SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The already long list of Goan-origin achievers living abroad has just become longer with the addition of a young prodigy to the list. He is 8-year-old Oscar Manuel Pacheco, who has become the youngest Goan to reach the Mount Everest base camp on April 4.
Dubai-based Goan lad Oscar, who accompanied his father Ryan Pacheco on the Everest trek, crossed all obstacles to achieve this rare feat.
“We did extensive research, and connected with tour companies in Nepal to not only learn of the itinerary but to also acquaint ourselves of what would it take a newbie to successfully complete this trek. We signed up with a tour company in Nepal. We booked our flight tickets and subsequently got our trekking gear and winter apparel ready to beat the cold Himalayan weather,” Ryan Pacheco said.
When Ryan was asked what made him take his son Oscar on the Everest expedition, he said: “In the beginning, it was only me and one of my neighbours who decided to take on this mission to Everest Base camp. On hearing the plan, Oscar asked me if he could also join in the experience of being on top of the world’s highest mountain, completely unaware of what to expect on this trip.”
At first, he was very reluctant considering his age and the risks he could be exposed to. “But I have to admit that Oscar’s positive attitude, love for sports like football, swimming and Parkour since the age of 4, and his passion for camping and hiking is what made me decide to take him on this trip,” he said.
While Oscar was scripting history, his maternal grandparents Alina and Manuel Vaz, who live in Margao, were initially scared but decided to support their grandson.
“We were really scared. But at the same time, we did not discourage him. We helped by enrolling him in swimming, cycling, and running sessions,” Alina said.
Oscar’s grandfather Manuel Vaz said that the grandparents especially went to Dubai to help in their grandson’s preparation.
“This is the first time someone in the family and of this age attempted such a challenge. We had mixed emotions. But we've seen Oscar grow to be a very capable and positive-minded boy. Although we were very nervous initially, our gut feeling told us that he would achieve this feat and he proved us right. Our prayers were answered. Our little boy came home safe with a feather in his cap,” Manuel said.
Oscar’s paternal grandmother Livia Pacheco too was scared initially. “But he too possesses the same passion for outdoor activities as his father. Knowing this, I was confident that they would accomplish this feat,” she said.
The father-son duo based in Dubai, trained every weekend prior to the Everest tour at the Shawka mountain in Ras Al-Khaimah, which is an emirate in the United Arab Emirates. This helped build their endurance levels to withstand the reduced oxygen levels at higher altitudes on the trek.
Narrating his life-changing journey with his son, Ryan Pacheco said “On March 26, we departed Dubai for Kathmandu, all so delighted. The excitement grew as we touched ground at Lukla. Post lunch at Lukla we started our trek towards Pakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorakshep, and finally to Everest Base camp and it took us just nine days to get to our destination,” he said.
“Along the trek, we experienced steep climbs that seemed tougher than we expected. We crossed several scary bouncy suspension bridges including the 459 feet long Hillary bridge suspended at a height of 410 feet known as the gateway to Everest,” he narrated.
The duo covered an average of 6-8 hours of walking every day and ended the day’s trek. As they made it to higher altitudes nearing 5000 meters above sea level, their endurance was put to the test and the smallest climbs seemed challenging with extreme cold weather conditions.
“That last day from Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp was that day that I would like to fast forward as it was the most exhausting day for all of us and knowing base camp was just an hour away is what kept us motivated and positive even though our legs were almost giving up. The last highlight of our trip was seeing that sign saying Everest Base Camp, 5364 meters. We couldn’t have been happier and were in disbelief that we accomplished our mission just as planned,” Pacheco said.
