I have trained Matthew for about 5 years. During this time, apart the professional relationship we have also become really good friends. He is a highly driven individual with the excitement of a five-year-old kid always looking for the next adventure.
I love sitting with Matt after training and hearing all his stories over a cup of hot coffee.
Below his Matthew's journey in his own words
You have recently completed something that the rest of us can only dream of. You have reached the summit of Mount Everest. Can you please tell us about this amazing freezing cold journey?
Everest from Tibet was a change of scene after attempting the peak from Nepal in 2005. My team missed out that year after a pretty tough trip, including an avalanche that killed a couple of climbers and wiped out our Camp 1 (6100m). We then languished at Camp 2 (6400m) waiting for a good weather window. We had acclimatised by sleeping at Camp 3 (7300m) and stocked Camp 4 (8000m) with oxygen cylinders ready for a summit push.
Good weather — when the jet stream winds in the Death Zone move off the summit for only a few days every May — just never arrived in our timeframe. A lot of teams missed out.
Those with logistics to last until June that year were luckier.
Fellow (and hero) New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Everest by this route in May, 1953.
Tibet is a vastly different proposition. The countryside is barren and harsh by comparison with Nepal. And the summit day route follows a ridge with three tricky rock “steps” above the Death Zone. Climbers are exposed to danger on this ridge for a long time.
If the poop hits the fan, you’re up high for a long time before descending out of danger and that fatally catches out plenty of climbers.I teamed up with three Japanese and two Nepali fellas, who were good company. Google Translator got a massive workout.
After three weeks acclimatising and setting up our high camps, we identified May 16 as a perfect summit day. Clear skies and no wind were forecast.
Working back from that date, we needed a day in foul, cold weather for the 16km grind from Base Camp (5200m) to Advanced BC (6400m) ... following the Rombuk and East Rombuk glaciers.
Another day in pretty calm weather for the climb from ABC up an ice face to Camp 1 (7050m), then a day in nasty conditions to Camp 2 (7400m).We were using supplemental oxygen from this point. I shared a tent with Nepali climber Lhakpa, who copped frostbite on his cheek from the knifing wind. It’s dipping towards -30C at this altitude.
The next push to Camp 3 (7900m) in fine weather was a sign of great things to come.
We rested from 3pm til our summit bid launched at 10pm. It was bitterly cold — -40C — and perfectly still.
Sucking two litres a minute of gas helped, but it was an enormously hard climb.
One step per three laboured breaths was my rhythm when I could get it humming.
The three rock faces were not so much a technical challenge as a case of grunt work and being mistake-free — difficult in big down suits and gloves, cumbersome boots and crampons.
Around 7am, and 60m below the summit, the most incredible sliver of blue sunrise fizzed along the curved horizon. It’s here that a climber from two years ago lies frozen in a napping pose. Ten climbers were 10 minutes ahead of me, and I led a line of about eight more.
After a narrow traverse with a 3000m drop to our right, we climbed a short rock face and arrived at 8850m — on top of the world.
I stood with one foot in Nepal and one in Tibet before sitting down and chatting to mates and other climbers for half an hour.
It’s the weirdest, giddy feeling not being able to look up and see a thing. The mind and body momentarily loses its equilibrium.
Scanning the world below, every single peak, glacier, valley — anything — is dwarfed.
There were the four 6500-7000m peaks in Nepal I’d previously climbed. They seems monstrous adventures at the time, but from the Everest summit they were pimples on the landscape.
I snapped a pic of the summit pyramid’s shadow reaching the horizon.
The climb down is where many climbers come unstuck.
Our descent was largely safe and uneventful. The serious risk was in five days of mad celebrations once we’d got down and slowly head back to Kathmandu.
But those stories are only available in the Adults Only section.
Is well known that every year many people die trying to climb Everest, you are a very experienced mountaineer, can you tell us about your mindset during climbing?
Seven people died this year, and one of the Japanese from my team blew up before Camp 3 on summit day
He and his mate made the snap decision to descend before things went super bad.
I’m told 40% of climbers don’t make it.
But it’s not all cerebral oedema and loss of physical power. A woman fell into an open potato cellar on the trek to Nepal’s Everest BC, broke her leg and couldn’t climb!
One of our Sherpas was sent back to hospital in Kathmandu with severe frostbite of the ear.
The risks are often discussed but for climbers they are acknowledged, respected and to some extent blanked out.
I compartmentalise any potential anxiety and get on with the challenge — loving every section of the mountain for their own unique character.
You have been training with coach Gab for awhile now, how important was your training in order to accomplish your dream?
Without a doubt, the deadlifts and squats regimen Gab put me on made the climb a dream.
Combined with a program of stair climbing — an hour-plus three times a week in the emergency stairwell at work (535 dusty steps) with 15-20kg of rice in my backpack — it was the perfect preparation.
Long walks with a heavy pack at the weekends rounded it out.
Gab managed the workload superbly — and probably carried me the last 100m to to the top when the legs were groaning.
Do you have any other hobbies/passions besides climbing?
I love techno, gardening, my kids totally, training with Richard Tweedle, rugby, baking, rock and ice climbing ... and my dog Mack.
Now lets dig a little deeper and get to know a bit more about Matthew
... If you were a Techno DJ what would be your alias?
CrossFader
... If you had to drink your very last bottle of wine, which one would it be?
Super dry Riesling — to go with my Bluff oysters and Blue Cod from Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand.
... if you could choose one fad to return to popularity, what fad would it be and why?
Aerobics. Purely for the outfits. Why don’t more people wear loud clashing Lycra in CrossFit? Bring it back people! You know you want to.
... if you could be part part of any sports team,which team will it be?
All Blacks. A slightly stroppy halfback.
...You are stranded on a desert island...what`s your action plan?
Build a swim-up bar.
... if you were granted three wishes, which one would they be?
1. I lost 10kg on Everest. Mainly glutes and legs. I wish it only came back as pure muscle through the power of eating cheese. All types. Not fussy.
2. Wish there were 36 Earth hours in a day. I’d do more CrossFit.
3. There were no calories in ice cream. Or for that matter salami, wine, lamingtons, cheese (did I mention cheese?) ...
We've all got that one movement that makes us groan. What's yours?
Apart from getting out of bed in the morning, almost everything overhead!
What's are your other favourites and what's to love about them?
Turkish Get Up ... all-body and fully committing.Deadlift ... technical perfection and massive gains when it clicks. Great for leg and butt power, which are critical for expedition climbing.
In the middle of a WOD, what animal would best represent you?
Hyena ... gleefully laughing because we’re heading past halfway!
You've been asked to write a sales pitch for CrossFit. How would you pitch it?
CrossFit ... give yourself the ultimate lift.
CrossFit Inc. decide to name and design a WOD in your honour. What would "The Chief '’ WOD be?
" The Chief"
3km Air Dyne
30 Kettlebell Step Over (2x16/2x24)
30 Push Press (40/60)
3 Peg Board Climb
2km Row
20 Kettlebell Step Over (2x16/2x24)
20 Push Press (40/60)
2 Peg Board Climb
1km Ski Erg
0 Kettlebell Step Over (2x16/2x24)
10 Push Press (40/60)
1 Peg Board Climb