Exodus leader Valerie Parkinson is our first ever winner of the Hall of Fame Award!

Earlier this year, we awarded long-time Exodus leader Valerie Parkinson with our first ever Hall of Fame Award - such a class act, we had to put her in a league of her own!

Valerie started working for Exodus 30 years ago in the Indian Himalaya leading treks in  Kashmir and Ladakh. She went on to lead in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Tibet and has accumulated vast knowledge of the greatest mountains on Earth. In 2008 she became the first British woman to climb Manalsu without supplementary oxygen and in 2009 she reached 8,761m, the South Summit of Everest. She continues to lead treks for Exodus and can spends her summers in Ladakh and her springs and autumns in Nepal.

The award won her £500 to go to a charity of her choice. Valerie has chosen the Exodus Himalayan Community Support Projects. Over the last 15 years Exodus has built up a portfolio of its own small scale projects in the Himalaya; Valerie has been instrumental in finding, managing and accounting the projects. 

Valerie’s prize money will be split between the Donkey Sanctuary in Leh, the Ranbirpura Temple, the Hankar Women’s Eco Cafe and Nepal water projects.