Rotarian Climbs Everest–Partway

(Aired January 4 and 5, 2020)

New Paltz Rotarian Laura Rooney has had many adventures all over the world, but she still had Mount Everest on her “bucket list” until recently when she turned 50 and thought it was time to get on with it. Not quite true mountain climbers, some 40,000 persons each year hike far up Everest with no desire to use the special equipment most climbers need to reach the 27,000-ft- high peak—Everest Base Camp is high enough, at 17,500 feet, for serious hikers; it is some 3,000 feet higher than the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Ms. Rooney describes what it is like to fly into Lukla, Nepal, arriving at the most dangerous airport in the world. Then, with Sherpas as guides, she walked 4 or 5 miles for 8 days up the mountain for a rise in elevation of 8,000 more feet to reach Everest Base Camp, spending the nights in various villages or camps along the way. She was part of a small group of 15 trekkers who slept on mats in small dome tents. When they reached Everest Base Camp, they were living on a glacier. Being a Rotarian, she got people to sponsor her hike by donating to the New Paltz Rotary’s BackPack Program, and she wore ribbons honoring the contributors on her own backpack as she climbed. Downhill was easier, only a 4-day hike.

Learn More

New Paltz Rotary Club: https://www.newpaltzrotary.org/

Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/07/20/lukla-the-worlds-most-dangerous-airport/-36e71e064a1a

Everest Base Camp Trek: https://ebctrekguide.com/

Living at Everest Base Camp: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/05/everest-base-camp-daily-life/