It seems you can track Coonamble connections to all ends of the earth.

Travis Hargreaves’ recent fundraising foray into the Himalayas was no walk in the park.

Along with his mate and former NRL player Mark Hughes, and 20 other determined men, Travis spent eight days of rough hiking through some of the world’s most inhospitable territory to the Everest Base Camp and back.

Since being diagnosed with brain cancer, Mark Hughes’ mates and their supporters have raised over $30million through the Mark Hughes Foundation and initiatives like the Beanies for Brain Cancer campaign.

This trip was to further boost the coffers.

Among them were some famous names including current Roosters coach Trent Robinson, former Australian and NSW Blues captain Danny Buderus, former Knights player Bill Peden, along with Kieren Neeson who trekked in honour of his famous father Angel’s frontman Doc Neeson who passed away from brain cancer.

There were other Newcastle/Sydney businessmen, a professional surfing photographer, personal trainer who is also one of the original ‘Bra Boys’, and men who had lost someone to this vicious disease. 

“It was definitely a mixed bag but they were a great crew and there was great camaraderie,” said Travis.

After individually raising funds through a myriad of methods, the men boarded a plane to the other side of the world to earn their donations.

PHOTO: L to R: Danny Buderus, Ed Mounsey, Mark fisher (seated) Mark Hughes, Sam Mayer, Billy Peden, Dan Smith, Andrew Beattie, Travis Hargreaves

The boys choppered into the ‘most dangerous airport in the world’, Lukla, poised on a sheer cliff top at 2800 metres.

They then hauled their packs along the heart-stopping Everest trail, ticking off two peaks along the way - Kalapather (5545m) and Chukking Ri (5550m) - both higher than their goal destination Base Camp.

“The trail runs through the valley but you’re climbing the whole time,” Travis said. “It’s the lifeline to thirty or so villages but there are no real roads, so no trucks or even motorcycles. Everything has to be carried by hand, or by yaks and donkeys.

“One little bloke we met carried six mattresses on his back for fourteen kilometres.

“Each stretch we walked was about 12 kilometres, always going up in elevation and it included crossing the Sir Edmund Hillary bridge - a 150 metre suspension bridge across a deep ravine.

“It was not fun when you got half way across and you saw seven yaks coming the other way.”

PHOTO: With their wide horns Yaks have right of way on the trail to Everest base camp.

Travis said the team quickly learned to cling to the cliff-side of the trail when they heard the bells signalling that yaks were coming around the next corner.

“It was also probably the most multi-cultural thing I’ve ever done or seen,” he said. “There was someone from every country on earth on that trail and everybody was just getting along with each other.”

There were the expected struggles with lack of oxygen.

“Everyone experienced bouts of altitude sickness, with the headaches and loss of appetite,” said Travis. “I think we managed the process pretty well but I still lost 8 kilograms because there’s no meat and you’re burning up to 2000 calories a day and all you’re getting is rice or noodles with no protein.

“It’s hard to find the energy to keep going each day.”

Travis says there were plenty of challenges along the way but it was all for a great cause.

PHOTO: Roosters coach Trent Robinson gave a morning motivational speech.

“One of the by-products was how when you’re physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted everyone just opened up to each other and all of the men put themselves in this place of vulnerability.

“There were some pretty big personalities but they all came to the same place and helped each other along the way, at some stage everyone hit the wall.”

He said the men took it on themselves to boost each other’s spirits.

“One surf trainer ran meditation and breathing exercises to start us off in the right frame of mind each morning. Trent Robinson read a chapter out of a book called ‘Make Your Own Bed’ and would give us an inspirational speech to set us up for the day.”

Born in Coonamble 43 years ago, Travis has lived in Newcastle since 2001. His mother Kerry was also born here to parents Leila and Ambrose Butler, growing up at ‘Rosedale’ on the Dubbo Road.

Travis’ father Greg was a police officer so his work took the family from Coonamble to Tullamore, Woodburn, Tamworth, Woolgoolga, Coffs Harbour and finally Newcastle.

PHOTO: Freight on the Everest trail is a do-it-yourself job.

“I haven’t lived there for a long time but there are so many ties to Coonamble here in Newcastle,” Travis told the Coonamble Times.

“I live about 40 metres from Steve ‘Joey’ Fulmer, Brett Arrowsmith was one of the first clients to come on board when I started my business and Dwayne Sampson has kids at Souths Newcastle Juniors with mine.”

Now back in Newcastle, Travis says he is gradually coming back down to earth.

“Everyone’s got to settle back into the normal routine of getting up and going to work in the mornings. That’s the hardest part, you feel you can’t stand still.

“But I would absolutely do it again. You challenge yourself mentally and physically and together we raised $534,000.”

The funds go to brain cancer research and to employing regional nurses to support people diagnosed with brain cancer through their toughest trek.