Skip to main content

Jessie's Trek to Base Camp

On Wed 18th June '25 member Jessie Harman gave us an informative presentation about her recent trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

Her adventure began in Katmandhu with a flight into the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla – the gateway to the Himalayas with a 527m long runway on the side of a mountain! The walk covered 150km’s over 14 days through three distinct areas - Forest, Rocky and the vastness of the mountains.

The team started with 14 trekkers under the guidance of Rotarian / Adventurer Ken Hutt from the Rotary Club of Berry in NSW. The walkers were aged between 40 and 80 – somewhat older than the average walkers on the track.

The team carried small daypacks and were assisted by porters moving rest of gear – they were accommodated in tea houses which provided basic facilities – often only with squat toilets and without showers.

Jessies’ 5 reflections were:

  • The trip was the hardest thing she has ever done
  • She has never been so cold
  • The trail is a working trail not just for trekkers
  • Never take oxygen for granted
  • Beauty of region is breathtaking

Jessie reminded us that sometimes you just need to take one step at time to get to your goal. Our work to eradicate Polio is so close to the end with only 14 cases worldwide this year.