UPDATE: Andy Nolan Everest climb set for March 2026 the final of the seven summits  

Andy Nolan Everest climb set for March 2026 the final of the seven summits  

Limerick-based Andy Nolan hopes to take his final step on his seven-summit journey as he plans to climb Mount Everest from March to May 2026

Update 03/09/2025

Andy Nolan has selected Children’s Grief Centre as his chosen charity for ahead of his Mount Everest climb in 2026.

Announcing the partnership on Instagram, Children’s Grief Centre said, “Andy Nolan is set to complete No.7 of his 7 Summit Challenge in the spring of 2026. We are very grateful that he has chosen to raise funds for the Children’s Grief Centre on his journey to the summit.

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“We wish him the best as he prepares for this challenge in the months ahead.”

Original Article: August 22, 2025

University of Limerick lecturer and mountaineer, Andy Nolan, has set a date for his Mount Everest climb as he hopes to complete the final climb on his seven summits journey from March to May 2026.

Andy hopes to be among the first 20 Irish people to complete the feat of climbing the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents, having completed six of the seven over the past number of years, all with one goal in mind: “Raising a few quid for charity.”

Speaking with I Love Limerick as he prepares for the climb, Andy explained this would be his longest expedition yet, more than two times the longest he has carried out so far, he said, “ The longest one I’ve done to date has been 23 days, so this is two times that. It’s a mixture of physical and mental preparation; there’s something between that, and you have to find the balance from what I gather from speaking to other people.

“It’s a bit of luck as well. With the weather, you are in such a fine window, and the probability is definitely sometime in May, it doesn’t really go into June.  I have heard a couple of seasons that the weather just goes into the toilet, and everybody’s going home because the forecast next two and a half weeks is just terrible. So, I’ve been there before in those terms, and you need a little bit of luck.”

He added, “You can arrive in the best shape of your life, but if the weather turns, you’re done. That’s Everest.”

The balance also includes diet as Andy is expecting to lose up to three stone on the journey, saying, “ I suppose I will focus more on my diet now and then focus on my training, balance, cardio and strength and stuff. Denali in 2023, I lost two and a half stone. You don’t go to Everest on the skinny side; you have to be carrying a bit of weight. I’d imagine over six or eight weeks, I will probably lose about three stone.”

Andy says he isn’t climbing the summits “for the glory”; he sees a bigger picture where he has been raising funds for charities with each climb. The UL lecturer says all money raised goes to the charity, as he funds the climb himself or with help from a sponsor, which he is still looking for ahead of the Everest climb. So far on his journey, Andy has raised more than €100,000 for charities.

Writing on Instagram, Andy told his followers, “I’m not a mountaineer. I don’t break records, and I’m not capable of climbing for glory. I’m just an ordinary person who’s been lucky enough to stand on a few mountains, each one a reminder of how small I am in the world, and how much support it takes to get there.

“Next year, it’s Everest. The final of the 7 Summits. It’s not about chasing the highest point, it’s about using this journey to raise a few quid for causes that matter, and hopefully showing that you don’t have to be extraordinary to take on something thats a bit mad.

“Open to locking in a charity that I can fundraise for asap. Previous superb charities I’ve partnered with were Laura Lynn Children’s Grief Centre and Irish Cancer Society.”

Andy is clear about his motivation, as well as the charity fundraising, he says it would be “incredible to be among the first 20 Irish people to do it”, but says, “Really, it’s about giving something back. I’m going to climb anyway, so why not make it mean something for someone else?”

During this preparation period, Andy is also searching for a sponsor who may help him reach his goal while making a difference to a local charity group.

He explained, “A business partnership can make a huge difference — not just to me and the last climb with Everest, but to the causes I’m supporting and the visibility we can generate together. I see it as a win-win. I have been lucky for the last peak when Mulcair Credit Union and The Workshop gym in Newport supported me for that climb.”