Elsie Bezuidenhout will become the second South African woman to achieve all seven summits!
Cape Town, South Africa – Dogtown SA supporter Elsie Bezuidenhout will attempt to summit Mount Everest in aid of the shelter.
Elsie Bezuidenhout, whose summit of Mount Everest will make her only the second South African woman to achieve all seven summits – the highest peaks on each of the seven continents – will be taking on the challenge during April/May 2020 in support of the abandoned and abused dogs that make Dogtown SA their home.
A systems analyst by trade, Bezuidenhout has imagined herself on the summit of Everest since she was under a meter tall. Her mountain journey started with Kilimanjaro at the turn of the millennium. She then notched Aconcagua and Elbrus in 2005 and, just as there are seven days in a week, she thought it would be cool to join the Seven Summits queue – only Everest remains. She has also climbed Mt Ararat and Mt Damavand. Cho Oyu – the 6th highest mountain at 8,201m – is her most recent summit success.
Between summit adventures, Elsie is a regular competitor in adventure races as well as trail running and mountain bike events – especially multi-day stage races. She’s always fit and ready for that next summit opportunity.
Elsie’s previous climbs:
- Kilimanjaro – 2001 (5 895m – Africa)
- Everest Base Camp – 2005 (5 380m -Himalayas)
- Aconcagua – 2005 (6 961m – South America)
- Denali – 2007 (6 194m – Alaska)
- Mt Vinson – 2009 (4 892m – Antarctica)
- Elbrus – 2009 (5 642m – Russia)
- Carstensz Pyramid – 2009 (4 884m – Papua)
- Damavand – 2011 (5 610m – Iran)
- Ararat – 2011 (5 137m – Turkey)
- Cho-Oyo – 2012 (8 188m – Himalayas)
Dogtown SA is appealing to all to support Elsie as she follows the footsteps of many before her to raise funds and awareness that will make a difference for the forgotten dogs.
“We are incredibly proud to have such an amazing supporter take on this feat for our dogs’” says Tracy McQuarrie, founder of Dogtown SA.
Climbing Mount Everest takes endurance, mental determination and the spirit to carry on in spite of what is happening around you. The same applies to the challenges that dog shelter Dogtown SA must overcome daily.
“Every day thousands of animals are losing their lives because they have been let down by humans. In a country where we deal with many human atrocities and where our wildlife is constantly at risk, there are often only a few who have anything left to help the abandoned dogs in South Africa,” continues Tracy.
To donate funds in support of Dogtown SA click here. Help make a difference in the lives of the Dogtown dogs.
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