Raising money and treks on Everest

We often hear about the successes of mountaineers who top the highest mountain in the world, and return as part of a select group that reached the top of the world. But we don’t often hear about the hard work it takes to get people to Everest Base Camp, especially if they don’t intend to make a summit bid.

Northallerton Mannequins

It is common for people to go to great lengths to raise money for an Everest trek, knowing that something special awaits them when they reach the Himalayan mountains. In August 2009, sixteen students and three teachers from Northallerton College in Yorkshire will do something quite original to raise funds for their trek to Everest Base Camp later in the year.

With all the activity and exercise of the Everest trek ahead of them, the students intend to raise money for the trip by sitting very still. A high street store in their town has hired them to strike poses in window displays instead of mannequins. The stunt coincides with Yorkshire Day on August 1, so students can expect to attract attention and hopefully donations from many of the passing locals.

Fourteen-year-olds

Northallerton students aren’t the only youth in the news for their fundraising right now. In July 2009, diminutive, young-faced Matt Moniz aims to climb fourteen of Colorado’s tallest mountains in two weeks to raise funds and awareness for a crippling disease. He has dubbed the expedition “14 in 14” because each of the peaks he is climbing exceeds 14,000 feet. What makes this expedition all the more daring is the fact that Matt is only eleven years old.

In preparation for this feat, he trained by trekking to Everest Base Camp. He and his father, Mike, took the variation that includes climbing to the top of neighboring Kala Pattar (5,545m), where they got a great view of Everest Base Camp. The idea of ​​Matt’s series of climbs is to get to heights where he can experience the shortness of breath that his best friend, who has Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, has to endure on a daily basis.

Having reached Everest Base Camp at 5,360 meters (17,600 feet), Matt has already ventured to altitudes beyond the ’14ers’ ahead of him, but the Everest trek is a more gradual ascent than he has. in front. Although several of Colorado’s mountains are hiking-grade ascents on their easier routes, doing one every day for two weeks is an exhausting prospect.

If they complete all fourteen predicted peaks in a fortnight, they will have vertically ascended roughly the equivalent of Everest and a quarter and more than twice the vertical distance from sea level to Everest Base Camp. Matt and his team, which includes the family of his sick friend, have already raised $14,000 for charity and climbing.

the chocolate sherpa

For 30 days earlier this year, Belgian explorer Louis-Philippe Loncke led a small team on a 400km trek from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp. Known as the ‘mad Belgian’ for his previous insane expeditions, Louis Philippe wanted to raise money to establish a much-needed mobile hospital in Nepal. Aside from the distance covered, the unusual feature of this Everest trek was that it involved distributing 100 kilos of Belgian chocolate en route to the local Sherpa population and conducting a high-altitude chocolate tasting session when they finally reached Everest base camp. Everest.

Calling themselves Chocolate Sherpas, the team used their unusual mission not only to raise funds, but also to give back to the Sherpas and porters who have helped fund so many Everest treks over the years. Their expedition successfully reached Everest Base Camp on May 1, and for the many climbers and porters waiting there to make their summit attempt, their arrival was a very tasty and welcome break from their usual routine.