Port Union friends mark a milestone birthday at Mount Everest base camp
Instead of marking their 45th birthdays with an all-inclusive beach holiday, best friends Krista Winsor Maloney and Charlene Feehan Hiscock opted for something a little more strenuous.
They flew to Nepal and went on a trek to the Mount Everest base camp.
"I think it was on the top of Krista's bucket list," said Hiscock.
"And when she mentioned it to me I said, 'Sure, why not?'"
Maloney and Hiscock have been buddies ever since they were little girls, growing up just a few houses apart in Port Union, on the Bonavista Peninsula. They remember a childhood in outport Newfoundland spent outdoors with family and friends.
When they both graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, they moved to Alberta to build their careers. Hiscock and her husband live in Calgary, and Maloney and her husband live in the smaller Alberta town of Blackfalds.
Hiscock and Maloney have remained close, and they still love being active outdoors and traveling together. For their 40th birthdays, they flew to Peru to trek to Machu Picchu, the 15th century Inca settlement located on the top of a 2400 m mountain ridge.
That trip was such a success, they started thinking about another big birthday adventure — this time to the south base camp at Mount Everest .
"We kind of figured we're not getting any younger," said Maloney. "So if we're going to do this, we'd better do it now."
Challenging hike
The south Mount Everest base camp in Nepal is one of two base camps where mountain climbers and their support teams start their attempts to scale the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, which tops out at 8,849 metres above sea level.
The camp, more than five kilometres above sea level, is accessible via a strenuous hike.
Hiscock and Maloney signed up with a tour group, including two guides and seven porters.
Training required
The two women spent this past winter building up their strength and stamina for the trek.
HIscock trained with lots of cross-country skiing and hiking, while Maloney spent her weekends training in the mountains at Kananaskis or Banff.
"I'll drive anywhere from two to three and a half hours each way just to get out hiking," said Maloney.
Even though there is no mountain climbing involved to get to the Mount Everest base camp, the journey is still difficult.
Altitude sickness
The group spent about a week hiking up to the base camp, taking acclimatization rest days along the way, in order for hikers to adjust to the thinner oxygen at higher altitudes.
Hiscock said May 22, the day that the group reached the base camp, was especially challenging. She suffered from severe headaches brought on by altitude sickness.
"That last base camp day, although my pace with altitude sickness was really slow, Krista never left me for one second," said Hiscock.
"She was making sure that we were both getting there on that last day. A test of friendship in a positive way."
The big 5-0 trip
The two women agreed that reaching the Mount Everest base camp was an unforgettable day, but they said their most treasured memories are of experiencing the culture of Nepal and the hospitality of the Nepalese people.
For their next milestone birthday, their 50th, Maloney has big plans for another trip with Hiscock.
"Kilimanjaro!" exclaimed Maloney.
Hiscock, however, said she needs some time before she considers hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and the fourth highest in the world.
I told her it will take me at least a couple of years to forget that headache on Base Camp day," said Hiscock with a laugh.
"So maybe in a few years she'll convince me."
