Daragh to cycle from Cork to Mount Everest for CUH

A young Cork man riding a bike from Ireland to Mount Everest is doing it to “give back” to the Cork community that has supported him in the past.

Daragh Cronin is hoping his mammoth journey will raise €30,000 for children’s wards at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Mr Cronin said that he wanted the children of Munster to be able to receive “best-in-class paediatric care”.

He also wanted to inspire children to “chase their dreams”.

BLACKROCK

Mr Cronin’s journey will begin at Blackrock hurling club on February 14 and take him on a ferry from Rosslare to France, then over Europe and the Middle East, before heading to Everest base camp.

The 23-year-old previously cycled the length of Africa by riding almost 13,500km between Morocco and South Africa, “with zero prior cycling or camping experience”.

That journey had inspired him to raise money for the hospital, through the CUH Charity.

He had been told his Africa trip would be “impossible”.

“I had guns pointed in my face. But 99% of the time, there was genuine hospitality and huge amounts of kindness,” he said.

“I know these things are coming my way again, but I trust my instinct. I was able to talk my way out of some hairy situations in Africa.” 

Now, with his trip to Everest, he said: “This time, I want to do it for a cause.

“I had crazy support when I went to Africa; half of Cork had my back, so I want to do something to give back this time.” He will cross the tip of Oman, and cycle through Pakistan, India, and Nepal, before he reaches Mount Everest.

“The record I’m trying to set is to hike the bike from a place called Lukla (in Koshi Province) to Everest base camp, and no Irish person has done that,” he said.

“I will cycle as far as I can through Nepal, onto Lukla, and then put the bike over my neck and get to base camp.”

Mr Cronin’s charity fundraiser is available at https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/roaminwithcronin