“I’m going to be going to Nepal to trek up through the Himalayas to Mt. Everest base camp,” said Sydney Poole, a 15-year-old sophomore at Naperville Central High School.
It’s a journey few 15-year-olds get to make, but Poole will join her father Rick and stepmom Meagan on the three-week trek to the camp 18,000 feet above sea level.
To prepare for the journey, the family is hitting the treadmill – one mile per hour at inclines up to 40 degrees while carrying 30 pounds of weight for up to three hours.
And while Sydney and Meagan will be stopping at base camp, Rick is attempting the full summit.
“Having Sydney and Meagan there is going to be awesome because it’s a three-week journey just to get up to base camp so I’m looking forward to spending time with them,” said Rick.
Rick started climbing about 10 years ago in Colorado and Sydney has the bug too, recently summiting the 14,000-foot La Plata in the Rocky Mountains. She’s excited for the chance to see the world’s tallest mountain, but hasn’t yet decided if she wants to make the ascent herself one day.
“I’ll definitely have to get more experience, maybe going back to Colorado,” said Sydney. “And if it really clicks and it’s something I enjoy putting my time into, then I don’t see why I couldn’t go all the way.”
Their trip will last from March 25 through April 13.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.