Climb Every Mountain

Lynne Gilbert - Trekker Extraordinaire

Lynne at Base Camp Everest

Lynne with one of the 360 Expedition Directors Raj Joshi

Lynne in Bhutan

“I’m 6ft tall and quite recognisable,” the voice over the phone assured me as I sought to confirm a time for our interview. “You won’t need a red rose in my lapel to spot me.”

I must confess that as I made my way to Green Park tube station I was expecting someone as wide as she was tall and just as imposing. So it was with a measure of relief that whilst Lynne was correct – I did spot her almost immediately – it was for reasons I had not really contemplated. Yes she is tall but she is athletic and attractive, with a cultured demeanor and a determined glint in her eyes. It was evident from the start that she was someone who meant business and did not suffer fools. Furthermore, there was nothing in her appearance to suggest she was a day over 40 even though I knew I was looking at a woman who was 53 with 3 grown up children.

If this was one of the perks of regular trekking I made a mental note to get myself signed up as soon as possible!

Lynne Gilbert is a married mother of 3 (her husband is a surgeon and her boys have long since flown the nest) who runs her own business coaching consultancy and is also one of the senior guides for 360 Expeditions, a prestigious UK based adventure holidays’ company. She runs certain treks throughout the year and when she is not donning her “hiking polls” she frequently enjoys bike riding.

Naturally, realising the kind of person she is means her passion isn’t reserved to a leisurely passage around the park on a Sunday afternoon: for Lynne Gilbert cycling means an 80 mile round trip exercise! I feel exhausted just thinking about it!

“Getting involved with 360 Expeditions really answered a calling in me. In my opinion they are the premier adventure holiday company and because they only operate with small groups of people, it helps to maximize the enjoyment for both the organizers and the participants.

All their expeditions are led by experienced guides such as Raj Joshi, who is one of the directors and may be familiar to anyone who recently watched the celebrity trek to Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief as he was their lead guide. Raj also summated Mount Everest with the British Army back in 2007.”

What interested me most was how Lynne first got involved with the trekking experience because as we sat taking coffee in a fashionable part of Park Lane, she seemed a million miles away from the kind of person I would expect to emerge from a small tent on a grey morning along the slopes of Nepal or Tibet .

“Whilst I was studying history at London University I took a trip to the Lake District . It was the worst time of year; the weather was atrocious and I was wearing all the wrong gear, which meant I was cold and wet for most of the time. However, I loved it!

“For me it was the start of a long term love affair with the great outdoors. Trekking gives you a sense of freedom and allows you to disconnect yourself from reality. You very quickly disassociate yourself from the trivial distractions of life and focus on what is around you. More than anything, it gives you the feeling that you are 18 again. What more of an incentive could you ever desire?”

Of course when one thinks of these types of treks to remote locations the first image that often comes to mind is someone toned, muscular and male. Even the most strident feminist is going to have to accept that men and women are built differently when it comes to physical challenges so I asked Lynne if there were any advantages to being a woman in this kind of work.

‘We all have our strengths so any advantages are down to the individual rather than the gender. Also trekking at altitude is a great leveler. It does not discriminate against gender, age or fitness. However it is an advantage if leading an all female group, especially if there are cultural and ethnic issues involved such as female modesty.”

By this time my interest was rising and I pressed Lynne on what might be a good location for the novice trekker to attempt as a first challenge.

“ Bhutan is ideal. It’s a very friendly place and very respectful to women. The country offers gentle and beautiful trekking in an un-spoilt and unique environment that affords you an insight into a new culture alongside a trek that is sufficiently stretching without leaving you drained. It is also remote with few tourists...so you have it all to yourself!!”

Great! So I have my location but organizing a trek isn’t like booking your all-inclusive holiday to the Maldives . So much more preparation is required; I won’t need to get myself in shape to sit on a sun lounger for a start!

As Lynne advised me, “The more you prepare the more you will enjoy the experience but it isn’t just down to exercise. You need to ensure you have the appropriate clothing and kit as well.”

Fortunately, 360 Expeditions will be happy to provide you with a comprehensive kit list and at the very top of this is the need to invest in a very good pair of walking boots.

“Good boots do cost money but they are a sound investment and you’ll soon appreciate it once you are underway. If your footwear is wrong then nothing else is going to work for you either. You might have the best rucksack and the most hi-tech thermal underwear available but it won’t count for much if you can’t walk straight after the first day!

“People also need to remember to break in a new pair of boots first. If you’re going on a 10 day trek through a South America jungle don’t make your first day walking also the first day you try on your brand new Scarpa’s!

“It goes without saying that to embark on any trip of this nature requires that you get suitably fit for the challenge. Once you decide on a destination, 360 Expeditions will look closely at your medical history and give you a fitness plan to work towards. It is never too soon to start training. Raj is a fully qualified doctor and he will be on hand before the expedition takes place to talk confidentially to you about any medical concerns you might have. He is also there to advise you on necessary vaccinations to protect you while you are away.”

As we continued our conversation it was clear that for Lynne, trekking has become less a pass time and more about a lifestyle choice.

“For many people one of our expeditions turns out to be a “once in the life time” experience. We are as far removed from a camping trip in the Cotswold’s as we are from a luxury cruise around the Mediterranean , so make sure you are informed. Get information on where you are going to give yourself an idea of what it is like and above all else, adopt a positive attitude as it is not just the trekking you need to consider but the camping as well. Be sure it is something you really want to do.”

In the limited time I spent with Lynne I realised the lady had a natural way of putting me at complete ease and this was an important fact when you consider you could be spending 10 days with her at the top of a mountain or in some remote part of the world! She also managed to convince me of three things if I ever decided to test myself with such an endeavour.

The first would be to use 360 Expeditions as my company of choice. Their expertise is clearly second to none and if it’s good enough for Cheryl Cole and Chris Moyles then I’m pretty certain it would be good enough for me.

The second was that as a woman I would be inclined to go out on a trek that was at the very least headed up by a woman, since I felt someone of the same sex would better understand my needs.

And lastly, I would insist that woman would most certainly have to be Lynne Gilbert.

If you would like further information on 360 Expeditions then please visit their website at www.360-expeditions.com

Poppy Watt

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Climb Every Mountain

Lynne Gilbert - Trekker Extraordinaire

Lynne at Base Camp Everest

Lynne with one of the 360 Expedition Directors Raj Joshi

Lynne in Bhutan

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