Kieran joins Tesco-wide team on Nepalese trek

Kieran McCartney already has a number of the world’s most famous and difficult climbs under his mountaineering belt, and his efforts have been rewarded by raising over £21,000 in the past four years.

The 36-year-old, who works as a general assistant at Tesco in Portstewart, is the only trekker from Northern Ireland to join a team from Tesco to ascend the Mera Peak in Nepal this autumn – his toughest challenge yet.

He’ll be walking eight hours a day over a 17-day hike, taking rest in local tea houses and dining on Nepalese cuisine, as he aims for his personal fundraising target of £6,500.

The charitable adventure is part of Tesco’s National Partnership Charities work which will be raising much-needed funds for Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation.

Kieran’s previous charitable missions have included a trip to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa which enabled him to raise £6512 for Alzheimer’s Society. The following year, in 2013 he tackled the notorious Mount Everest, reaching its base camp in Nepal for Cancer Research UK, a feat of endurance which raised £5346.

In 2014 it was time to focus his sights on the other side of the world, climbing Machu Picchu in Peru, a trek which raised £5874 for Diabetes UK.

Last year, he mounted an arduous ascent to Mount Kenya’s Point Lenena, raising £4111. Kieran said: “I am no stranger to fundraising and have raised more than £20,000 over the last four years for the Tesco Partnership Charities, namely Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK and Diabetes UK.” The total jackpot he’s raised is £21,843.90.

Kieran says:“The Mera Peak is set to be the most challenging trek to date as I will scale to an altitude of 6,476m, higher than I have ever trekked. The challenge itself involves climbing and the use of crampons and ice axes.

“To date I have raised over £5,000 for Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation with some brilliant support from Tesco customers.”

Tesco Portstewart manager, Robert Mullen said: “We’re so impressed with the efforts Kieran has made to help raise such huge amounts of money and we’ll be supporting him all the way in-store and in spirit as he sets forth on his amazing fundraising journey into the Himalayas.”