Aurelia, Maria Laura, Nicola, Toubi, Michele, Oliviero, Natalia: seven adolescents between eleven and sixteen years old, most of them with Down syndrome, paired with Antonio, Bakour, Michele, Manuele, Marco, Tahar, Stefano, and Kevin—young people struggling in school—set out on a month-long trek through Nepal.
Two educators conceived the idea and mobilized the necessary resources and funding: teachers, guides from Nouvelles frontières, high-altitude military specialists, Sherpa guides in Nepal, and others.
This ambitious expedition required two years of physical and psychological preparation. After flying to Katmandu, a helicopter deposited the group at 2,800 meters. From there, along steep rocky paths and suspension bridges, the young trekkers pressed on to 3,820 meters. Only the oldest reached the summit at 5,545 meters.
All of this unfolded in harsh weather—snow, rain, and cold—unusual for the season. But the stops in local villages were always warmly prepared, though spartan in comfort.
Independence, perseverance, responsibility, and brotherhood were the ingredients and the gifts of this wild adventure.
The pairing was not easy, but it deepened understanding and revealed unexpected affection. The teenage mentors came home speaking always of the heart values that the adolescents with intellectual disabilities had shown them.
The disabled young people were asked for enormous physical effort, balanced by the discovery that they could overcome their own fears and weakness.
Everyone returned stronger and very proud of themselves for this extraordinary challenge: a powerful tribute to those from whom the world usually expects, and demands, so little.
- Nicole Schulthes, 1998
P.S. I was fortunate to see, with deep emotion, the film of this expedition—the work of a filmmaker with great ambition and a generous heart. For anyone interested, the videocassette (in French) is available for loan through Ombre e Luci.