Frankie, 8, ‘over the moon’ to reach Everest base camp with his mother
AN eight-year-old mountaineer from Cumbria has said he is “over the moon” to have reached Everest base camp, 17,598 feet up, after setting out with his mother to raise money for charity.
Frankie McMillan has been regularly climbing mountains with his mother Basia since he was a toddler, He has climbed more than 500 mountains and hills, including reaching the top of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain, when he was four and taking on all 214 Wainwrights in the Lake District.
Last year, he took on his greatest challenge yet – becoming the youngest Briton to climb Mount Olympus in Greece.
After reaching Everest base camp on April 9 after a nine-day trek, Frankie told the PA news agency: “I felt so proud of myself. I was over the moon.” His mother, Ms McMillan, 40, said: “It was just such a rewarding experience. It was a very proud moment. Frankie was very proud of himself but I was even more proud.
“I was watching him touching the base camp rock and seeing him making his dreams come true.”
“It wasn’t only for me, it was supporting my son fulfilling his dreams which … there is no price for that.”
Ms McMillan, a mountain guide, said Frankie was “absolutely fine” during the climb but she got frequent headaches closer to the end of the hike and it was “hard in parts”.
“He managed all the way all by himself – if anything, I think he was stronger than me,” she said.
Other mountaineers were “so welcoming and so encouraging”, she said, adding: “Every time we mentioned where we were going, no-one could really believe it.
“All the other people passing by were stopping and taking photos and videos of Frankie and having chats, and when we got to the top they were cheering for him and clapping which was so rewarding,” she said.
The pair set up a JustGiving page and have raised over £1,800 for children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK. To donate to Frankie’s fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/page/ frankie-everest-base-camp.