BY JONATHAN KANE
Gil Viesturs, a Community School senior, will be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime – trekking with his father Ed Viesturs, who has 30 years of experience in the region, in the Himalayas. The senior Viesturs has summited Everest seven times.
Gil Viesturs, born in the Seattle area, has been attending Community School, where he carries a 3.4 grade point average, since eighth grade. He is a member of the Community School Outdoor Leadership Academy and runs cross-country for the school.
The young Viesturs’ trip for 20 days to the Himalayas is for his senior project.
“First, we will be arriving in Nepal and then we will travel the Goyko Route,” he said. “It will be 57 miles round trip, starting at an elevation of 9,200 feet and reaching a maximum of 17,550 feet at the Everest base camp.
“To prepare, I’ve been running a lot and hiking and climbing a lot, but I think I’m in pretty good shape. I’ve also climbed Mount Borah and Mount Hood and I’m planning on climbing Mount Rainier this summer.
“For the trip. we looked at different options and settled on Goyko,” Viesturs said. “It’s a long distance in the backcountry by foot and it’s a good trek to the Everest base camp. It also intersects some isolated villages.”
As part of his senior project, the Viesturs will be bringing solar panels with them to distribute in the villages.
“They are modest in size and can power appliances, lights and a satellite phone,” Gil Viesturs said. “We will be bringing four of them and will be giving them to four individuals that are in need. My dad has a connection to a solar company that has been working in the area since the earthquake and they sponsored us.
“For my senior project, I will be doing daily journal entries and taking photos and video. When I get home, I will have a movie and a slide show. I’ll be profiling the people that we gave solar units to and a summary of the whole cultural experience.
“To say the least, I’m pretty excited,” Gil Viesturs said. “I’ll literally be on the other side of the world, which is the farthest I’ve ever been from home. It will also be the most rugged terrain I’ve ever been in and the highest altitude I’ve ever experienced.
“But with my preparation, I feel very confident in the whole trip. Going with my dad also gives me confidence because he’s a great guide on something like this. Sharing this experience with him will also be a great way to complete my childhood.
“It is also going to be a great way to see a new culture and how people live in the world,” Viesturs said. “I’ll be going to a place I’ve heard so much about but that I have never experienced first-hand.”