Despite reaching her goal, Mt. Everest’s base camp at 17,500 feet, Suzi Doggett had one more tantalizing target the next morning at 5 a.m. on the world’s tallest mountain.
Steveston mom-of-three Doggett and around 10 or so of her fellow climbers — including Richmond Fire-Rescue battalion chief Trevor Johnson — made the short, pre-dawn trek from base camp to Kala Patthar at 18,200 feet to witness the sun rising over Everest.
“It was a very difficult leg of the trip, but it was spectacular,” said Doggett, who was making the journey as part of the Summits of Hope (SOH) pledge to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital.
“We were there just long enough to take a few pictures and that was it, as we had a long journey back.
“It was minus 20 (Celsius) when we left base camp, but we had taken a few layers off on the way there, as the sun started to come up.”
Doggett described the entire 12-day trek as “fantastic” and praised the local Nepalese people for being “gracious and happy to show you their beautiful part of the planet.”
There were, of course, a few challenges along the way; but not from the anticipated altitude sickness.
“We all struggled at some point,” added Doggett.
“When I was in Ecuador last year (also an SOH trip); it was much lower but I felt the effects more that time.
“This time, all I got was a bit of a respiratory bug, but you take your chances on these trips.”
Last year, Doggett raised $15,000 trekking up active and dormant volcanoes in Ecuador on an SOH trip.
And with donations still coming in from the latest adventure, Doggett is already eyeing up the next SOH journey in 2015.
“I very much plan to do it again. I’m not sure what they have planned for next year, but I’d be very interested.”
Summits of Hope, a Richmond-based non-profit organization, organizes every year, two fundraising treks to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital.
Since 1999, SOH has raised more than $3 million for BC Children’s Hospital.
All participants pay for their own trips and try to raise funds in the process.
