WHO: Love Hope Strength Foundation Founders Mike Peters and James Chippendale, Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, Nick Harper, Cy Curnin & Jamie West-Oram (The Fix), Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) and the Everest Rocks Team.

WHAT: With official Epiphone Everest Rocks acoustic guitar in hand, held high at 18,536 feet atop Kala Pattar at the foot of Mt. Everest, Nepal, (40) legendary musicians, mountaineers, artists, cancer survivors, and supporters celebrated the most momentous climb of their lives—“Everest Rocks”—a 14-day trek up Mount Everest, culminating with the first-ever rock concert at Base Camp.  The Guinness Book of Records declared Everest Rocks “The Highest Concert In The World.”

WHERE: Mt. Everest, Nepal

WHY: The climb was designed to bring awareness to and raise money for the Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF), founded by two-time cancer survivor and rock icon Mike Peters of U.K. band The Alarm and fellow cancer survivor James Chippendale, president of CSI Entertainment, one of the country's largest entertainment and sports insurance brokers. 

All funds raised through iTunes will go to the Love Hope Strength Foundation, and more specifically, the funds raised from this climb will benefit the Nepal Cancer Relief Society—allowing the local Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital to build the infrastructure of its clinic. In a country where the average annual income is $300 a year, the Love Hope Strength Foundation’s donation and support will go a long way to save lives. 

MTV Unplugged producer Alex Coletti participated and documented the Everest concerts and surrounding events for a VH1/MTV special and a BBC prime-time documentary.

[originally Norena Barbella | 12.10.2007, Gibson.com]