Barstow junior Cale Williams finishes the impressive 29029 Everesting Hike.
Two weeks ago, Barstow student Cale Williams (‘25) attempted a feat few have accomplished before. For 36 hours, Williams climbed the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, continually taking a gondola back down and starting over. At the end of the trek, Williams climbed an overall 29,029 feet, the equivalent height of Mount Everest. In total, Williams climbed the mountain 13 times.
29029 Everesting is a program that gives hikers the chance to climb Mount Everest without ever leaving America. With three locations in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, hundreds of people can claim they’ve climbed Everest. Finishers are given a red hat that proclaims their accomplishment. William’s brother, Connor Williams (‘18), first heard about the event and then convinced Williams and their father, Jarrod Williams, to go as well.
This was the first time Williams had ever attempted something so arduous: “I’ve never climbed a mountain or anything. It was definitely a new experience.”
Going in, Williams wasn’t sure what to expect. The new elevation and quick pace were hard to get used to at first. “Yeah, I was definitely nervous,” said Williams. “We didn’t do a lot of elevation training, but it was just about getting conditioned. That honestly didn’t help on the mountain just since we weren’t used to that sort of elevation.”
The elevation posed as extra problematic as “after the first two laps, I threw up because of altitude sickness. We went into it thinking it wouldn’t be as hard as it was,” Williams said. “We definitely underestimated it. So those first two laps were tough, especially, and then we kind of got a little bit more into a rhythm after that.”
Arriving on a Thursday, the hikers were given one night to stay in tents before starting the hike at 6 AM on Friday morning. From then on, nonstop hiking dominated William’s life for the next 36 hours. Aid stations were set up at the beginning and end of the 2.3-mile stretch, where hikers could refuel and eat. Then, they would take the gondola back down and start all over again. The actual mountain itself made things even harder for the climbers. Williams explains, “The first start had the biggest incline and had loose dirt, so you slipped a lot.”
300 hikers were on William’s trail, and during those 36 hours, a supportive and accepting community was built. “You kind of built that connection right off the bat,” Williams said. Among the 300 people, Williams was able to meet fellow Kansas Citians and build new bonds. The age limit for the hike is 16, so Williams was among the youngest there. The oldest was a 72-year-old who Williams and his family met on the hike. “He ended up dusting us,” Williams said.
Williams continued, “Obviously, not everyone finished, but it was really cool because everyone had their name on their bib. Everyone would go by me and be like, ‘Hey Cale, how are you doing?’”
The nonstop hours and lack of sleep were obstacles that Williams and his family had to overcome throughout the trek. “We would stop, and I’d actually fall asleep for a second. I’d sit down and fall asleep for a second and get up. Just trying to fight through that was really difficult,” Williams said. Williams had one opportunity for an hour nap and then had to get back to the climb. “After that, we knew we could see the finish line,” said Williams.
Now back home, Williams is planning to carry with him the lessons he gained from his escapades. Williams is captain of the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team, a role requiring leadership and confidence.
Williams has been on the team for all of high school, only now taking on the role of captain. Lasya Maganti (‘24), the manager of the team, describes Cale as “athletic, strong, and a nice guy.” His fellow teammate, Owen Snyder (‘24) echoes these statements, saying that Cale is “a leader and compassionate.” These traits, along with his kindness and competitive drive have made Cale an important part of the team
As for the lessons he learned on the trek, Williams said, “I learned a lot of it was a mental battle. I learned that because I’ve never really pushed myself to that extent. That will definitely help me soccer-wise, but also for going on with the rest of my life. If you think you reached your limit, can you go for a little bit more?”
Williams’s journey not only taught him the power of determination and perseverance, but of his role in the Barstow community as a whole. We applaud Cale for his hard work and dedication!
