Fulfilling their goal in just nine days of trekking, a team of former Newcastle Knights players have reached Mount Everest Base Camp.
Former Knights stars including Kurt and Matt Gidley, Matty Johns, Danny Buderus, Paul 'Chief' Harragon and Mark Hughes made up the team, who got off to a nervous start in Nepal after their luggage was lost at the airport.
It was all uphill from there- literally- as they scaled to an altitude of 5380 metres; 20 years on from another momentous occasion in Knights' history- the 1997 premiership victory.
The team completed the trek in the name of brain cancer research, with a total sum of $448, 125 raised so far for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Large contributions were made from sponsors NIB and Adam MacDougall's The Man Shake, however, the tally falls just short of the Foundation's original $500,000 fundraising target.
Mark Hughes says he's very proud of the team, who battled the effects of altitude to conquer the task.
It's expected they will return home fit and healthy.
To donate to the MHF Everest Challenge, head to the Mark Hughes Foundation website.
We did it!!!!!!! 28 our of 28 blokes made it! Unbelievable experience. Very challenging physically & mentally. @MarkHughesFdn #mhfeverest 🇳🇵 pic.twitter.com/MOVc2jaYq6— Kurt Gidley (@kurt_gidley) October 24, 2017
