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Former Red Deerian makes the trek to Mount Everest base camp

Nepal journey a success
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Jill Flewelling prepared for some cold nights on her journey to the Mount Everest Base Camp. (Contributed)

A former Red Deerian celebrated her birthday while making a nine-day, high-altitude trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp.

Jill Flewelling, 52, started her hike on Oct. 24 and reached the base camp on Nov. 1.

“I can just tell by the pictures of her that she’s happy,” said her mother Marg, of Red Deer, who has been receiving email updates from her daughter.

“I’m proud of her. She was so focused.”

There was only one day of rest to acclimatize to the altitude during the trek to the camp located 5,365-metres high, the closest people can get to Mount Everest without mountaineering equipment.

The trail took her on winding paths, through forests and glacial lakes, and across suspension bridges to reach the Himalayan Giants.

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Jill, who now lives in Denver, Colo., grew up in Red Deer and attended Grandview School, Eastview Middle School, Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School, and Red Deer College before getting her Bachelor of Nursing degree at Lethbridge University.

She continues to work in health care online and prepared for her trek in Nepal by working out daily at home and regularly climbing the 4,200-metre (14,000 foot) mountain peaks in Colorado known as the 14ers.

“Every time she got a chance she’d go on these 14ers.”

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Marg, who worked as a dean’s secretary at Red Deer College before retiring, said at first she didn’t like the idea of her daughter going to Nepal, but her daughter did not encounter any problems during her trek.

“She would tell me there’s going to be other people. Don’t worry.”

Her daughter downplayed her achievement, but Marg said it’s a feat that may inspire others, and people in her hometown would be interested in her accomplishment.

News reports are full of disasters and war so it’s nice to read about something that’s positive, her mother said.



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