- Carter Dallas, two, made it all the way to Everest’s base camp with his parents
- The Dallas family are currently taking a year-long trip across Asia
- ‘It’s way better than just going to Tenerife,’ his parents, Ross and Jade, said
A two-year-old British boy is believed to have become the youngest person to reach Everest base camp.
Carter Dallas ‘climbed’ to the south site in Nepal – located 17,598ft above sea level – on October 25.
He completed the trek on his father Ross’ back, with his mother Jade, 31, alongside. The trio, from Glasgow, are on a year-long trip around Asia.
It’s thought a four-year-old from the Czech Republic held the previous base camp record.
Ross, a former senior sales manager, said of the Everest hike: ‘Carter coped better than me and his mum.
‘We both got slight altitude sickness but he was absolutely fine!
‘There were two medics at the villages before base camp and they tested his blood to check he was fine, his results were way better than ours – they were amazed!’
‘We bought food jackets, and two sleeping bags for the trek – we basically did it on a whim.
‘Within 24 hours of touching down in Kathmandu we started the trek.’
Ross, 35, says he believes they were well prepared for the trip as they regularly practice ‘breathing techniques’ and they all do cold ice bath plunges – including Carter.
The parents did the trek in their normal everyday trainers, with Carter strapped to Ross’ back.
Ross and Jade, a former housing officer, rented out their house in Scotland and bought three one-way tickets for a year of travelling in August 2023.
They flew to India before visiting Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with trips back to India in between.
They then went to Nepal before going to Malaysia for a wedding.
After that they went to Singapore where they spent Carters’ birthday at Universal Studios.
They then spent Christmas in Penang before crossing the border into Thailand.
They spent the new year on the Thai island of Koh Lanta.
They are currently in the jungle at a Thai nature reserve in Khao Sok, with their next stop Bangkok and then onto Cambodia.
Ross says Carter has lapped up all different cultures and is absolutely loving it.
He said: ‘He’ll say ‘sawadika’ and ‘namaste’ – he’s picking up the lingo.
‘We love that he has been exposed to different cultures and has been playing with all the kids in small villages, it’s really opening his mind up.
‘The one thing he’s loved the most is hearing the Islamic call to prayer!’
Carter has also developed a taste for exotic foods and has enjoyed eating fish curries in the Maldives and chicken feet in Malaysia – and even crocodile.
But his favourite dish of all is Pad thai.
The family say the trip highlights so far have been visiting an elephant orphanage and bathing with them, seeing the Taj Mahal and swimming with sharks in the Maldives.
Ross said: ‘We hope we can inspire other people to go out and see the real world.
‘It’s way better than just going to Tenerife.’
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
