World Diabetes Day Expedition 2026

A diagnosis can become more than a medical condition. It can become a psychological boundary, making people believe that certain experiences, ambitions and adventures are no longer meant for them. We want to challenge that belief.

Diabetes requires awareness, preparation and responsibility, but it should not automatically require a smaller life. With appropriate medical guidance, thoughtful planning and preparation, regular monitoring and the right support, people living with Type 2 diabetes can continue to pursue adventures, ambitions and challenging goals that are meaningful to them.

Take your health seriously, but do not allow your diagnosis to define the boundaries of your life.

The expedition also offers an opportunity to observe how sustained physical activity at altitude may affect glucose regulation in appropriately selected people living with Type 2 diabetes.

Existing research is limited and not fully consistent. Some studies suggest that hypoxia may be associated with lower glucose levels or improved glucose utilisation. However, the available evidence is still limited and does not establish altitude as a treatment for diabetes. We will therefore study and document the experience responsibly, without claiming that climbing a mountain can reverse diabetes.

The initiative is hypothesis-generating, not a clinical trial or treatment claim. Even if the summit is not reached, every participant returning safely and well is the priority.

This expedition is not only about the people who participate in this Expedition. It is also about inspiring millions of people living with Type 2 diabetes to believe that change is possible and to begin taking meaningful action to realize that possibility.

For someone with diabetes, climbing a mountain represents every difficult first step: changing a habit, improving sleep, becoming more active, eating differently, managing stress. By showing what people can achieve through preparation, discipline and support, we hope to encourage others across the world to begin their own journey toward better metabolic health and a life of greater possibility.

Each one’s “mountain” may look different. What matters is taking that first step towards conquering the mountain.