An INTREPID Musselburgh couple have completed the challenge of a lifetime – reaching South Base Camp at Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.
Sports therapist Jodie Harvey, 30, and her partner Jamie Ramday, 34, a marine scientist, who live in the Monktonhall area, decided to put their mutual love of hiking and mountains to good use to raise funds to help a friend who has multiple sclerosis (MS).
They are completing a gruelling 130-kilometre trek through the Himalayas – a round trip from a starting point at Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, before flying back to Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu.
Jodie, a former pupil of Campie Primary and Musselburgh Grammar Schools, said: “Our good friend Jemma Fegan made the decision to do stem cell transplant and was planning on trying to raise funds to help with the costs of it. So for us, it made sense to help her by doing some fundraising ourselves with this trekking challenge.”
Starting on April 29, the couple have had to battle a drop in oxygen levels and severe cold as they made their way to Mount Everest’s South Base Camp, which is located in Nepal at an altitude of 5,364m.
They reached their destination at about 9am yesterday morning (Wednesday), after spending Tuesday acclimatising in the last village before base camp: Gorak Shep at 5,180m.
Rising to 8,849 metres above sea level, Everest is the world’s highest mountain.
During the tough expedition, which tested them mentally and physically, they had an average trekking time of seven hours per day over roughly two weeks.
“The altitude gain is the trickiest part as there is up to 50 per cent less oxygen than at sea level along the trek, so
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even walking and catching your breath can be tiresome, and its difficult to sleep at these altitudes. The cold is very challenging also,” Jodie explained.
She said: “Along the way, we stay in local family run teahouses - lodges that have no heating apart from a stove in the middle of the dining room that is fuelled by yak (mountain cow) dung. Temperatures drop to -9 degrees at night.
“Usually people do the Everest Base Camp Trek with a trekking company or guide and porter to help navigate and carry their backpacks but we have chosen to do it independently and carrying our own backpacks weighing at 15kg and 10kg each.”
She explained: “When you get to base camp, you can see views of the Khumbu Glacier and all the expedition tents that are set up there for the climbers who are looking to summit Everest. May is the weather window for a chance to summit the mountain so the atmosphere will be incredible. Nimsdai, the climber of 14 Peaks on Netflix is actually there at the moment too, as he is an expedition leader.
“We will enjoy the views there, cope with the crazy altitude of 5,364m, soak it all in before starting our descent of the mountain. Getting to base camp is only half way in the trek as we have to retrace our steps and come all the way back down.”
Jodie said Jemma, 31, who comes from Pilton in Edinburgh, was diagnosed with MS at the age of 21 and has tried many different ways to stop the progression of the autoimmune disease including lifestyle changes and physiotherapy. She explained that Jemma’s condition was progressing and was affecting her balance and mobility, making it difficult for her to live an independent life.
“She has tried many different ways to stop the progression of the autoimmune disease. Stem cell transplant is her chance at stopping the progression of it. She’s fundraising herself in a hope to raise £55,000 for the treatment in Mexico and us doing the trek can hopefully help her on her way to that,” added Jodie who is due to start a physiotherapy degree at Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, in September.
She said: “The trek to Everest base camp has been something we have wanted to do for a while now but we had no idea just how difficult it would be. It’s been one of the most challenging things we have done but it all feels worthwhile knowing we are helping a good friend of ours with the chance of a more independent life.”
Jodie and Jamie have raised £1,460 towards their £2,000 target.
To donate to Jodie and Jamie’s challenge to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/adventurebobbers?utm_term=DKb7MeDvn
You can also follow their adventure on instagram via @adventurebobbers
Visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/louise-fegan?utm_term=PN5bnRZ25 to support Jemma.
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