Crowdfunding:
Everest Railway
by Andy Foster
Many of you will have
enjoyed taking the mountain railway up to the top
of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa).
Well, I am seeking
crowdfunding for a similar venture on Mount
Everest (Chomolungma). The railway line will
start at Lukla Airport, and will go all the way
to the summit of Everest! There will be
intermediate stations at Base Camp, and at Camps
1-4, where the train will wait while you step
outside to take selfies (some people might choose
to don mountaineering gear for these pics). The
carriages will be pressurised, to ensure an
adequate oxygen supply for passengers.
Obviously there will be a
few obstacles to overcome. For example, we'll
need to build a suspension bridge across the
Khumbu Icefall, and, to achieve the correct
gradient, blast through certain features (e.g.
the Lhotse Wall) and demolish others (e.g. the
Hillary Step).
We also plan to put a cafe
on top, just like the one on Snowdon! It will
serve hot (well, lukewarm) tea and coffee, and a
selection of sandwiches and pastries.
I've already obtained
official permission for this engineering feat of
a lifetime; I paid £50 for a legally-binding
contract, from a guy I happened to meet in a pub
somewhere in London, whose business card said,
"Authorised to sign contracts on behalf of
the National Government of Asia".
If you'd like to be a part
of this mega-exciting venture, just let me know
how much you'd like to invest. I'm seeking
initial funding of £20 million for a feasibility
study, and then maybe £500 billion for the
actual construction. Anyone investing £1 million
or more will receive a complimentary first class
return ticket between Lukla and the Summit
Station, and a voucher for a pot of tea
and a pastry at the Summit Cafe!
(Author's note: this is not a real request
for crowdfunding, please don't mail any cash!)
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