By CapitalEritrea,
SHIGEI Gebremedhin is setting new records in personal achievement with another mountain adventure, but for our folks, it will be to witness a person with origins in Eritrea to reach the top of Mount Everest Base Camp.
The Nepalese and Sherpas call the highest mountain in the world Sagarmatha – “Goddess of the Sky”.
The first generation Eritrean-American is preparing for another challenge and this time she is going to climb to the mountain’s 18,000 feet high Base Camp in September. The summit of Mount Everest is 29,028 feet above sea level and climbing its peak requires a minimum of 18 months to two years of training and preparation.
In comparison the highest mountain in Eritrea, called Emba Soira, is 9,902 feet high and located in the Eritrean Highlands as part of the Great Rift Valley, which cuts through Eritrea and joins the Red Sea.
The hike to Base Camp requires less preparation time, but it demands a high standard of fitness and regular physical exercise. Before embarking on the trek, participants should have done a good amount of cardiovascular and strength conditioning. The group will walk long distances and hike strenuous trekking routes for up to six hours per day, which can get harder with altitude.
Like many Eritreans in the Diaspora, Shigei was born in the West. She was raised in Ithaca, New York and her birthplace lies in Wisconsin. Currently, she works as a business consultant in Manhattan.
Her ability to take fear and transform it to energy and keep pushing forward has allowed her to do a variety of life-expanding experiences, like her climb to Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2011, the Eritrean-American says.
“I have found that the things that scare me the most are the things that make the best experiences.”, she says.
Shigei is encouraging fellow Eritreans to join her on the adventure and to contact her if interested at the following e-mail address [email protected].
“To my fellow sisters and brothers, if you are ready to expand your horizons, and look past your everyday, then share the next incredible adventure with me. Join me on September 2014 as we go with a small group to climb Mt. Everest Base Camp. If you haven’t been scared in awhile, then now is the time.”
