How an 11-year-old Bangladeshi girl made it to Everest Base Camp

Everest Base Camp is a dream destination for mountain lovers and travellers. Every mountain person dreams of standing before Mount Everest, and that dream begins at the Everest Base Camp.

But can a child make this dream come true?

Yes, an 11-year-old Bangladeshi girl named Atanaaz Hayat Chowdhury (Ana) made it happen in October 2025.

The trekking group consisted of members aged between 11 and 51, representing three generations who walked together. Ana was the youngest and bravest among them. Her mother, Johora Kulsum, also joined the journey, which made it even more special.

The trek began in the sudden rain due to the unpredictable climate of Nepal, at an altitude of 2,800 meters. The weather forced the team to change plans and tested both their physical and mental strength.

For the first four days, from Tengboche to Deboche, the trek happened in the rain. But the spirit of the team never broke, believing the saying, the mountains never disappoint!

From the fifth day, the weather turned sunny, and the team enjoyed bright, clear days. Still, new challenges appeared as melting snow made the trail wet and slippery. At Thukla Pass (around 4,600-4,900 meters), they crossed under heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions.

On October 9, around 3:30 PM, the team finally reached the Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side, about 5,364 meters (17,598 feet) above sea level.

The challenging journey covered almost 70 kilometres of steep, snowy, muddy, and rocky trails, but reaching the destination was only the beginning of the peace!

So, what was the special view about the tour, including Ana in it?

The trek leader, Masud Pervej Sujon, said, "The mountains test patience. They appear close, but take time to truly welcome you. Holding Ana's hand, we walked through slippery, sun-melted snow towards the final goal. A few meters ahead, we saw her mother. Mother and daughter walk together to the dream destination. It was an emotional and unforgettable sight."

For Ana, it was her first time journey at such a high altitude, but not her first trek. At the age of 7, she had already trekked in the hills of Rangamati, visiting places like Dhuppani, Muppochhora, and the Nokata waterfalls. Later, she hiked to Debotakhum, Bogalake, and Keokradong. From those early trips, her patience, curiosity, and love for the mountains caught the attention of the trek leader Sujon. That's why when her mother wanted to show her the Himalayas, he encouraged them to go for it.

The planning occurred under the mountain travel group named 'The Altitude Hunter', an adventure travel group, discussed for nearly three months, preparing Ana physically and mentally.

Despite school schedules, Ana managed time for exercise, outdoor play, and proper nutrition. The tour group instructed carefully on the arrangement of her clothing, shoes, and gear, suitable for Himalayan weather, as the child would be sensitive to the harsh, changing nature of the Himalayas. The trek leader, Sujon, guided Ana's mother, Johora Kulsum, about Ana's training and diet from the decision-making day of the trek to its execution.

She was instructed to keep Ana's meals within a standard, nutritious structure during the three months of preparation. A few days before the trip, Sujon advised Ana to focus on drinking plenty of fluids such as fruit juices and coconut water.

Ana was prepared through continuous exercises, including walking, continuing her sports activities at school, practising going up and down stairs, and doing long breathing exercises.

During the trek, the primary focus of the trek leader was to allow Ana to move at her own pace, maintain her energy, eat nutritious food, drink plenty of water, and rest well, while also ensuring the entire team remained intact.

At high altitude, hydration and rest are key. The team also used microspikes for walking safely on snow, which helped Ana a lot.

When asked about the whole experience of Ana, she said with excitement, "I learned about the Himalayas for two to three years, mainly from my mother, and knew we were going to the basecamp. As I travelled through the hills within the country with my mother, I was excited about the Everest Base Camp tour."

"When the journey was confirmed, my mother and I had some sitting with Sujon uncle, learning about mountains and hearing his experience. My mother, who has a passion for the hills and mountains, and I loved hearing stories from her about summits and adventures. I wanted to connect with my mother's passion," she added.

When asked about the challenges faced throughout the trek, Ana said, "It was a whole new experience for me. I travelled to the hills in our country, but the EBC (Everest Base Camp) was totally different from what I had experienced. First, the rain made the journey difficult, and it was so cold that it made me shiver. The snow and the melting snow both created obstacles; the whiteout condition sometimes limited the pace of the trek, but the team spirit was so high that the weather couldn't challenge me." "The whole team walked me to the EBC hand in hand and showered me with affection throughout the journey. They didn't let me feel less for a moment in the total journey," she added.

"When I reached the destination, it was quite impossible to believe my eyes seeing the views and myself that I had made it to the end with the team, especially with my mother," said Ana about reaching the top.

When asked about the feelings of Ana's friends about her EBC trek, Ana laughed a lot! "They don't believe that I trekked to the EBC. They think this is some fairytale which I saw in my dream."

Ana wants to travel to all the hill treks within the country, and if possible, to the base camp again, as well as the mountainous Himalayas. She feels it is her eternal calling to the hills and mountains, which she inherited from her mother.

The EBC trek leader, Sujon, believes that if anyone's child shows an interest in trekking, the parents need to understand whether the hills and mountains truly appeal to them first. If the answer is positive, the children can be trained with ample time, both physically and mentally, through short hikes in Bangladesh's green hills. The children should be encouraged, guided and mentored under paternal guidance, just as Ana's mother did.

When a child like Ana reaches the Himalayas, it's not just a trek; it's a journey of courage, love for nature, and inspiration for a whole generation.

In Bangladesh, not many children are involved in outdoor adventures or mountain sports. But this trend is slowly changing, and Ana will be a bright example for the trendsetter.

suriyajesminee@gmail.com