A trek with a purpose! A group of friends will be trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp this November under the expert guidance of Dr Nigel Camilleri, an avid trekker. The group will not only be trekking up Everest, but will also be volunteering their time while in Nepal. We spoke to Eugene Warrington and Nigel Camilleri to get the deets about the trek and the charitable cause.

“I’ve been fascinated by mountains since the first time I visited the Dolomites in South Tyrol some 18 years ago, so it was a no brainer when I found out that Nigel was organising an Everest Base Camp (EBC) trekking group. The fact that we are collecting funds for the Sisters of Mother Teresa made it more appealing.”

Eugene tells us that this will be a completely new experience for him, even though he’s trekked other mountains before. “I did trekking at the Dolomites and Chamonix where I reached heights of 3,500m; however the EBC trek is something different since the Camp is located at an altitude of 5,500m!” Woah.

Eugene reveals that while it’s a moderately intense trek, preparation still needs to be done. “I try to lead a healthy lifestyle which includes running between three or four times a week, and I’ve recently added some local trekking to my training schedule. I also climb 154 steps on a daily basis,” he adds, his office being on the seventh floor. Eugene also says that preparing for such a trek also includes getting gear in order. “One has to invest in proper warm clothing as temperatures can reach below 15°C once we reach the Base Camp.”

Dr Nigel Camilleri, as psychiatrist by profession and an avid trekker, will be visiting Nepal for the third time, following different treks in the Annapurna region in 2006 and through Tibet in 2013. “Nepal, for a variety of reasons, is my favourite country I’ve visited to date, but mainly because of the way in which the people address life and the sheer beauty of the mountain ranges.”

After volunteering for two years in Palermo and locally, Nigel developed a curiosity for the area in which Mother Teresa started her mission. “Together with a group of friends in 2001 we ventured to Calcutta, India, and volunteered at the Sisters’ home for five summers after that.”

The trek up to the Base Camp

The trek will take 12 days to complete and will begin from Lukla, a small town in Nepal. “We will be walking through a number of Sherpa villages, staying at lodges and tea houses along the trek,” Eugene says. Nigel revealed that the trek is quite the special one, following in the footsteps of trailblazers in the field. “I’ve always wished to follow the traditional route. It seems like a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary (the first people to stand atop the world’s highest mountain) and many a trekker after them,” he admits.

Emotions ahead of the trek

Eugene and Nigel go on to share their thoughts ahead of the trek. “I do have mixed emotions about the trek,” says Eugene. “I know it’s not going to be easy to make it to the Camp. However, I am fully aware that the breath-taking views and being close to the highest peaks in the world will definitely compensate for that.”

Nigel is looking forward to being in the moment while on this trek. “I do believe this journey will give me the mental space to ground myself again,” he says. “The voluntary work will also give me the opportunity to fully focus on the aspect of ‘giving,’ without being interrupted by the numerous other demands of our busy daily lives.”

What advice do Eugene and Nigel give to anyone wanting to go on the same adventure?

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa.

“It was in the giving that I was given the opportunity to meet so many great people, who taught me so many different things, and to visit so many places. Some of the giving did not require too much apart from being a human – offering a smile to the man who sat alone in the corner of his bed, by offering time to the child who played alone in an orphanage, by listening to the woman who opened up about her story,” Nigel says.

Eugene also had his two cents to give. “My advice to others, especially younger people; is to explore the world and to combine such adventures with charity work, which will somehow alleviate the suffering of people who are less fortunate than us.”