Johann Peries’ confident steps on Mount Everest, a giant leap for Sri Lanka

Months of physical and mental preparation have culminated in the departure of a brave son of Sri Lanka, Johann Peries, on his second attempt to scale Mount Everest. Setting off for the two-month expedition, Johann hopes to be successful on this attempt to scale Mount Everest and make his country proud. 

Johann Peries and Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala were the first Sri Lankans to attempt to summit the peak that is 8,848m above sea level in April 2016. However, Johann managed to reach a height of 8,400m, a mere 448m short of reaching the summit, before technical difficulties forced him to descend.

  Not one to give up easily, this time round, Johann is part of a larger team led by International Mountain Guides (IMG), a globally renowned mountaineering company with experience in leading several successful Mt. Everest expeditions. Enthused by the support and love from fellow Sri Lankans for his courage to scale the world’s highest peak, ‘Climb Everest with Johann’ was launched to make every Sri Lankan feel they are part of Johann’s journey. Each step taken by Johann on the mountain can be sponsored for Rs.100 per step and sponsors can support as many steps as they want. The expedition fees include IMG’s logistical support, Sherpa and guide support, all climbing permits, expedition food and accommodation, porterage, communications, oxygen, insurance and helicopter rescue, as well as regular access to the IMG medical clinic at Everest Base Camp. 

An Everest expedition requires a large financial commitment and every step sponsored by you will go towards financing the expedition and covering all the associated costs. The total cost of the expedition amounts to $58,600. 

Being a dedicated outdoor adventurer and mountaineer, Johann leads an active lifestyle with regular fitness training. His training for the second attempt to scale Mount Everest included cardio, high intensity cardio, strength training, swimming and yoga; high-altitude fitness training including jogging, running and climbing in Nuwara Eliya to get accustomed to a higher altitude; long-distance swimming; special high-altitude training in Ladakh in January 2018 and rock-climbing.

Johann has an impressive track record in mountaineering apart from his first attempt at Mount Everest in April-June 2016 where he reached a height of 8,400m, a mere 448m short of the Everest peak, before being forced to give up the climb due to technical difficulties. Before that, Johann was part of a four-member Sri Lankan team to successfully summit the highest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Their expedition was via the Lemosho Route, which is the longest route to the summit, thereby allowing the team maximum time for acclimatisation and thus a safe summit attempt.

Johann was one of the only two from a five-member team of climbers to successfully summit Nepal’s Island Peak in 2012. Due to the climb’s technically challenging nature, Island Peak is considered by many to be one of the training peaks to be summited in preparation for expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest.

An artist inspired by nature, Johann is a hair-designer by profession and adventurer by choice. His passion for the great outdoors and his creative soul have struck a perfect balance and is evident in his work, life and interests. Johann began his hair-designing career 25 years ago. Taking his innate flair in the beauty and fashion culture a step further, he re-established the local industry to meet international standards by introducing new concepts in bridal designs and attire, conceptualising and make-up. Today, he is one of the most sought after hair and beauty designers, and amongst the few Sri Lankans in the industry to be globally acclaimed. Presently, Johann runs seven salons, four in Sri Lanka, two in Melbourne, and one in the United Kingdom.

His career as an artist began long before his venture into the fashion industry; initially as a professional singer with Mary Anne Singers spanning over 20 years, as an actor in the local English theatre, and as a professional dancer competing and performing at local and international levels. Johann’s interest in exploring the great outdoors was impressed upon him at a very young age by his father when the duo regularly explored the Knuckles Mountain Range in Sri Lanka. This passion drives him to conquer mountains both in Sri Lanka and around the globe. 

If you wish to be part of this expedition, log on to www.johanneverest2018.com