Short version: Pete Boardman successfully summited Everest on the South West Face Expedition in 1975, becoming one of the first British climbers to summit the mountain. Fifty years on I will be trying his route, Snowdrop (E4 6a) - a route right at the limit of my abilities. Time to pull my finger out and get training!

Long version: Since joining the Mynydd Climbing Club and first visiting their mountain hut in North Wales, I've been captivated by an uncompromising buttress of rock that resides there. The base of the cliff is ferociously steep, and the subsequent corners, grooves and headwalls soar to a height of 40m. Almost every route at the crag is of exceptional quality - 'SH Wall' really is the jewel in the crown of Crafnant Valley climbing.

I've been to the club hut, Blaen-y-Nant, dozens of times, so why have I never climbed there? Firstly, there's the difficulty. The worthwhile routes start at E2 and only get harder from there on. To put this in perspective for non-climbers, routes graded E1 to E3 could be classed as 'advanced', E4 to E6 as 'expert' and E6 to E11 as 'elite'. I've only ever climbed a handful of E3s and E4s at my best, but I've had two knee operations and got a bit older since then! Secondly, being there at the right place at the right time has always been challenging. The valley is only a stone's throw from Capel Curig, one of the wettest places in the UK. Then there's being there with a keen partner and avoiding midge breeding season... Finally, there's the 'adventurous' nature of climbing in Crafnant. Faced with a steep vegetated approach to access the crag, I've often taken the easier option and simply climbed elsewhere.

I originally thought that climbing one of the classic E2s would be a sufficient personal achievement for my 'Everest Challenge'. However, when looking through the guidebook I saw that one route in particular had first been climbed by the very person my climbing club is celebrating this year. Pete Boardman successfully summited Everest on the South West Face Expedition in 1975, becoming one of the first British climbers to summit the mountain. Fifty years on I will be trying his route, Snowdrop (E4 6a) - a route right at the limit of my abilities. Time to pull my finger out and get training!