I'm not superhuman: Ex-marine says military training helped him conquer Everest

A former Royal Marine who completed the longest climb of Mount Everest in history has credited his military training in helping him on his epic journey.

Mitch Hutchcraft swam, cycled, ran and trekked from England to Everest base camp before scaling the world's tallest mountain.

The 31-year-old, who served with 45 Commando, undertook a 35km swim across the Channel, a 12,000km cycle through Europe and Asia to India, a 900km run through Nepal and a 360km trek to Everest Base Camp before reaching the world's highest peak and climbing back down again.

- 240 days and 19 countries later – Ex-Royal Marine completes Everest from sea level

- Ex-Royal Marine takes on Everest in climactic end to world's longest climb in history

- Can the military beat civilians in the world's longest non-stop canoe race?

He said: "It was 236 days, 13,200 kilometres - the longest climb of Everest in history.

"It was pretty hard you know like a 27-year dream coming down to one moment. It didn’t feel like it was real and it was battering wind and it was just amazing.

"But at the same time, as you know [with] any mountain, the summit it's only halfway and I had to step over two dead bodies - so it was a real reminder of I'm not done yet.

"And there's a mixture of exhilaration but also reality, like I need to get down."

The former marine took nearly eight months to compete the challenge and said it was his determination that helped him get through the tough times.

"We didn't know whether after a 13,000k triathlon whether the body would be capable of then climbing Everest, that's the question you know. It's like an ultra, ultra, ultra marathon and then at the end of it climb Everest," he added.

"I've lost 15 kilos, but as we know in the military it is 99% mindset and it's 1% really physical. You really believe you can do something, and you can make yourself.

"You know I'm not superhuman.

"I'm crap at cycling, I'm crap at running... but if you believe you can really do your wildest dreams.

"Obviously being in the Marines it hones this mindset, it makes that mindset even tougher.

"Cheerfulness in the face of adversity, being comfortable being uncomfortable, just all the things that we do or stuff we go through - it just hones that mindset.

"The 360K tab or yomp from Kathmandu to Lukla with like a 20k pack - I was like 'yeah this is familiar'.

"But it was like 32° 360k from Kathmandu to base camp and that reminded me a lot of it."

Mitch said the stretch from England to France was one of the most challenging parts of the journey.

He said: "I mean day one, swimming the Channel. You know five times more people swim the Channel than climb Everest?

"I knew it would be the hardest day - 18 hours 19 minutes of non-stop swimming, and at one point I always wasn't moving like an hour... because of the tide and the current.

"It was just so demoralising and I had to really, really press on all of my motivation to get through it."

As well as raising money for a wildlife charity that helps veterans with PTSD, Mitch also hopes to inspire others to get out and push themselves.

"Obviously the main reason was just my love for adventure and my Dad dying - wanting to make him proud and my family proud - but just before cycling across the US I came across SAVSIM," he explained.

"They've made a mental health course using wildlife and nature like a London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo to treat guys and girls with PTSD, but that's like only 50% of what they do.

"What they do is with people transitioning into civilian life they send to places like Africa to help anti-poaching teams and wildlife conservation.

"We're showing that anything's possible.

"You create your own possible. The only person that knows the definition of that word is looking in the mirror, and we're so constrained by society regarding what is normal and what's not normal.

"You know what's possible yourself and you go and do it."