Tag: hiking

Winterim–Backcountry Camping

Our Backcountry hiking course is designed for the high purpose of experiencing and observing self and nature for the improvement and appreciation of both. Some excellent benefits of this course are personal health, maturity, and independence. We’ll also learn some practical survival skills and have an adventure. During our two weeks together we’ll spend time learning about gear, practices, principles and philosophies of hiking. We’ll also take several hiking trips, each one longer than the last, culminating with a 3 night backcountry hike in the Apalachicola National Forest in Florida. This year we have 7 young men participating and having a great time. Hammock camping is the way to go!!
Aside from on campus training, we had three main off campus events. First, we attended a training session at Dunbar Cave with ranger John Ball. We hiked at LBL, making a 5 mile loop to test our gear. Then we headed down to Florida and hiked 12 miles to a backcountry campsite in the Apalachicola National Forest.
We camped and hiked and learned about backpacking and prepping for survival in the wilderness. We got to know each other better and had a great time and got some great memories. This was a wonderful experience for our students. When asked about their trip a couple of the students commented,
“It was like a reset for my brain, so I can come back and I don’t take for granted the things I have.”
-Landon Bailey
“Keep your head up and look at the world around you”
-Tyler Lucas

Winterim–Mt. Everest

On Saturday, Jan 4, nine students and one teacher embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.  Their goal?  To hike to basecamp on Mount Everest in Nepal at 17,598 ft and in the very shadow of summit.  Led by CA Parent, Tony Sonnabend this group of students will experience Buddhist Culture, Nepalese activities and hike more than six hours a day to make their destination.  They will visit Tibetan and Buddhist Monasteries that have been on the slopes of the mountain for generations, and meet and interact with the indigenous people that call the Himalayas home.  A complete blog of their trip will be available upon their return, but for now, check back often for photos and short updates!

 

After 24 hours of travel students have arrived in Luka, Nepal and are ready to take on Everest!

Students have spent another day hiking, hiking, hiking!  While we slept the students made it to just under 12,000 ft of elevation ( gaining 3850 ft in 10 miles of hiking). It snowed on them, but the kids, adults and guides kept going! Tonight they will spend the night in the Namche Bazar.

These are  morning views from our teahouse in Namche Bazar, before we hiked the kids up to the Norgay Tensing Museum.  Sherpa Tensing was the man who summited Everest first on May 29th, 1953 with British climber Sir Edmund Hillary. Another fantastic day in the Himalayas!

The students left Namche Bazar for a 9 hour hike ending in Dingboche. They visited an ancient and storied Buddhist Monastery. The students are getting closer and closer to Base Camp!

Nine Clarksville Academy Students reached Everest Base Camp on Tuesday, after a 8 day trek through the Himalayas. EBC is situated 17,600 feet up on the tallest mountain in the world. The students dealt with extreme cold, altitude sickness and challenging terrain. The trip was organized and chaperoned by CA parent Tony Sonnabend and his company UK International Tours. He was assisted by CA faculty member Mrs. LaurenDrake, along with a professional photographer, an English climbing guide and a team of local Nepalese Sherpa guides and porters.

Asked to describe his experience on the trip, CA Senior Garrett Burger said, “This past 8 days has been equal parts breathtaking and extremely challenging. I have needed constant self discipline to conquer each days challenges. I have come to truly understand the beauty in the struggle…”

The group is currently trekking back to Lukla, before spending a day in Kathmandu and then one more in Istanbul en route home to the United States.

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