Dr Asha & Zaneer Conquer Everest Base Camp
From Our Clinic to the Roof of the World
At Sunrise Dental Surgery, we’re lucky to be surrounded by remarkable people every day. But even by our team’s impressive standards, what Dr Asha and her husband Zaneer have recently accomplished is something truly extraordinary.
The two of them completed the Everest Base Camp Trek — one of the world’s most iconic and physically demanding journeys, reaching an altitude of over 5,300 metres above sea level, where the air is thin, the nights are brutally cold, and every step forward is a victory of mind over body.
We sat down with them to find out what it was really like.
The Biggest Challenge: Learning to Breathe Differently
For Dr Asha, the altitude was the defining challenge of the entire experience.
“The biggest challenge was the lack of oxygen. That was the biggest challenge ever. With 4,000 metres of altitude, everything else was fine.”
At that height, the body is working harder just to exist. Every breath delivers less. Every step costs more. It’s a humbling reminder of how much we take the simple act of breathing for granted.
For Zaneer, the challenge was less physical and more mental — and just as formidable.
“The biggest challenge is all in here,” he said, pointing to his head. “It’s a mental challenge. We have to push ourselves every day — no excuses, just do the right thing, one step at a time.”
The Hardest Moment
When asked about the hardest thing to overcome, Dr Asha didn’t hesitate.
“The hardest thing to overcome was the coldest night. I’m not a person who likes it really cold — we’re used to having warm air in our indoor settings. In Everest, the hygiene and the cold… when you have a cold that cannot be shared, it’s definitely hard. I found it really hard personally.”
It’s a detail that speaks to something most trekking articles don’t mention — the cumulative discomfort of days and nights at extreme altitude, far from the comforts of home. Not just the physical effort, but the grit required to keep going when everything in you wants to stop.
Lessons From the Mountain
Perhaps the most powerful part of the conversation was what Dr Asha took away from the experience. Three lessons that are as relevant to everyday life as they are to a Himalayan trek.
- Live life fully and happily. The altitude strips everything back to what matters. When the basics become luxuries, perspective shifts fast.
- The body has no limits — only the mind does. “When we challenge the body, when we push the body, the body has no limits. It’s the mind which sets them. When you let go of that feeling and say, ‘I can do it, I can do it’ — you can.”
- Appreciate the small things. “When I came back to Australia, we had everything here — even a glass of water, a warm bed, breathing clean air. Just breathing outside in Nepal at minus 15… we had a cold bed and thin air. Coming back and having oxygen-rich, quality air — that’s enough.”
There’s something in that third lesson that resonates deeply. The simple things — warmth, clean air, water, rest — are, when you think about it, everything.
We Couldn’t Be More Proud
Dr Asha and Zaneer, on behalf of everyone at Sunrise Dental Surgery and the patients and community who know and love you — congratulations.
This is no small thing. It took months of preparation, an extraordinary amount of courage, and the kind of quiet determination that characterises both of you. We are so proud to have you as part of our team and our story.
Watch Their Story
We captured a conversation with Dr Asha and Zaneer about their Everest Base Camp experience — the challenges, the cold, the lessons, and the moments that will stay with them forever.
Want to share your congratulations? Leave a comment below or come say hello at the practice.
📞 (03) 9700 1234 | 🌐 sunrisedentalsurgery.com.au
