Trekking around Mount Everest – Adam’s 190km trek to the top of the world!
For many people, their first time setting their eyes on snow would have been at a local ski-resort, But not for our Associate Partner at Cranbourne, Adam Pasquill. Adam’s first time seeing snow was in April this year – when he set eyes on the mighty Mount Everest.
No stranger to adventure, Adam and a mate decided over a late night beer that they would like to go to Nepal and take on the mighty mountains surrounding Mount Everest. Adam had already travelled through most of South-East Asia and was itching for a new adventure, with a side of adrenaline! As the duo told more and more friends, their list of travel mates grew. Soon there was six of them that all signed up to the infamously grueling ’Everest Three High Passes Trek’.
What an inspiring commitment made by them all!
Most participants engage in intensive fitness and altitude training for months prior to the trek. However, Adam only managed to do two hikes of 10kms in the Yarra Ranges. That, combined with some strength training at the gym, Adam believed he was set to take on some of the largest and most dangerous mountains in the world. How hard could it be?
The highest of highs
Before the group set out to take their first of many steps on the trek, they met many people who had done the training, and also many who gave them advice. Adam remembers one lady saying to him, “Don’t forget to look up.” This is the one thing that echoed in his mind over the following days. Trekkers can tend to look down, focusing on their feet and each step that they take. The words would suddenly pop into Adam’s mind while walking; “Don’t forget to look up”. And he would. Everywhere he looked, he could see mountains, with their high peaks reaching up to the sky. Every kilometre they walked would bring with it a new view. “Each morning, I would look out the window and see gigantic snow-covered mountains, as far as the eye could see. The views were breath taking. And seeing the Gokyo Lakes with its pristine, turquoise water was a definite highlight,” Adam says.
The lows
As well as all the highs, there were also some lows. While hiking over a high pass of the trek, the terrain was extremely steep, rocky, and covered with black ice. Adam took one wrong step and fell, hitting his head on another climber’s hiking poles. As he looked down the rocky mountain, he saw just how far he could have fallen, and realised just how dangerous this trek really is.
But the group kept going – this time just a bit more cautiously. The trek was going well, and they were in high spirits, until one of the group members started to suffer with altitude sickness. As they got higher, his condition worsened, and they were forced to stop. The headaches, nausea and dizziness proved to be unsafe, so he, along with his brother, had to be helicoptered back down to Kathmandu (Nepal’s Capital City) – a necessary and safe action. Now there were four.
The group soldiered on. The days were sunny and kept them quite warm. However, the nights and early mornings were freezing cold, with temperatures dropping to –18 degrees at times. It was so cold that they would sleep in all their clothes, beanies, socks, gloves, as well as covering with blankets. There were no hot showers, let alone showers at all, and it was too cold to get changed, so everyone remained in their same clothes for the duration of the trek. There also weren’t any reliable toilets at times because the pipes would freeze. These were little luxuries that Adam began to really miss!
On day five of the trek, Adam started to experience the same symptoms his friend did when he got altitude sickness. But being the determined young man that he is, he did not allow himself to give up. He rested, and they went down the mountain so he could acclimatise. The next day, they got up and started the trek again, with Adam feeling much better. He had overcome the altitude sickness and was able to carry on for the remaining ten days, and experience some of the rawest beauty that mother nature has to offer.
The achievement
On April 14th, Adam walked his last steps to the peak of the third and final pass “Renjo La”, at a peak of 5360m. He was exhausted and sore, yet his feelings of accomplishment far outweighed that. They had walked for 16 days, 190kms with 15kms of elevation gain and reached a top height of 5535m. They had endured difficult conditions, freezing cold weather and oxygen levels as low as 50% of ordinary levels; and lets not forget missing family and Western amenities.
Adam’s words say it all;
“This experience stands as one of the most profoundly rewarding achievements in my life. In retrospect, I have come to fully grasp the breathtaking beauty and sheer magnificence of Nepal’s Himalayas. Nevertheless, it was undeniably grueling, both mentally and physically, pushing through each passing day. Words fall short in capturing the essence of this journey, yet I passionately recommend it to anyone seeking to truly appreciate the vastness and splendor of our world. Perhaps be wise and do more training than I did though…”
The Highview Crew are so proud and in awe of the commitment Adam made with this life changing experience. There aren’t many people who can complete such a physically and mentally challenging trek. What an inspiration!
What’s next?
According to Adam, his next thrill-seeking adventure will be in Nepal again. This time, he would like to challenge himself further and climb Mera Peak. This 6,400 metre peak climb is the highest trekking peak in Nepal, and is even more physically demanding and risky than what he just did. Although it is still a few years off for Adam, we will be with him every step of the way!