Andrew’s second Himalayan trek in memory of his wife

Andrew Yeats has taken on his second Himalayan trek in memory of his wife Cinders, who died from bowel cancer, raising an incredible £20,000 for the charity.

My wife Cinders died of bowel cancer in September 2022. Cinders, who was also known as Lucy, always wanted her story to be told, so, in December 2023 and January 2024, I completed my first Himalayan trek with our family and friends to celebrate her life, and raise awareness of bowel cancer.

Last year, I completed my second Himalayan trek, but this time a solo trip, in memory of her. My version of the Great Himalaya Trail (known as K2K) is vast with 2,495km of wilderness trekking, and 144,176m of ascent climbing.

Mount Kailash felt like the perfect place to begin. It’s one of the world’s most sacred mountains, a symbol of spiritual awakening for Buddhists and Hindus alike. I've always wanted to take Cinders there and it felt right that our shared pilgrimage began in such a place of reverence instead of the Nepal boarder.

The journey ended at Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world, first climbed by our local Cumbrian hero Doug Scott, a man Cinders admired.

It’s pilgrimage of the soul, walking solo unsupported across the Himalayas to a new beginning of something yet unknown, carrying me through some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes on Earth, and also through the shifting terrain of love, loss and renewal.

Mountains were Cinders’ spiritual home and she worked with me as a Himalayan trekking guide.

When Cinders was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer in 2017, at the age of 53, we had reason to believe there was hope. But we later discovered this diagnosis was incorrect. The cancer was already well advanced, and by the time we had a correct diagnosis two years later, she had developed secondary tumours in her right lung.

Cinders was a wonderful person; loving, kind, thoughtful and scatty. She had huge determination and a sense of fairness and support for the underdog. In fact, she was so busy helping others she often neglected to attend to her own needs. By the time she was correctly diagnosed in 2019 at stage 4, it was too late.

To begin with, she didn’t pick up on the signs that something was wrong and needed urgent investigation. She experienced extreme tiredness, blood in her poo and weight loss. Doctors assumed her symptoms to be something to do with the normal ageing process or menopause rather than bowel cancer. But had we been more aware of the symptoms, or had that information been more in the public realm, we may have picked up on it earlier and taken action that could’ve saved her life.

So far, we've raised over £20,000 for Bowel Cancer UK on our Star of Hope Tribute Page we set up for Cinders. She was with us on both treks and not only in spirit. Whenever I walk in the mountains now, I have a real sense of her presence, so I’m sure she was with me every step of the way, encouraging me on. 

• Donate to  Cinder’s Star of Hope Tribute Fund 
• Read more about Andrew’s Great Himalaya Trail
• Learn about the symptoms of bowel cancer
• Read more real life stories