Gus, 7, youngest Thai person to reach Everest Base Camp

At the same time as two Thai women died trekking in the Himalayas, a 7 and a half year old boy from Phuket became what is believed to be the youngest Thai person ever to reach Mount Everest Base Camp. Young Gus made the trek along with his parents earlier this month. The team reached Mount Everest Base Camp 5,340 metres above sea level on November 14.

For a boy not quite 8 years old, he was understandably excited and wanted to share the news as reaching Mount Everest Base Camp is an achievement that few people ever see in their lifetime. His classmates at Kajonkiet Thalang school in Phuket were keeping track of his ascension of the legendary and dangerous mountain through postings of videos on YouTube.

Gus reported that his class and his school have been very supportive of him along the way, and he was looking forward to sharing the experience with all the students and his teachers. When asked for advice on how to climb one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, the young boy offered words of encouragement.

“If I can do it, so can you.”

Gus was part of an experienced climbing team that included his mother and father as well as two more travellers that joined them from Phuket. They had worked with a trekking company that has supported their journey for over 20 years, and members of the group had 19 treks between them to either Annapurna or Mount Everest.

After plenty of preparation for the physical and psychological demands of hiking a mountain with such frigid temperatures and challenging terrain, the group boarded a rough bus to a regional airport that flew them to Tenzing-Hillary Airport, named after Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first two people known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

From there they spent eight days ascending over 3,500 metres vertically on their 71-kilometre hike to the base camp of Mount Everest. The team averaged 12 kilometres a day. Early November is the peak season for trekking because it’s right before the harshest cold blows in the winter. Temperatures are still quite low though and, above 4,000 metres, the sparsity of oxygen makes simple breathing difficult.

Gus’s father reported to The Phuket News about encountering several hikers sitting and crying at various points on the trek. He said Gus offered them kind enthusiasm and try to motivate them to continue the climb. He also reported what he described as “an overwhelming emotional response” to reaching the Mount Everest Base Camp with his family, setting the record for the youngest Thai climber to reach base camp.