An Aberdeen mum fulfilling her ‘lifelong dream’ to climb Mount Everest has revealed what it’s like to conquer the world’s highest mountain.
Personal trainer Lee Donald, 42, is set to become the first woman from Aberdeen – and seventh from Scotland – to scale the famous 8,848.86-metre Himalayan peak.
She’s raising money for north-east cancer charity Friends of Anchor, plus awareness of mental health issues.
She has climbed at least 5,000 metres in 14 days after officially reaching Everest Base Camp on Thursday, April 18.
The climb to Everest Base Camp included a six-hour hike from Lobuche base camp via Gorek Shep.
Since making it to the landmark, located at the foot of the Khumbu Glacier, she has participated in several training exercises.
If you’ve ever wondered what a typical day on Everest Base Camp looks like, keep reading to find out what Lee gets up to on the famous peak.
What a typical day looks like at Mount Everest Base Camp
This week, Lee’s followers got a chance to ‘spend a day’ with her virtually as she gave a glimpse into what takes place on the famous mountain.
Wednesday was a rest day for the personal trainer which allowed her to reveal the conditions she is living in and document the food she is eating.
Lee stays in a tent just about big enough for her and all her belongings.
During the night the temperature drops to around -15C, so anything that is not wrapped up freezes.
To stay warm, she goes to bed with a 1.5lt bottle of hot water which she can then sip on at night if she’s thirsty.
But she tries not to drink too much for fear of having to use the toilet during the night as it is “so cold.”
There are four toilet tents on site which also have an urn of hot water to wash your hands.
However, campmates need to wait until at least 10.15am for pipes to defrost so they can have a shower.
‘There’s a big buzz in camp right now’
She says it can be “super hot” throughout the day, but is typically cold first thing in the morning and later in the evenings.
This prompts her to change into full thermals including a fleece, down vest, jacket, beanie hat, thick socks and boots before dinner.
In the morning she knows it’s going to be freezing, so takes the clothes she’s going to put on into her sleeping bag to warm them up a bit before braving it.
They eat in a dome tent called ‘The Hillary’ with food including fish, potatoes, salad, soup, curried chicken and fried toast.
She says that they “really pack the carbs in” to boost their energy levels.
She describes a “big buzz” in camp at the moment as the first wave of climbers attempted to summit the mountain.
Few people reach the base camp but only the elite go beyond.
Lee previously told The Press and Journal that she aims to show her children “what you can achieve when you believe in yourself.”
Adding: “I’ve went from being rock bottom to the top of the world, you can’t get any higher than that.”
You can stay up to date with Lee’s journey here.
