Lucy Westlake - Reaching New Heights Together with Xtreme Climbers - Xtreme Climbers Treks and Expedition

Lucy Westlake - Reaching New Heights Together with Xtreme Climbers

There's a unique excitement in climbing mountains that most individuals rarely experience. It's that mix of thrill, terror, and wonder as you exceed what you believe was achievable. This year, we at Xtreme Climbers had the remarkable privilege of organizing and leading one of those unique expeditions. At only 18 years old, Lucy Westlake became the youngest American woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest—and we are incredibly proud to have contributed to her achievement.

As soon as Lucy contacted us, it was evident that her aspirations went beyond merely wanting to list summits. Her love for the mountains is intense and authentic, along with a commitment that is unusual. She has already reached the highest peaks in all 50 U.S. states, with a resolve that we anticipated would help her overcome the difficulties of Everest. We aimed to be present at each stage, making sure she felt backed, secure, and ready for the path forward.

Our Expedition Together to Everest

Planning Lucy's Everest expedition was a journey for us as well. In every aspect, from the acclimatization strategy to everyday logistics—our aim was to ensure she felt at home in the harshest conditions on the planet. Seeing Lucy confront the altitude, harsh weather, and immense challenges of Everest with poise and determination reminded us of our purpose. She ascended the notorious Khumbu Icefall, traversed snowy ridges, and achieved the summit of the world with a resolve that amazed us.

For Lucy, Everest was not the conclusion; it was a segment of her lifelong quest to achieve the Seven Summits. However, above all, she aimed to demonstrate to other young women and climbers that anything can be achieved when you are determined. And that determination to pursue your dreams resonates entirely with our beliefs here at Xtreme Climbers.

Lucy’s Journey: Beyond Merely Mountains

Lucy’s accomplishments in mountaineering are incredibly remarkable, yet they represent only a fraction of what renders her journey so motivational. She has demonstrated remarkable determination, confronting not only physical challenges but also mental ones. We observed how, despite encountering challenges and difficulties, she maintained her focus and consistently moved ahead. For us, participating in her journey meant more than just organizing an expedition; it involved backing a person who truly represents the spirit of adventure and resilience.

Why we are so proud?

At Xtreme Climbers, we focus on transforming dreams into reality, dreams of attaining peaks, experiencing the world from high vantage points, and undertaking life-changing journeys. Working with Lucy rekindled our enthusiasm for our work. Her determination, her concentration, and her compassion impacted every team member who accompanied her on this journey. To claim we're proud is an understatement. Lucy demonstrated to us that the boundaries we perceive are merely the beginnings of something much more significant.

We appreciate your trust, Lucy, in allowing us to be involved in your Everest journey. You have motivated us, our team, and climbers all around. We are excited to see where your journey takes you next, and we will always support you from the sidelines. Here’s to additional summits, more tales, and greater remarkable accomplishments.

Advocating Lucy's Mission for Safe Water

In 2017 when Lucy traveled to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, she also traveled to a rural village in Uganda to install a WaterStep M-100 chlorine generator in a community without access to safe drinking water. The village’s only water source was a contaminated river miles away. Witnessing first-hand the impact a simple water system had on an entire village changed Lucy’s life forever. At the age of 13, Lucy dedicated her life’s work to helping solve our world’s water crisis. Lucy has carried a WaterStep ‘Save Lives with Safe Water’ flag to the top of each of the five Seven Summits she has completed. She now also carries her own brand LucyClimbs ‘SafeWaterforAll’ flag to the tops of mountains to inspire others to join the fight. Every 2 minutes a child dies from a water-related disease. With the added pressure of climate change, this statistic will worsen unless our generation comes together with a passion and dedication to solve this pressing health emergency.

We believe access to safe water is a basic need, we are proud to promote her mission as it advocates one of the SDGs, SDG 6 “Clean Water & Sanitation” for all. With the drastic change in climate change, vulnerable communities are to face more challenges, and we need more people like Lucy to advocate the issue and bring it out to the world. We're proud of your steps and growth, and we're always rooting for you.