Finally, a rest day – no trekking, no packing up, not even a set time to report for breakfast. Despite being up at 17,500 feet, I enjoyed the best night’s sleep of the entire trip. (Just two nights ago in Lobuche, I only managed about three hours of sleep and dragged myself into camp exhausted!) Today, it was awesome to feel no pressure to be anywhere. Matt and I could relax in our lounge tent or the dining tent, let our bodies recover and recharge.
Around noon, the three other climbers who will join Ryan Waters and me on the summit push returned from their three-day climb of Mount Lobuche. We all gathered for lunch. Matt (from Boston) and Grace & Jason (a couple from San Francisco) are our new teammates, and I’m thrilled to have them on board. I’ll share more of their individual stories later, but for now I’m just grateful for the camaraderie and team spirit they bring.
After lunch, Matt, our Sherpa guide Nanga, and I took a short walk down to the edge of the Khumbu Icefall. This towering maze of ice seracs is the gateway to the upper mountain – and the most dangerous section of the climb. I’ll climb through that next week on our first rotation up to Camp One and Camp Two. For today, though, it was enough to share it with Matt from a safe distance,
Matt and I also recorded a couple of short “thank you” videos to express our gratitude to Livestrong and Parents for helping share our mission and purpose. These organizations have shone a spotlight on our journey, and we couldn’t be more thankful. In fact, the Parents article about our climb was picked up by major outlets like MSN and Yahoo News, spreading the word about Hopecam’s mission even further.
It’s heartwarming to know that so many people are learning about why we’re here: to ensure children with cancer can stay connected to their friends and not feel so alone during treatment.
On that note, Livestrong recently announced the publication of a new children’s book about cancer that our very own Brett Fox (Hopecam’s Director of Operations and Philanthropy) co-wrote in partnership with Livestrong. The book, titled My Brave Friend: Emma and Noah Face Cancer Together, is now available. It’s a wonderful story aimed at helping young kids understand a classmate’s cancer diagnosis in an age-appropriate way. We’re so proud of this collaboration with Livestrong – it’s yet another example of how teamwork and compassion can create resources that make a real difference for families dealing with cancer.
I am also excited to share that Northern Virginia Magazine published an article about our journey today. Hometown support means a lot, and this piece helps spread awareness in our local community about what we’re trying to accomplish here on Everest. The more people know about Hopecam’s mission – to connect children undergoing cancer treatment with their friends and classrooms – the closer we get to our goal of raising $1 million so no child has to fight cancer in isolation.
Matt and I retired early last night, and by 6:20 a.m, we arrived at the helipad. Matt was set to return to Lukla and then Kathmandu this afternoon, followed by an early flight to Doha, Qatar, before finally arriving home in Virginia on Sunday afternoon. I’m going to miss him terribly.
Matt Leaving Everest Base Camp
