Port Macquarie and Kempsey hikers complete YPS Everest Base Camp Community Project

The finance manager for Port City Bowling Club was one of 12 trekkers from Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Sydney to participate in the YPS Everest Base Camp Community Project.

During the project in April, she hiked with a team to Everest Base Camp raising almost $60,000 for the YP Space Mid North Coast charity and awareness of youth homelessness.

The group was supported by Port City Bowling Club who partnered with YPS for the cause.

"I did a similar trek with the Leukemia Foundation in 2016 which was Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 metres) and we had a group of 17 of us," she said.

"I found the first trek so amazing, it was so rewarding and made me think I could do more of this."

The group flew to Nepal on April 18 this year, then made the journey from Kathmandu to Ramechap by bus.

They began the 11 day, seven hour per day hike from Lukla, at 2800m in altitude, to the base camp (5364m) and Kala Pattar at 5545m before walking back to Lukla.

"It is unique and it's not for everyone," she said.

"It's hard because you have to have endurance and be able to walk for 10 hours a day, there are complications with altitude regardless of how fit you are.

"You need the mental capacity to push through and be able to to deal with whatever is thrown at you.

"You don't have to be super fit but obviously the fitter you are the easy it's going to be on those hard days, physically, emotionally."

Twelve climbers lost their lives trying to reach or descend from the main summit (8,848m) this year, many suffering from altitude sickness caused by the low levels of oxygen.

Ms Buckby witnessed the contrast between the crowded tent conditions at base camp and the solemn majesty of the peak.

"My initial thought when I first saw base camp was just how massive it is," she said.

"There are hundreds of tents for all the exhibition parties.

"Just to see it and think wow these guys are climbing to the tallest mountain, this is just awesome."

The Port Macquarie hiking powerhouse was one of three members of the group to ascend the nearby peak of Kala Pattar (5545m).

"It was amazing to see how big the base camp was and how many people we're getting ready to attempt it but my achievement was climbing Kala Pattar," she said.

"Everyone was really struggling with altitude at that point. You'd take a couple of steps and have to rest just to get your heart rate back down.

"You'd feel a little bit like there is an elephant sitting on your chest. It definitely didn't feel natural to be up there."

Ms Buckby said Everest was no more crowded than previous years but had suffered with a shorter season of permissible weather in May.

"When we were there, they'd started setting up for the window of six or seven weeks that all the permit holders can ascend," she said.

"I don't think they had many more people trekking than normal, they just didn't get the window for the weather.

"Once they get good weather everyone goes and there's no one standing at the bottom saying 'sorry, you have to wait'.

"They all work individually so it becomes a hard thing to control because they spend a lot of money and time.

"When you're up there at altitude you get quite insular, you're just thinking about you and your team, you're not aware of what is happening around you.

"In some ways it's a very selfish thing to do, because you have to be at peace that you could die on the mountain and leave everyone behind.

"I think once you get over that 6000m and you're using bottled oxygen there is a lot of risk in that."

During the trip, the group also spent a project day repairing Mahankal Secondary School which houses 476 students in Kathmandu, re-plastering and painting classrooms.

"For future trips we will look for other remote treks," she said.

"Originally we booked the Inca trail for next October but it's just too close to what we have just done. We've pushed it back to October 2021.

"We're really keen to look at new ways to support YP Space."

Forty-one teams involving 378 climbers were permitted to scale Everest during the spring climbing season this year.

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