Trekking for Education

Russell-Smith family is on a mission to visit all 14 highest base camps in the world.

As part of this incredible challenge, the Family set themselves the goal of raising £12,000 for the Nimsdai Foundation’s scholarship programme, to help Nepal’s children access the best education.

The Russell-Smith family are adventurers at heart, spending much of their time outdoors and exploring destinations like Iceland and Norway.

Both Martine and John are teachers: John is the Head of Geography and Travel and Tourism at Edgbarrow Secondary School in Crowthorne, and Martine is a student teacher at Reading University. Together with their sons, Ben (12) and William (9), they’ve set an ambitious goal: to visit all 14 of the world’s highest base camps, while raising awareness about the need for quality education and schooling along the way.

Working together, the Nimsdai Foundation and the Russell-Smith family aim to raise awareness and the essential funds required for educational scholarships for young Nepali children, leaving a legacy of education. Their journey could also set world records, being the first family to visit all 14 highest base camps in the world and making William the youngest person to accomplish this feat.

Based near London in Bracknell, the family began their journey last year in Pakistan, where they visited five high-altitude base camps: G1, G2, Broad Peak, K2, and Nanga Parbat. In 2025, they visited Everest and Lhotse base camps with the Nimsdai Foundation, making time to visit the Porter’s House, which is soon to be replaced with a fit for purpose building for the Porters.

A key pillar of the Nimsdai Foundation is Education and raising awareness of this pillar is vital.

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