Everest Base Camp Trek

During October 2007 a group from Hereford Cathedral School set off to Nepal this time to trek to the high level Everest Base Camp which is used by mountaineers for attempts on Everest, or Chomolungma as it is known by the indigenous population of Nepal.

This year’s trek was no different to the others since 1998, in that it consisted of pupils, parents and friends of HCS. Linked in to this was the usual visit to Shree Sharada School, which has been supported by HCS since 1998. Shree Sharada School is located in the Annapurna region of the Himalaya and situated in the village of Ghachok, which is a three hour walk from Pokhara the nearest major town. Shree Sharada School has now gained status within Nepal and will in due course receive government support due to the excellent exam results received in the SLC examinations.

The highlight of this year’s trek was the ascent to Kala Patthar to view the fantastic panoramic vista of Pumori, Nuptse, Lhotse, the Khumbu ice fall and of course Everest itself. Among the trekkers this year were two family members who had a close family link to Sandy Irvine, who had accompanied Mallory during the first major attempt on Everest in the early 1920’s. Sadly both young climbers were to die on Everest leaving the mountaineering world never knowing whether they made the summit or not. Clearly, high altitude trekking in Nepal should not be taken lightly by those wishing to view this planet’s largest mountains. This became very evident by the number of daily rescues by helicopter from Namche Bazaar and further up the trail of individuals who had been hit by AMS (Altitude Mountain Sickness).

Clearly, any venture of this kind requires the support of medical expertise and this year we were blessed with two doctors (Dr Andrew Leeman and Dr Crispen Fisher). Not only did they tend to the groups need, but also the local population en route.

Gap Students from Hereford Cathedral School are currently teaching in at Shree Sharada School and have been since early September 2007. They also joined the group trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC). It is hoped that ex-pupils from HCS will continue this link in future years.

Anyone interested in the Ghachok Link Project and the educational aspect of Shree Sharada School can contact Mr Mike Moffatt on 01432 363539, or via email templarmjm@yahoo.co.uk