Comedians Set To Hold Highest Gig Ever On Everest

The Everest climbing season may still be a month and a half off just yet, but we're already starting to see why some people feel the highest mountain in the world has devolved into a bit of a circus. This is the time of year when we get all kinds of announcements about unusual records or "firsts" that will be attempted in the year ahead. I got one such announcement yesterday in the form of a press release about comedy troupe that will perform in Base Camp later this year.

The team of comedians, which includes Rhys Darby, Stewart Francis, Craig Campbell, Glenn Wool, Simon Evans and Terry Alderton, all of whom intend to trek to EBC in Nepal this October. That means they'll miss the very busy spring climbing season in favor of the quieter fall season when few climbers are there, but trekking is good. The funny men are calling their hiking adventure Stand Up on Everest, and as you can probably imagine, they're doing it for a good cause.

The comedians will lead a massive group of 50 trekkers on the hike up the Khumbu Valley to Everest. Those trekkers will each agree to raise a minimum of £1000 (roughly $1645) for the Save the Children project, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children around the globe. For their efforts, those 50 travelers will be treated to two sets of comedy performed by their hosts on a special stage in the shadow of Everest.

The trek will begin on September 25 with the hopes that they'll reach EBC by October 4. The comedians will perform for anyone in Base Camp at the time, although in recent years there have been few climbers on Everest in the fall.

If you're interested in joining the trek or learning more about this project, visit standuponeverest.co.uk.