A group of five girls from St Mary’s School (Waverley, Johannesburg) and their parents made history by trekking to Everest earlier this year.
Guided by Klasie Wessels from the adventure coaching company, Streetschool, the group reached their goal recently after trekking for eight days up the Khumbu valley in Eastern Nepal. Included in the group were the youngest South African sisters ever to make it to Everest Base Camp.
Their journey started in October 2011 when Alex von Bardeleben, Bianca Bailey, Bernie Burger, Julia and sister Kim Huysamer decided to join the Streetschool expedition. It took them six months of training to prepare for the physical challenge, and part of this program included a hike up Sani pass to Thabana Ntletyana, at 3482m the highest point in Southern Africa.
The group of 18 people left for Nepal and flew to Lukla to start the trek. The landing at Lukla is in itself an adventure – at 2,840m regarded as one of the most dangerous airstrips in the world.
On the hike of nine days to Everest base camp the girls had to deal with the challenges altitude bring such as diarrhea, nausea, headaches and dehydration. Their acclimatization plan included two nights in the charming Sherpa village of Namche Bazaar, at 3,440m the capital of the Sherpa people. From there the journey really got tough. When a normal person walks through the altitude barrier of 4,000m the body rebels; even more so for young girls in their teens.
It was at the village of Dingboche at an altitude of 4,410m where things really got difficult., Kim was too weak to walk. And the whole group had to decide on what to do. After some discussions a decision was made – we were all to wait with Kim while she recovered.
Said sister Julia: “I’m doing this with my sister. If she stays, I want to stay with her. We are in this together”. And the group agreed.
The next morning Kim was better and the journey continued. But not for much longer. After two hours of walking and at an altitude of 4,600m, Kim could go no further. After many tears and hugs of encouragement , another decision was made.
This time a much more unpleasant one – to split the group with expedition leader, Klasie, and dad, Martin, taking Kim to the nearby Edmund Hillary Hospital and the rest of the group continuing on their journey.
The plan was to make a final decision at the hospital whether Kim should abandon the expedition and retreat back down the mountain, or continue upwards and onwards. At the Hillary Hospital staffed by volunteers, a very efficient Swedish doctor diagnosed Kim as being very tired yet fit enough to continue.
Some magic Nepalese medicine did its work and by 2pm that day, the evacuation team had rejoined the main group amidst lots of laughter and shouts of delight. Said Kim: “This was the hardest day of my life. I really wanted to continue. I worked so hard and didn’t want to let my family down by abandoning the expedition”.
For Julia, the unification was equally special: “As a family we are a team. I was so excited when I saw Kim and my dad coming over the hill to join us. We belong together on this mountain”.
The group continued for two more days and successfully made it to Everest Base Camp at 5,350m . Here the five St Mary’s girls sang the school war cry and celebrated their achievement by taking pictures to capture the most special adventure moment of their lives.
Kim and Julia concur: “Once you have achieved a tough, challenging goal such as this one, nothing else looks impossible. Whenever we face tough challenges, we will just think back to Everest and know we can overcome any challenge!”
Expedition leader Klasie Wessels adds: “The girls were amazing. They were very determined and set an example for us all. The courage they showed will carry them to great heights in their future lives”.
Streetschool specialises in taking people on amazing adventures as part of personal development. Their next journey is taking 28 Grade 10 and 11 Children to teach English to Tibetan monks in Dharamsala, India.
The expedition to Everest Base Camp was such a success, plans are already being made for the next one in April 2013. Anyone interested can contact Klasie Wessels at Streetschool on 082 55 44 614, klasie@streetschool.co.za or visit www.streetschool.co.za.
The Five St Mary's girls make it to Everest Base Camp - Biana, Bernie, Alex, Julia and Kim with SA flag
In other huge, headlining news, Frikkie Doedlesak, 13, became the youngest South African ever to gargle the national anthem using that orange Listerene that no-one really believes cleans as well as the original blue one.
“Included in the group were the youngest South African sisters ever to make it to Everest Base Camp.” Srsly?
Paul, I couldn’t agree with you more. ultimately though if you aren’t the first you are no one. would love to know how they verified this fact.
I also agree with Paul, THOUSANDS of people make it to the base camp every Everest season. It is not a huge feat to have achieved. Sorry if it sounds rude but its the truth! In other news, I am one of the people that doesn’t think the Orange Listerene doesn’t clean like the Blue one. The blue one really hurts in fact which makes me think it is stronger. I don’t know but that’s how I feel, the problem is that the orange tastes better! I think in going to make a cocktail of orange and blue which will combine the cleaning power of the blue with the taste of the orange! It will be brown though…
Why the need to pi** on their parade? Stop yourself.
Weldone girls, I hope this is the first, of a string of huge achievments.
Because these 8a.nu-style “records” are retarded. They had a nice time and walked to Everest base camp. That’s fantastic! Is it newsworthy that five teenagers from a rich private school went on an overseas holiday? No.
uuuhm, I agree with everyone – writer included. Would be nice to see the official Everest base campers record book though.
To the parents and kids:
I think it is amazing that you went and that your parents spent time with you. Honestly, I know aflfuent parents who’d rather stuff cash in their kids’ pockets, so the kids can trip out on tik while they trip out on coke. Well done to the parents: If I had kids and the cash this would be the type of thing I’d love to do with them. It gives new meaning to the words quality time.
To the affluency befuddled compainants:
If you are jealous because you dont have kids – make a plan.
If you are jealous because you dont have money – follow the affluent example:
i. be born into a rich family
ii. marry into a rich family
iii. do like most money huggers and start working 16+hour days 6-7 days a week and you will also get there. It comes at a cost though: you will have to settle with throwing money at everest base camp because you will not have time anymore to train for those hard projects that make you drool. Eventually you may just give up on life and get your kick out of coke rather than climbing as you get caught in the trap.
Be realistic. Stop sounding like a jealous prole. Enjoy life. Climb hard. Have fun.
You guys are sounding like typical adolescents when they discover they’ve been outdone by a bunch of teenage girls. Warren, Paul, Craig what does your respective altitude CVs look like? An experienced, super-fit mountaineer in our team was put in a hyperbaric chamber in Dingboche because he was puking his lungs out on the way in to a climb in the Khumbu. For a bunch of teenage girls to prepare and then make it that far is impressive, especially when most their age are spending their free time on BBM and Facebook. (their male equivalents seem to hang out on climb.za’s comment section
If you have the money, what a great way to teach your kids some values. That’s certainly to be promoted – well done St Mary’s and streetschool.co.za.
Well said Pieter!
Look, I never meant to take away from a great achievement. I am planning to do Everest sometime, it is one of my “life goals”. And yes I am jealous, jealous that I did not have the same opportunity. I might have sounded rude but that was not my intention.
Please understand that (my) writing can be taken the wrong way very easily. I think that if I was explaining my point of view in person you would understand where I’m coming from, maybe not agree but at least see that I’m not a dick
@ Pieter: please explain to me how our passed altitude achievements will have any bearing on this- or any other- conversation? I remember a few months ago having a debate on correct beta for Lotters Desire with a groups of mixed ability climbers. At one point one guy stepped forward and asked if i have ever climbed 30, and if not then i had no position to speak. your argument here is equally preposterous. I have never climbed Cerro Torro (or any other big wall) but i still think Meastri did things that take away from the achievement and embarrass me as a climber. am i not entitled to think this because i haven’t been there? I stand by my support of Paul’s comments: they completed their challenge and should rightfully be proud and respected accordingly, but it is not news worthy and their record is absurd!
why cant we all just live in peace, love and harmony?
and keep to the simple request when leaving a comment:
Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam.
eish
Warren, what gain are you unhelpful comments?
Its a cute story. Stop yourself from reading if you find it not-news-worthy
@Everybody, Everybody (Yes that includes you) is entitled to their opinion. Whether you agree or not with others’ doesn’t really matter. I don’t understand why you guys must bitch at us for having different opinions to you.
@Franz, you want a peace and love filled world. Stop making out that you are so high an mighty just because you believe that your side of the argument is the correct one, everyone does that’s why it is an argument. Everyone’s topics have been perfectly on topic.
@Derek, “unhelpful comments” take a look at that very comment you made.
Warren clearly stated he said he thinks they should be proud of the achievement but HE does not believe it is newsworthy. If you don’t like his opinion, deal with it yourself instead of creating conflict.
Everyone chill out, people have opinions that is their prerogative.
Millions of people sat around watching TV, Facebooking, BBM-ing, Tweeting & bleating on the forum, while 5 young people(from SA) made a goal, trained, packed traveled & walked 9 days at altitude.
Craig’s, oppinion: “THOUSANDS of people make it to the base camp every Everest season. It is not a huge feat to have achieved” ….what a chop! (that’s my oppinion)
With regards to this item being news worthy or not: a person climbs a 4 meter boulder problem at grade ‘V something’ and it gets posted on this site. Why not this?
A lot of people don’t summit Kili or Mnt Kenya on account of the altitude.
Kilimanjaro: 5,895m / 19,341 feet
Mount Kenya: 5,199 m / 17,057 feet
Everest Base Camp: 5360 meters / 17580 feet – So not bad going for a couple of girls
@Derek, The first sentence is a fact. The second, yes, my opinion. I have a right to think what I want as do you. If you think I’m a chop, go ahead. I’m not going to start a battle with you about it.
@Justin, I agree it is an achievement. You imply that you don’t think that people bouldering is newsworthy, personally I kind of agree. I enjoy reading about what people are doing in the climbing world but I don’t want 700 articles about some random guy sending a 7a.
P.s I think the most of the disinterest in this article stems from the fact that I am not really interested in alpine mountaineering. Not to say that I do not applaud those who excel in it.
Justin steps into the ring!
To further assume… when something becomes an achievement it (often) becomes news worthy. Yes, reporting 700 times about someone climbing 7a problems would not interest that many people.
However, this was different and (seemingly) of interest to a few people. This website covers pretty much anything mountain related so you might very well see another article about the girls walking up to Everest base camp again next year this time! Who knows, some of those girls might even take up rock climbing one day!?
p.s. Different opinions are what make for a good argument
p.p.s. It’s interesting how the most disinteresting things bring in the most comments!
Craig…quite right, think what you want, absolutely agreed. But perhaps think nice before making your thoughts about someone’s achievements public. No need to negative comment. They are just kids, they did no harm. They did great!
I’m not into Everest or alpine, but I’m not going to pi** on it.
I agree with Justinn & Derek.
Keeping criticism constructive builds morale, which builds spyche, whic makes people want to do more, achieve more, which makes everyone happy.
Spread the peace and love