Amidst a heavy snow storm at 21,500 feet above sea level in May, 2021, the highest of high tea parties was held setting a new Guinness World Record which was officially recognized on March 1st, 2022
"The greatest things in life are often those shared. This record will forever embody an unforgettable experience from our Everest climb and hopefully inspire others to seek their own dreams, no matter the heights."
SEATTLE (PRWEB) March 10, 2022
Andrew Hughes set a newly recognized record on Mount Everest, but it was not for reaching the mountain’s summit on May 23rd, 2021. On March 1st, 2022, Guinness World Record officially recognized a new world record for the highest tea party ever held which was hosted by Andrew at 21,312 feet above sea level. The record exceeded the previous mark by thousands of feet in altitude and was full of complexities, including carrying supplies through the treacherous Khumbu Icefalls in order to realize the highest of high tea parties.
The idea for the record began during the pandemic in the Spring of 2020. When the world stopped and the mountains Andrew climbed no longer were available to adventure to he found time amidst the isolation and stillness of Covid to ponder the deeper meanings of his relationship to the mountains. For it was not summits he missed, but the sense of connection to nature and the community tied to these special places and peaks.
Tea on the mountain and in Nepal is more than the warmth within each cup. It is a way in which people come together and connect at the lodges along the trek into Everest Base Camp and while on the mountain. “The warmth in hand also gives an opportunity to warm one's heart and lift one's spirit no matter the conditions outside and which you are facing,” said Andrew. “So to host a tea party and reach for a new world record felt meant for the mountains, especially the highest of all mountains on Earth.”
Substantial research was undertaken as to the required components that had to be included for a new world record to be recognized. Next was determining what supplies had the durability to survive flying around the world, being transported by yak to base camp, then carried in backpacks through the Khumbu Icefalls and across the Western Cwm all the way up to Camp 2 on Everest - avoiding turning cookies to only crumbs added an entire heightened level of logistical complexity.
On top of the record, Andrew wished to find some way to give back to the remarkable local climbers and support staff at Everest Base Camp, who without no dream of climbing Everest would ever be possible. Partnering with MiiR, thousands of dollars in sustainable products were generously donated and transported up for the tea party then donated to stay in Nepal with those who call this special place home.
On May 5th, 2021, as Andrew prepared to host his team for the world record attempt a massive storm hit Camp 2. Huge snowfalls began to come down - the remnants of a cyclone striking the mountain - so Andrew instructed everyone to get in their summit suits. "With cold hands I carried everything out to a flat spot in the middle of our tents where a fresh blanket of snow laid. Setting the table for the attempt, large flakes fell covering everything quickly,” remembers Andrew. “However, the joy of a small mental break from pondering the summit days ahead of us to simply celebrate with one another, sip tea, and indulge on treats largely absent from our diet on the mountain made the snow storm just an added unforgettable element to the entire record attempt."
Girl Scout cookies were a favorite during the attempt with every delicious crumb consumed. "I brought them all the way from Seattle, “ said Andrew, “but had ordered them purposely from Girl Scout Troop 6000 which has been specifically designed to benefit and contribute to the girls in New York's City Shelter System."
In the end, where many pursue mountain records for the individual alone, Andrew saw a shared opportunity with the return to Everest in the Spring of 2021, to use a world record as a celebration of reconnecting from a long period of painful disconnect and a moment of recognition with gratitude for the gift to be together again. For while to climb again was treasured, it was the coming together again with this international mountain family on Everest that will be as cherished as any summit ever gained.
About Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes is a high-endurance record setting athlete and adventurer from Seattle, Washington. After facing several unexpected hardships, where the life he had constructed based on cultural ideas of success began to crumble, Andrew found a new path. This path led to the mountains where Andrew relearned to turn discomfort and challenge into growth and gratitude.
Andrew continues on a journey exploring the world and its highest mountains. He has completed the Seven Summits (highest mountains on each continent) and is set to complete the rarely realized Explorers’ Grand Slam in April, 2023 after the 2022 season was canceled due to the war in Ukraine – a feat just over 70 adventurers have ever achieved.
In 2020, Andrew also became the fastest and first American man and third person ever to complete the Antarctica Trifecta with his climbing partner Roxanne Vogel by consecutively Skiing the Last Degree to the South Pole and reaching the summits of Mount Vinson (the highest mountain) and Mount Sidley (the highest volcano) in Antarctica.
Andrew’s expeditions have become focused on something that matters more than summits – that being making meaningful impacts in the world. Fueled by his commitment to sustainability, conservationism and combating climate change, Andrew continues to raise awareness and funds for Human Rights Watch’s work on the Environment and Human Rights.
Advocating for greater inclusivity and diversity in the outdoors is also fundamental to Andrew’s view of the future the outdoors must continue to become. Additionally, breaking down social and economic barriers to provide greater access to our natural spaces and places is part of his perpetual purpose beyond the peaks.
To interview or collaborate with Andrew Hughes, please visit:http://www.andrewihughes.com.