Charlie Wittmack, Iowa’s only native to scale Mount Everest, is returning to Nepal for his second ascension.

But this time, there’s a twist: he’s also trying to help the world.

Through his new project, the University of Iowa College of Law alumnus hopes to bring change for issues such as safe birth-giving practices and medicine worldwide.

Wittmack, 33, having successfully climbed Mount Everest in 2003, will again compete against the elements while he undergoes what he describes as the most intense triathlon he could conceive.

He calls it the World Triathlon.

“I guess what I learned on Everest is we can go a lot further from what we think we can,” he said.

The battle against physical exhaustion begins today. Wittmack will leave Des Moines by plane at 3 p.m. and land in London several hours later.

Nearly 100 times the length of an Iron Man triathlon, his journey will take him roughly 11 months to complete.

The feat will begin with a swim in the Thames River and continue through the English Channel to France.

From there, Wittmack will abandon his wetsuit and hop onto a bicycle for a tour across 12 countries in Europe and Asia. Once he reaches Nepal, he will run 450 miles nearing his destination in the Himalayas. Finally, in May, he will make his return to the top of Everest.

The last climb was during the mountain’s worst weather recorded in history, and it took Wittmack three attempts to successfully reach the peak. During the excursion, he endured periods of up to three days without food or water and elongated stints of snow blindness.

“It’s my greatest hope to finish every inch,” he said. “But if I don’t, just to have the experience to try, that’s what it’s really about.”

Even those closest to Wittmack would be well within their right mind to question the plausibility of his dream. Wittmack’s intense training regimen — four to five hours a day — may not be enough to combat frigid temperatures and dangerous currents.

Cate Wittmack, Wittmack’s companion and wife of six years, has concerns but not about the climbing.

“I’m not as worried about the physical endeavor,” she said. “It’s more the environment.”

When he first proposed attempting the World Triathalon to her, it was just after he had attempted his first swim across the English Channel. In an unseasonable cold summer, he was pulled from the waters after succumbing to hypothermia.

With a 7-month-old child to worry about, the last thing she wanted was for her husband to risk his life again. He left the matter alone, but continued to research the feasibility of the project.

Six months later, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery. The operation was successful, and it inspired a re-evaluation for the family.

She quit her job to stay at home with their child, James — a move that ultimately caused her to change her stance on the World Triathalon. Despite her fears, she realized the importance of the project Charlie Wittmack had dreamed of in his high-school days while running cross-country.

James Wittmack is now 2 years old. He and his mother will accompany Charlie Wittmack on the trip for as long as they can remain safe.

Also joining the Wittmacks will be UI alums Andy Stoll and Brian Triplett.

Stoll, 30, the creative director for the World Triathalon, will film Charlie Wittmack’s excursion and project the story to audience members online, including school children.

Stoll said the three members of the team share a passion in raising social awareness about global issues — from climate change to high mortality rates among women during childbirth.

For the three UI grads, the World Triathalon is more than just a test of the human limits. They say it’s a vehicle to change the world.

Through the travels, the team hopes to bring Western medicine to Nepal and promote safe birth-giving practices and encourage and inspire children in the United States to strive toward bettering the physical landscape of their world.

“The solution is that we just have to try to do something to improve our planet,” Wittmack said. “For people to just take on one thing. Not to feel overwhelmed … just to identify one problem and fix it.”

While Wittmack represents the physical aspect of the Triathalon and Stoll is concerned with web episodes in classrooms, Triplett, 26, will deal primarily with logistics.

“I’m pretty good at handling travel,” Triplett said. “Charlie thought I would be good to have on the team.”

Triplett, a former Daily Iowan employee, will take care of Wittmack’s needs, such as ensuring a stable intake of 8,000 daily calories, seeking safe shelter, and driving the gigantic Toyota Tacoma truck with the World Triathalon logo painted on the side.

Triplett said Wittmack is unlike anyone he has ever met because of his belief that the world’s solutions outnumber its problems.

Though Wittmack — who has spent the last 15 years preparing for this trek — recognizes the physical boundaries that test him, he is mostly concerned with the foreboding mental challenges that threaten him.

“The thing you can’t prepare for is the mental side of it,” he said. “A yearlong expedition is a long time to try to stay in your A game.”