Experiences create the closest bonds – that’s why the Smiths from Switzerland have always loved taking their children on adventures, to share the struggles and celebrate the successes – together. When they heard about the Everesting challenge of ALPIN8 they knew immediately that this could be a once in a lifetime adventure to share with the family creating long standing memories.
Alison (62) and Tim (58), their son Luke (26) and his girlfriend Annina (22) were amongst the 155 brave participants of our very first ALPIN8 Everesting event. Luke is a good friend of co-founder Flores’ partner Freddy and he and his family wanted to support the first ever Everesting Event in the Alps, set up by people they know. Thank you! We appreciate you being part of our very first group of Everesters!
None of them had heard of Eversting before, but they had been to the event location in Brand. And they loved it! So they didn’t think about it too long but signed up without exactly knowing what they were letting themselves in for.
Annina is a great lover of the outdoors and an avid sportsperson, hiking a lot, biking, and most notably, loving to climb. Luke also loves his sport, often mountain biking, skiing and also climbing. They both used to compete in various sports, but have not taken part in any event for a long time, so were intrigued to return to organized sport.
Luke’s parents Alison and Tim spend a lot of time in the mountains. The family owns a little apartment in Switzerland, Verbier, where they love to hike in the summer and ski in the winter. We got to know Alison as a person who’s full of energy, jumping around in excitement and transmitting this joy for life to everyone around her. From an outside perspective, Tim seems to take the quieter role, always being calm and connected to the here and now.
They were nervous because of the weather
Were they nervous the night before the start of ALPIN8? A little bit. Not so much because of the challenge but rather because of the weather. It rained and hailed, the wind whistled around their hotel and it didn’t seem it would stop anytime soon.
Luckily the weather was better in the morning at 4:30am when they arrived at the start of ALPIN8. The rain had dropped to a little drizzle and the bright day was about to take the place of the dark night.
When the clock hit 5:00am they started their Everesting adventure, alongside 151 other outdoor enthusiasts who were eager to give it their very best to reach their personal Mount Everest. The time frame? 36 hours. 36 hours for a total of 17 ascents which translate into more than 9000 meters of elevation gain. That’s a hell of a challenge! “I’ve never done more than 4000 in one day’, says Alison – which is more than probably the majority of people.
Staying together no matter what
Annina and Luke decided to stay together for the whole trip, no matter what. So did Alison and Tim. The parents hiked a little faster than the youngsters. But from time to time they would see each other on the trail, take a break together or ride the same gondola down the mountain.
While Tim and Luke never had any doubts if they would reach their personal Mount Everest, Alison and Annina were both a little unsure about how it would go in the beginning. Alison had some doubts during the night before the start, but once she and Tim started walking she stopped doubting! Annina admitted that she was doubting the challenge in the beginning and also when her achilles started to hurt in round three. This issue stayed with her until the end – and was her biggest concern and challenge.
During tough times it is essential to have somebody to lean on. So Annina lent on Luke. He stayed with her when she was in pain, he supported her however he could, they were in this together. “They were the sweetest couple”, said Jochen, one of our volunteers at the middle aid station. “During the night, Annina arrived at the aid station tired, hungry, in pain and looked like she was fed up with the challenge of Everesting. Luke was with her, calm, hugged her, grabbed food and drinks for her. He raised her up and together they continued into the darkness of the night.”
“We knew we’d go until we finished”
The night was tough. Around 5:00pm in the afternoon it started to rain heavily and it continued for most of the night. They all kept going. They didn’t let the rain take a toll on their spirits and just kept moving. One foot in front of the other. “Being so tired was hard,” Tim remembered afterwards. “But I knew we’d go until we finished.” Food and drink at the top of every lap,a longer rest and ‘cat nap’ in the middle of the night helped them on their way.
Annina and Luke also decided to sleep a little bit during the night. “Luke was my biggest support. He even took a sleep break with me even though he didn’t want to.” When their alarm went off after an hour or so they didn’t hear it at first. It’s difficult to get up again after your body has shut down, gone to deep sleep and into recovery mode.
But also for Annina and Luke it was clear that they wanted to finish their 17 rounds. So they set out again and continued to face the challenge!
“It’s not about being first. It’s about finishing it!
The parents finished a few hours before Luke and Annina but for Alison that didn’t matter. “It’s the moments we enjoyed together and it doesn’t make any difference at all if you take 25, 30 or 35 hours in the end.” They welcomed their son and his girlfriend at the finish line when they reached their personal Mount Everest after 33 hours. “It’s not about being first. It’s about finishing it. And it’s about the shared experience of challenges, about building up memories together. The Everesting challenge definitely belongs in the list of top things that we’ve done as a family!”
Looking back at their experiences four weeks after the event, the Smiths are full of gratitude for what they achieved. “It gives you a real confidence boost”, says Luke and the other three nod in agreement. Alison adds: “It’s character building to go out of your comfort zone”, and Annina chips in: “It would be nice if more people would do this event. You only realize the immense benefit once you’ve done it”.
Would they do anything differently the next time? “Train more. Hike more times up the same route.” Because reaching your personal Mount Everest is even more enjoyable when not only your mind is ready for the challenge, but your body is in sync, too.
Text: Saskia Bauer
Images: Marius Holler, Sportograf, private
