Judy Newsome: My trek to Everest Base Camp with VoluntEars (BSL)

I first found out about VoluntEars when someone recommended the organisation to me. I looked on their website and I saw that they arranged trips to Nepal with BSL Interpreters.

These were relaxed trips in diverse groups, assisted by Sherpas. I was immediately interested, because I had been to Nepal back in 1999.

I flew out to Nepal last April and I was really pleased to catch up with a German friend who lives there.

I explored Kathmandu and looked around Durbar Square, which sadly had been damaged by a huge earthquake in 2015. Some of the buildings were still being repaired.

On the trek there were five of us along with a BSL interpreter and the VoluntEars leader, three Guides and four Sherpas. We always had three Guides with us when we were trekking.

We left Kathmandu at 1am in the morning to get our flight to Lukla, then faced a long delay at the airport because of cloudy weather.

It was such a tiny plane, which was only big enough for 20 people. After taking off, straight away we could see mountains through the tiny window, the scenery was unbelievable.

It was so peaceful being away from Kathmandu, a different world up in the mountains with no cars, bus or motorbikes for two weeks.

All I saw were horses, yaks, dogs, cats, hens and cows, it was an amazing world up in the mountains, and the Nepalese people were so friendly, and the food was amazing.

It was so cold and rainy on the second day. I felt I couldn’t walk for 12 days like that, but luckily the rain stopped that night and we were lucky with two weeks of blue skies, although we still had to wear a coat and a hat to keep us warm sometimes.

We reached Namche for two nights rest in a lovely village up the mountain. My group strolled around exploring more, but I decided to have time to myself with a cup of coffee in the sun!

I think I was there for a reason, because I asked two Brazilian men whether I should go to the counter or not, but then when they realised I was deaf, a few minutes later they came up to me gesturing that two Deaf climbers who were aiming to climb Everest were there!

They showed me a photo and I realised it was two Deaf clumbers from America who I was following on Facebook, Shayna and Scott! I’d been watching their videos for months!

The Brazilian men texted them and Shayna and Scott came and then we chatted for over an hour. They are lovely people. I asked what they were doing in Namche, they said they were there for a mini-break due to the bad weather at Everest Base Camp.

They also told me about a Malaysian Deaf climber, Muhammad Hawari Bin Hashim, who was there in a different group – I couldn’t believe there was another Deaf climber aiming to climb Everest there at the same time. I met him later that afternoon and he was so lovely and laidback.

We chatted for about 40 minutes. I asked him why he was wearing an orange jacket, and he told me all his clothes were in the wash, we all smiled at him, he was resting for a few days as well.

The scenery was amazing – the forest, rivers, mountains with different coloured rocks. It was scary walking over wobbly bridges that were high up. I’m afraid of heights but the Sherpas held onto me as we crossed around 10 bridges altogether.

Yaks carried supplies and equipment up the mountains and the Sherpas carried food, water and drinks to the many tea houses and small shops which are all the way up the mountains. We saw lots of different culture and unique places.

The Sherpas were very generous and kind and looked after us very well. I called one of them my “son” and he looked after me, always smiling for two weeks, even when trekking was tough!

The first seven days of our trek were fine, even though the air was thin as we reached a higher altitude. I was lucky that I didn’t have any symptoms of altitude sickness like some people do – such as being dizzy, feeling sick or having a headache.

As we got closer to Everest, we walked slower and slower due to the air, my feet became numb altitude symptoms, I was walking like wobble, but I had no choice but to carry on, I wanted to get to Everest Base Camp!

I hired a horse which helped, she was like my best friend. I could see for miles, all around. It sometimes felt so dangerous due to the rocks, I don’t know how my horse did it. I then got off and used two poles to help me walk.

I finally reached Everest Base Camp and I was lucky the sky was clear so that I could see Everest itself!

I was 5,364 metres up, and I cried with emotion and was there at last.

When I returned to UK, I found out that Muhammad the Malaysian climber had reached the summit, but then had gone missing since. (there is more information on this video and this video from the Daily Moth)

Upon reaching the top of Everest, Lehmann and Unger became the first known Deaf Americans to summit. Unger also became the first Deaf woman in the world to climb the peak.

Only 460 people have stood on the highest mountain of each of the seven continents. None of them has been deaf. Scott Lehmann and Shayna Unger are aiming to be the first.

I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone seeking an adventure of a lifetime and youngsters would benefit from it too.

You can find out more about VoluntEars here: www.voluntears.info and contact them at: Contact@voluntears.info or whatsapp +447713752124