Waterways foundation marks milestone
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Erik Hager and Rose Press spent a couple of months preparing for a trip to mark their 25th wedding anniversary.
But getting ready involved a lot more than booking airfare and packing suitcases.
The Brantford couple spent time carrying filled water jugs up and down the stairs of their three-level home in the Dufferin Avenue area.
They also did a lot of walking along the city’s trail system.
“We wanted to do something different for our 25th, something that would take us off the beaten path, so to speak,” Hager, 63, said. “We wanted something challenging and came up with this idea of completing the Everest Base Camp Trek.
“We were told the more you prepare for it the more you can enjoy it.”
From their home, they have ready access to the city’s trail system, much of which runs along the Grand River.
“I suppose some people might think that what we did was some sort of special training for our trip but really the trails and the Grand River have been always been a big part of our lives,” Press said. “We kayak on the Grand; we cycle, hike and walk the dogs on the trails.
“When we decided to take this trip, we just did more of what we were already doing and did more walking.”
The 130-kilometre trip to Everest Base Camp from Lukla, a small town in northeastern Nepal, and back took 16 days. It included a change in altitude beginning at 9,000 feet in Lukla to about 19,000 feet at Everest Base Camp.
The couple were in Nepal for 25 days and visited local cultural, religious and historic sites, Hager said.
Both called the trip fabulous.
“There are so many things that I can talk about at so many different levels,” Press said. “The people of Nepal, they are just so resilient and generous and there is also the change in the scenery, beginning with lush green forests, to shrubbery, to snow and ice.”
The couple will share more details of their adventure at the Brant Waterways Foundation fundraising dinner May 16 at the Brantford Golf and Country Club. The foundation, which is marking its 30th anniversary this year, continues to be a leader in raising funds for projects related to the Grand.
“We’re quite honoured to have been invited to speak about our adventure,” Hager said. “We use the trails a lot and we’ve seen how much the trail system has improved over the years.
“Those improvements are a result of all the work done by the foundation over the years so we’re happy to support the foundation.”
The foundation has invested more than $5 million in various local projects.
“It’s really quite remarkable what the Brant Waterways Foundation has been able to accomplish with the support of its many donors and partners,” said Duncan Ross, the foundation’s president.
“The foundation has helped transform the area into an amazing outdoor recreational playground that we all enjoy today,” he said, noting that the group played a key role in completing the Trans Canada Trail through Brantford and Brant County.
Stephanie Hermans, the foundation’s vice-president, has been involved with Brant Waterways since 2011.
“I find it rewarding to be part of a board that connects people to healthy waterways,” she said. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a great trails network in Brantford and Brant County.
“I love being part of a board that is working to ensure these trails and our local waterways continue to be a source of recreation and enjoyment in the future.”
For more information about the foundation visit www.brantwaterways.ca .
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