Teamwork. Perseverance. Yak meat.
A trio of mountain climbers — two active-duty Army officers and one medically retired, combat-wounded NCO — have reached the lofty heights of Mount Everest's advanced base camp, about 21,000 feet above sea level. They're acclimating to the environment and preparing for a possible climb to the summit (another 8,000 or so feet) as early as May 20; they headed back down to the initial base camp, at 17,000 feet, on Sunday.
The officers, 1st Lt. Elyse Ping Medvigy and 2nd Lt. Harold Earls, are doing so with the permission of their commands but without direct support from the Army. Retired Staff Sgt. Chad Jukes, who lost his right leg while on convoy duty in Iraq, would be the first combat amputee to make such a trek.
All three began the journey as part of U.S. Expeditions and Explorations, a nonprofit group founded by Earls, 23, while he was a student at the U.S. Military Academy. Its goal, and the goal of the climb: Raise awareness of the struggles of troops dealing with combat stress and re-integration into civilian life, and raise money to help other groups that assist those troops.
More than $100,000 in donations has covered the cost of the climb. And now, after months of planning, press junkets and patience, Earls and his team find themselves within sight of the finish line.
Capt. Matt Hickey, far right, led the climbing team in their training expedition at Mount Rainier. From Hickey, right to left, retired Staff Sgt. Chad Jukes, 2nd Lt. Harold Earls and 1st Lt. Elyse Ping Medvigy hope to summit Mount Everest by Memorial Day.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of USX
And with a unique dinner menu.
"It is heavy on the rice for sure and we have eaten our fair share of yak meat, among other meats — we are unsure of what animal they may be," Earls wrote in an email from Everest late last month. "But I can't complain after eating MREs for the majority of the past 5 months from my [Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course]."
Although he spearheaded the logistics behind the trip, Earls said he didn't fully believe it was taking place until the plane took off in mid-April. Even after the team's U.S. departure, visa problems and weather delays threatened to keep them off the mountain. Weather could still keep them from the summit, as could other factors — an earthquake canceled the 2015 climbing season, and a deadly avalanche cut short the previous year's expeditions.
Not all threats to the climb are external.
Jukes also boasts climbing experience, including conquering Lobuche, a 20,000-foot peak in Nepal. Earls got his first taste of the mountains during time with the USX team on Mount Rainier last year. The three climbers trained alongside Capt. Matt Hickey, who didn't make the trip to Everest — busy with duties as the head of the Army's World Class Athlete Program in the run-up to the Rio Olympics.
Other members of the USX team on site include base camp manager Tommy Ferguson and Dave Ohlson, who will be gathering film footage for a documentary project involving "Restrepo" filmmaker Sebastian Junger. First Lt. Connor Love, an active-duty cavalry officer and USX member, recently arrived at base camp to provide additional technical support — the team hopes to boost its Wi-Fi signal to allow for more trip updates, including regular video transmissions.
The team continues to accept donations for the climb online, though with its expenses met, all donations will be split between Give an Hour and Stop Soldier Suicide.
From the outset, Earls envisioned the Everest climb as a launching pad for future USX expeditions that would keep soldier mental-health issues in the forefront and give wounded warriors the chance to conquer similar, albeit less-extreme, natural challenges.
The Everest climb is the first fundraising, team-building event for U.S. Expeditions and Explorations. USX leadership hopes more will follow.
Photo Credit: USX handout
"Being a part of a small team in a harsh environment really creates a tight-knit team," Earls said. "I would say by the end of the trip I will consider them my family. This is exactly the type of camaraderie and bonds through small expeditions USX hopes to create in the future. ...
"We want the focus of our message not to be the first Army soldier and first combat-wounded veteran attempting to climb Everest, we want our message to the media to be about our cause of raising awareness for soldier mental health and the struggles that our soldiers go through every day, because at the end of the day that's what's most important, not Everest."
Earls said he expects to return to Fort Benning, Georgia, on June 8. The next month, he plans to take on another tough climb: Ranger School.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
