Friendship Beyond Borders
Great things can be achieved in life when you have great friends. Our expedition highlights the power of international friendship to transcend national borders, cultural differences, and physical limitations.

Soon after Nawang was fitted for his first prosthetic leg in May of 2001, he was eager to start working toward his dream to climb Mt. Everest. Here he is at Mission Cliffs indoor climbing gym in San Francisco two days after receiving his first prosthesis. Notice his huge smile!

Steve Sheridan and other friends from the Annapurna expedition and trek worked together to provide the funding and connections to experts who could help him return to the active life he wants.

The next step was building back his incredible physical strength and endurance. Here he is hiking with his new leg in the hills of Marin County, north of San Francisco, in 2001. More smiles and determination. His friends cheered him on. They could see that he was on the way to regaining his career as a Sirdar (trekking guide).

In 2001 Nawang was connected by friends to Ed Hommer, a double trans-tibial amputee who had attempted to climb Mount Everest and was passing through Kathmandu. Ed and Nawang immediately became close friends. In 2002, Ed arranged for The High Exposure Foundation to bring Nawang to Minnesota (USA) to receive a new "high tech" prosthetic leg suitable for mountain climbing. Ed's prosthetist/orthotist, Tom Halvorson, arranged for donations of the prosthetic leg and foot, and fitted them expertly to Nawang.

In 2002 Nawang was already actively working toward his dream of climbing Mt. Everest. He was encouraged and helped in this by Mr. Wongchu Sherpa and his trekking agency, Peak Promotion Private Ltd. of Kathmandu, Nawang's employer.

Here Nawang crosses a ladder over a crevasse in the treacherous Khumbu Icefield on the approach to the South Col Route of Mt. Everest.
Then in 2003, Nawang finally got the chance to fulfill his dream. With the help of Tom and Linda McMillan, Hamid Moghadam and the team at AMB, Tom Halvorson and The High Exposure Foundation, and other sponsors, the Spring 2004 EVEREST: Friendship Beyond Borders Expedition was launched!
On March 21, 2004 Nawang, Tom, and the Friendship Beyond Borders Expedition team began their journey to Mount Everest. Wongchu Sherpa and the world record holder for the most Everest summits, Appa Sherpa, were among the well-wishers seeing them off as they caught their flight to Lukla. From there the team trekked to the base camp of Mount Everest.

 

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Having the chance to meet Ed Hommer in Kathmandu in 2001 was a real turning point in Nawang's life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through the efforts of his mountaineering friends and very generous prosthetist groups, Nawang has received benefits beyond the boundaries of what he could have expected in Nepal.

By clmbing Mt. Everest, he hopes to give hope, inspiration, and opportunity to others around the world who face seemingly insurmountable obstacles in life. Here he is getting fitted with his first prosthetic leg by Walter Racette CPO at the University of San Francisco Orthopedic Surgery Department in 2001.