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An all-Australian team of pest management professionals (PMPs) aim to summit Nepal’s Mera Peak (21,247 feet) in October 2026 to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease research. Mera Peak is in the Himalayas and is Nepal’s highest trekking peak (and the world’s second highest after Aconcagua in Argentina).
The expedition is a “Peak for Parkinson’s” charity climb, supporting the Shake It Up Australia Foundation, which funds Parkinson’s research. Shake It Up is an Australian affiliate of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. The team invites pest managers worldwide to join this cause: professionals from other countries who have experience with the impact of Parkinson’s or wish to contribute can participate in the climb or donate. The team invites PMPs internationally to “join our team and benefit from the physical and mental health development that such a challenge inspires and provides.”
“This mission combines our passion for pest management with a fight against Parkinson’s,” team leader Peter McCarthy (Pest IT, Melbourne, Australia), said in a news release. “Pests challenge us daily; Parkinson’s challenges society. We’re showing that pest managers can take on any summit — even mountains — to support a cure.”
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease affecting about 10 million people globally, with about 38 Australians diagnosed daily, according to the news release. Since 2011, Shake It Up Australia has co-funded 38 research projects, totaling nearly $7.6 million U.S., aimed at slowing or curing the disease. The organization says that 100 percent of all donations go to research.
“From the summit of Mera Peak, you are looking directly across to the highest point of our planet, the summit of Mount Everest — possibly one of the most inspirational icons, experiences and challenges on offer in 2026,” McCarthy said. “We would love to invite International Pesties (Aussie slang for pest management professionals), to join use on this expedition.”
From the summit of Mera Peak, you can see five of the six highest mountains in the world and a for a fleeting moment, the group will be the highest group of PMPs globally. As the news release points out, “this is a call to action in self-development as well as bringing awareness to this hideous disease.”
Expedition Details: The team of between seven and 10 members will trek and climb for three weeks in October 2026. They will carry the Australian and Shake It Up flags to Mera Peak’s summit. All climbers are donating personal time and funds to the project. Sponsorship and merchandise are available, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Shake It Up foundation in Australia.
To support the effort, visit: https://shakeitupfundraisers.raiselysite.com/t/peak-for-parkinsons
Follow the journey here: facebook.com/peakforpakinsons
