Lewis Pugh will begin his trek up Mount Everest today to the 17,000-foot glacial lake where he will do his unprecedented swim under English Channel rules (no wetsuit, no neoprene cap, all guts).

His website explains the details of his journey, an adventure like the exploits of the great pioneers of the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

“I expect to do the swim around May 23rd,” said Lewis as he was doing his final preparations earlier today from Kathmandu. “In four hours time, I start walking up the mountain. This morning’s task is to load up all the gear (950 tonnes) onto 25 dzoopkyos (a cross between a yak and a cow) and start walking them up the mountain. I am part swimmer, part cattle herder and part environmentalist.”

Lewis will be sending tweets along route. Follow him here.

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