Local man Liam McDwyer had dreamed of reaching Everest Base Camp since he was a young boy and read a book about the Himalayas. Over forty years later, and with encouragement from his wife, he decided that 2022 was the year in which he would set about making his dream come true. Now one year later Liam has completed the 130km trek, climbing 5,364m in the process, and has added a big tick against his “reach Mt. Everest Base Camp” bucket list box.
In the intervening year Liam upped his fitness regime to ensure he was as fit as possible going into the adventure. He explained “This is a trek versus a climb so you do not need climbing experience and lots of equipment, but you definitely need a good level of fitness and some endurance training. The fitter you are the more you will enjoy it and the more likely you are to succeed.” Liam spent a lot of weekends in Connemara, climbing in the Maamturks and Twelve Bens, and even used the stairs at Genesys Bonham Quay, where he works, when the weather was too bad to get out.
The hardest part of the adventure is dealing with the altitude and for this reason the ascent is done slowly over 12 days giving more time for trekkers to acclimatise as they climb. Of course, the trek would not have been possible without the support of their two local guides (Sherpas ) who Liam says were “simply fantastic, ensuring everybody completed the trek safely and successfully.”
Liam goes on to say “One of the joys of the trek is the spectacular nature you walk through. Coming around a corner and seeing Mt Everest looming above you is just breath-taking. Then reaching the base camp is an amazing feeling, even if it’s really just a very large rock with Everest Base Camp spray-painted on it! Amazingly I got a phone signal while there and was able to call my wife, Marie. It was a special moment and worth every hour of the preparation and sacrifice I made and one I will treasure forever.”
Liam is keen to acknowledge that reaching base camp would not have been possible without the fantastic support he received from my employer, Genesys, and his wonderful colleagues, friends and wider family who give him such encouragement and cheered him on through social media every day.
Without their digital cheerleading through some tough days, I am not sure I would have made it. However, my final word goes to my wife and children, for really it was their encouragement and support that spurred me to go for it and ensured I made it. I feel very lucky I got to complete this amazing adventure and I am so grateful to everyone who helped me get there.”
Liam used his adventure to raise money for Cancer Care West and was delighted to exceed the target on his iDonate page which he had set at €5,364, matching the height in metres he had to climb to. If you would like to donate to Liam’s Trekking for Cancer Care West, there is still time, please go to https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/LiamMcDwyer. Or if you are interested in what life on the Everest trail is like, Liam posted a daily report, which you can find by searching for him on Instagram.
