Throughout the past year, Power To Be has pivoted with the everchanging times. In a world where we could not physically be together, we moved to a virtual platform to connect with participants and our community until we could reconnect outdoors.
Some of our virtual programs provide participants with the opportunity to bake together, to learn about our local weather systems and sometimes, we even travel to distant corners of the world together.
In a special program offering earlier this month, we virtually travelled with one of our community groups, Spinal Cord Injury BC, to the majestic peaks of the Himalayas. What made this program particularly special was that it was led by dedicated Power To Be volunteer, Karun Thanjavar, and Pippa Blake. As our humble tour guides, they shared their personal story of an epic journey to Everest Basecamp using a TrailRider.
If you’re unfamiliar with the TrailRider, it is a piece of equipment we have come to love at Power To Be. It is typically used to help transport an individual with low or no mobility in their legs and helps provide access to hiking trails and outdoor spaces. To say Pippa and Karun pushed the TrailRider to new heights would be an understatement.
Their journey consisted of a 21-day round trek through the Khumbu Valley to the Everest Basecamp, which including necessary rest days to acclimatize to the altitude, a dedicated crew of family, friends and Sherpas-turned-friends, questionable bridge crossings and creative problem-solving in all directions.
Participants were enthralled with the details of such an epic adventure and engaged with many questions for the pair. Some folks even expressed the inspiration to explore their own backyards more deeply and adventure in new ways. By pivoting to the virtual world, we have had a unique opportunity to meet participants in their living rooms and transport ourselves as a group into wild, natural spaces. Where will out next adventure take us?
To learn more about Pippa and Karun’s journey to Everest, check out their website at Rise Above Barriers Society. We would like to thank Pippa and Karun for sharing their story and for pushing the boundaries of adventure for us all.
