation that would be fantastic - thank you!

Day 1 - (Farellones)

After a long 14 and a half hour flight we landed safely this morning, where we met our guides. We arrived at our first lodging and some of us went out for a rock climb this afternoon which was incredible and the guides have made us feel really comfortable

Everyone is in really good spirits and our sunglasses from Oakley have been perfect for the glorious weather we've got

Etta is missing her son's 21st birthday today so "Happy Birthday Michael" from all the FWC ladies!

Making the most of the sun after our vehicle broke down on-route to Farellones

Practice climbs today on a little hill!