Dr. Lindos Daou, Assistant Professor at the Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) Faculty of Business Administration and Economics (FBAE), has completed an Everesting challenge run for the Red Cross along with his mountaineering partner Avedis Kalpaklian.
Everesting is an athletic challenge devised by the Hells 500 company. Participants pick any hill or mountain in the world and climb it over and over again without stopping until they reach 8.848km – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. Dr. Daou undertook the challenge, alongside his mountaineering partner Avedis Kalpaklian, on October 4, 2020, starting from Jonction Parking up to the Mt. Mzaar Cross – distance of 4.7km with 12% gradient, at an elevation of 10km. Both participants received help from their sponsors Waterbear for physical therapy and conditioning, and Ehden Adventures for logistics support.
Dr. Daou and Kalpaklian completed the challenge as a fund raiser for the Red Cross through a donation box located at Base Camp at Jonction Parking. “We chose to do this challenge to spread a positive message of hope, resilience and good faith despite all odds,” said Dr. Daou.
Over the course of over 38 hours, Dr. Daou and Kalpaklian travelled the path 16 times, making them the first Lebanese to achieve the Everesting feat. “The moment I reached the summit after our last push (after 2 sleepless nights and 38 hours of non-stop effort) it gave me the same feeling that I get when I reach a summit of the high mountains that I have climbed,” said Dr. Daou. “An overwhelming happiness, sense of achievement and pride. For this run, the pride was also in the fact that we put our country, Lebanon, on the international map of the famous Everesting Run.”