A daredevil paraglider from the Black Country has become one of only two British men ever to paraglide from the summit of Aconcagua, one of the world’s highest mountains.
Property developer Kevin Bigland battled against severe altitude sickness and sleep deprivation to complete the challenge and raise £3,000 for the Unicef charity. He and a team of seven others, who hailed from the south of England and Wales, set out on the challenge in January with the aim of climbing Aconcagua and paragliding from the summit to a base camp set up below.
The mountain is located in the Andes, in the province of Mendoza, Argentina.
Mr Bigland, aged 43, of Mucklow Hill, Halesowen, faced a climb of 22,841ft and was also loaded down with the paragliding equipment to use at the top.
Members of the team took 15 days to climb the mountain, with many being forced to pull out due to the effects of high altitude.
Three members of the team eventually reached the summit and only two, including Mr Bigland, were able to paraglide at the end.
Speaking to the Express & Star, the intrepid paraglider said it had been the toughest challenge he had ever faced – and the most exhilarating.
“It was a very tough climb and the altitude is very hard to deal with especially with the equipment we were also carrying,” he said.
“Physically it was very draining as because of the altitude you cannot sleep so it was very tough-going at times. When we reached the summit things did not get any easier either as the winds were not exactly conducive to paragliding.
“There is something called the Aconcagua Express, which is basically high winds of more than 100mph at the summit.
“We had to wait for a window where this died down in order to begin the paraglide.
“After everything it was probably the most exhilarating paraglide I have ever made. It was amazing.”
He added: “This is the toughest thing I have ever done in my life and I am really pleased it has raised so much money for a good cause.”
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