The group is training in the Gatineau Hills to prepare for the climb.
On April 22, Shawn Dawson will lead a group of Ottawa residents on a climb to Mount Everest’s base camp, at an elevation of 5,181.6 metres.
The group will be trekking for about six to eight hours per day, and moving up about 914.4 metres each day to raise money for charity.
“Everest base camp is the world’s mecca of treks,” says Dawson. “It’s one of the most majestic and difficult treks in the world, but it’s still a case where ordinary people can do extraordinary things.”
But the real challenge for the team will be dealing with the change in altitude.
“Altitude can be extremely difficult and even life threatening,” says Dawson. “It all depends on the acclimatization process and having people who can recognize the signs of altitude sickness.”
Altitude can make an easy walk extremely difficult, making people short of breath and faint, even over short distances.
“The trick with altitude is, as soon as the process begins then you have to go back,” says Dawson.
A few years ago, Dawson founded the Dream Mountain Foundation, which uses climbs like this to raise money for seven charities.
It’s seven charities because of the seven continents highest peaks, each of which Dawson has climbed for a good cause.
Dawson raised $150,000 through those seven climbs and decided then to organize more trips.
But this time he wanted to bring people along to help spread the idea.
“When I did the seven summits I wanted it to be about something bigger than myself and that’s when I formed Dream Mountain,” says Dawson. “It’s seven charities close to my heart for the seven summits.”
The first group trek was to Mount Kilimanjaro last year, where Dawson’s Dream Mountain Foundation raised over $100,000.
Darren Prashad co-ordinated the Everest trip and will be taking part in his first climb. He’s been preparing with the group on regular Sunday hikes through the Gatineau Hills, but says it’s impossible to know how your body will react to the altitude.
“You could be a soldier, tri-athlete or marathon runner and when you get up into those kinds of altitudes it could hit you just like anybody else,” says Prashad.
It’s the first time he’s ever done anything like this, but Prashad says he’s excited about the trip.
“Being in the Himalayas is going to be a great experience, but helping out Care Canada is what’s driving me to make it all the way to base camp.”
Also taking part in the Everest trek is Centretown resident Katie Martin.
She’s known Dawson for 20 years and finally decided to join him on one of his adventures.
She was inspired by one of Dawson’s favourite charities, Dreams Take Flight, which takes disadvantaged Ottawa children on a one day trip to Disney World.
“I talked to him the day after one of their trips and he was just so happy to have helped,” says Martin. “I could just hear the pride in his voice and how honoured he was to have been a part of it.”
Martin is looking forward to the trek, but says family and friends have been giving her plenty of advice.
“So many have done something similar and they all tell me the same thing,” says Martin. “It’s an amazing experience, but they would never do it again.”
In spite of this, Martin is planning on a second adventure next spring when Dawson’s Dream Mountain series moves to the Inca Trail in Peru.