Norwich Sporting Director embarks on series of mountain challenges
Written by Training Ground Guru — March 21, 2022
NORWICH CITY Sporting Director Stuart Webber will do four mountain climbs this year as he builds up to taking on Mount Everest for his new Foundation in 2023.
Webber is taking on the challenges for The Summit Foundation, which he has set up along with his wife Zoe, who is Norwich City’s Executive Director.
The Foundation aims to “create awareness and opportunities for young people to help them achieve their potential” and works with other charitable organisations to "create programmes to educate and create better lives."
From January 15th to 24th this year, Webber took on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the following month he did ‘winter skills’ training in Snowdon.
In June, the Sporting Director, who has been with the Canaries since April 2017, will take on Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador. Cotopaxi has a height of 5,897m and will require the use of ropes to protect against hidden crevasses, while Chimborazo is the highest peak in Ecuador, standing at 6,310m. The summit of Chimborazo is the furthest point from the centre of the earth.
In September, Webber will climb Mont Blanc, the highest range in the Alps, and in November/ December he will take on Island Peak - his first experience in the Everest region.
The summit of Island Peak stands at 6,189m and will be “the most technical and physically demanding climb” Webber has undertaken and “set him up nicely for the next step in 2023.”
Webber said: “Certainly on the face of it, this is the one I’m most nervous about. Three weeks away from home and in a part of the world where if you make mistakes they can be very costly!
“However, I’m grateful for the opportunity to tackle this as people talk about this being a great step towards Everest due to its close proximity and the technical challenge being similar.”
Neil Adams, who was appointed Assistant Sporting Director by the Canaries last September to “help oversee and manage all football operations and strategy across the club”, will take up the reigns while Webber is away doing his challenges.