Last night Fox announced a 10-episode event series about Mount Everest, which is described as “a suspenseful, action-packed drama that revolves around a group of hikers on an expedition to conquer Mount Everest” in which “secrets are revealed and the truth about their motives are uncovered as the group struggles to survive on the world’s highest peak” and I DO. NOT. CARE because this morning a bunch of outlets reported that a dog climbed Mount Everest, and that is way, way more important than some stupid miniseries about devious hikers. (NOTE TO FOX: Please consider changing the title from Everest to Devious Hikers. Here to help.)
Allow me to introduce you to a woman named Joanne Lefson and her dog Rupee, a stray she adopted — and I promise I am not making this next part up — after he stumbled into her Himalayan donkey sanctuary.
After eight-and-a-half days, facing snow delays, rainstorms, mudslides and a yak attack en route, Rupee and Lefson reached Base Camp, before a galloping three-and-a-half-days back down. Lefson reported: “The most difficult part of the planning wasn’t so much all Rupee’s paperwork – although a nightmare at times too – but, rather, my greatest concern was wondering if he could actually make it to the top.
“In fact preparing for the worst, I arranged for an extra porter just in case Rupee needed to hitch a ride.”
A memorable part of the trek was seeing Rupee touch and walk on snow for the first time, playing, chasing and chewing it at every opportunity, laughs Lefson. Another favourite was biting the porters’ shoes as they passed on the narrow paths, as well as chasing all the village children’s toes. [iol News]
Lefson and Rupee scaled Everest after her last dog, Oscar, who had received some press a while back for traveling the world with her, was killed in a car accident earlier this year. The climb was supposed to be Lefson and Oscar’s last journey together. This part is incredibly sad, especially because, based on Lefson’s Facebook photos, Oscar seemed like a pretty cool dude.
But today is not a day for mourning. No, today is a day for celebrating. A dog climbed Mount Everest. A dog climbed Mount Everest.
