FOUR Selby College students are making preparations to head out on an Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal next year.

The students, Luke Cheney, 19, Ben Hodder, 18, Charlotte Nash, 17 and Saffron Farrington, 17, are all studying public services and will be heading out to the Himalayas alongside lecturer Grant Gibson and widening participation officer Lucie Stanworth.

The group will spend 16 days trekking during the Easter holidays, between April 1 and 20. Accompanying them on their adventure will be guides from the walking and climbing company who are highly experienced and familiar with the Himalayan Mountains.

This exciting opportunity will allow the students to complete a famous trekking route, take in the beauty of the varied landscapes and meet the local people that live on the mountains.

Speaking of the experience Charlotte said: “Going to Nepal will be an experience of a lifetime and opportunities like this do not come round very often - even though it will be challenging I am very much looking forward to the trip. I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

She said: “I’m also looking forward to being able to live life in a different way for 20 days and switch off from the rest of the world and social media for almost three weeks and absorb one of the greatest parts of the world.”

They will first fly to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal and then on to the village of Lukla before starting their trek to the riverside village of Monjo. They will walk through forest and get their first glimpse of Everest before an overnight stop at the town of Namche Bazaar right at the centre of the Sherpa community to acclimatise.

On the trip the group will be able to visit local markets, museums, cafes, Buddhist monasteries and a number of mountain villages, as well as experience steep climbs, walks through meadows and glacial landscapes.

Halfway through the trek they will be able to see the mountains that border Tibet as they follow an active glacier, before the spectacular sight of the huge ice boulders that spill out of the glacier, eventually reaching the Base Camp itself on Day 12 before they head back and make their descent and have the opportunity to visit the world’s highest altitude hotel – the Everest View Hotel.

They will also have the opportunity to spend a day exploring Kathmandu before they head back home.

Mr Gibson said: “I am humbled, yet excited, to be accompanying our four students on this challenging, life changing and life-developing experience where they will learn so much about themselves, their own personal limits and abilities and challenges others face - they will encounter such a diverse range of cultures and lifestyles.”

In the run-up to their trip they will head out on a series of training treks to replicate the environment they will find in Nepal and test their fitness levels. We’ll follow their progress as they get ready for their adventure.