Bournemouth tradesperson completes gruelling Alpine expedition

​​​​​​​A member of the FMB has successfully conquered nine Alpine peaks in a demanding 10-day mountaineering expedition, raising over £3,600 for a friend who died in a car accident

Joe Cole, from Bournemouth, is director at All Build Development Ltd and serves as the National Board Representative for the Southwest region of the FMB.

He undertook the challenge across Switzerland, France, and Italy, culminating in his summit of the 4,000-metre Gran Paradiso, the tallest standalone mountain in Italy.

The ambitious expedition followed a serious workplace injury. After rupturing his quadriceps muscle in a fall last year, Joe underwent major surgery to reattach the muscle and endured a lengthy rehabilitation period.

Reflecting on his motivation, Joe said: "When I came through the recovery, I had a difficult period and spent a lot of time at home. I decided there were several things I wanted to do, including climbing some big mountains. Organising the expedition and raising funds for the Steve Bernand Foundation felt like a great way to combine these goals."

The Steve Bernand Foundation, established in memory of Steve Bernand, a talented young footballer and close friend of Joe’s, has been a cause close to his heart for nearly two decades. Steve tragically lost his life in a car accident shortly after starting at Chichester University.

The expedition faced several unforeseen challenges: adverse weather conditions, team members withdrawing due to illness and family emergencies, and storm conditions with 30cm of forecast snow and 60-70 mph winds ultimately made the key objective, climbing Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, too dangerous to attempt.

However, Joe's flexibility and determination saw him achieve more than initially planned. He began with acclimatisation climbs in Switzerland, successfully summiting peaks including Lagginhorn and Jegihorn. The team then spent three days at an unmanned winter refuge hut on the Moiry Glacier, melting snow for water and sharing the glacier with themselves largely.

Additional summits included Pinge de la Lé (over 3,000m), Pointe de Moiry (over 3,100m), Dent de Rosses, Le Petit Flambeau, Le Grand Flambeau, and Aiguille Marbrées, with the grand finale being Gran Paradiso in Italy.