Janet and Angus Taylor get in some practice for their fund-raising adventure

A JERSEY businessman is scaling the heights of Everest in his bid to raise cash for Autism Jersey.

Angus Taylor, the managing director of Kleinwort Benson, and his wife Janet will be donning their hiking boots for the trip that takes place at the end of October.

Their 13-day adventure will cover Kathmandu through to the Khumbu Glacier, before they fly up to Lukla and climb for ten days to reach Everest base camp.

Standing at over 8,000 metres, Everest is the highest mountain on Earth and is located on the border between the Sagarmatha Zone in Nepal and Tibet in China.

The couple will be 4,500 metres above sea level for five days and face temperature ranges from 20 degrees to minus 20 degrees.

Angus said: ‘All in all, it is a 19-day trip and we are anticipating a real physical and mental challenge and maybe some enlightenment too.

‘Last year we did a six-day trip along the West Highland Way and Ben Nevis which raised more than £2,000 for Autism Jersey, and we hope to at least match that this year with our Everest challenge.’

Philip Le Claire, the executive director of Autism Jersey, said that the money raised by the Taylors would be used for a wide range of projects including the non-legal advocacy service that provides free, independent advice to people with autistic spectrum disorders and associated conditions and their carers.

He added: ‘Unlike many other charities in the Island, Autism Jersey receives no funding whatsoever from the States of Jersey and so these kind of fund-raising events are even more precious to us.

‘We are eternally grateful to Angus and Janet, who have been staunch supporters right from the very earliest days, and we will make sure that we buy them plenty of blister plasters!’

The couple have a fund-raising page on www.justgiving.com.