Guinness officially recognized in March a new world record for the highest tea party ever held.
Climber Andrew Hughes and his group of adventurers set a new Guinness World Record for holding a tea party 6,496 meters — or about four miles — above sea level in Mount Everest Camp 2 in Nepal on May 5, 2021, according to the Guinness World Records’ website. (RELATED: People Hike Distance Of Mount Everest On Apartment Stairs)
High tea took on a whole new meaning for Andrew Hughes and his climbing crew. https://t.co/Zhlg1eXDF1
— CNN (@CNN) March 14, 2022
Hughes said that during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was no longer able to climb mountains, he reflected on why he liked the sport so much, Guinness World Records reported. The answer, he concluded, is community.
“After a year apart from one another, I wanted to find a record that would celebrate a return to not just the mountains but a reunion of this mountain family,” Hughes told Guinness World Records. “In so many ways the record became a celebration of persevering through the pandemic and emerging with a greater sense of purpose and appreciation for all that was taken.”
Hughes has climbed over 20,000 feet — or 3.7 miles — a few times and in 2019 had been on Everest before falling ill as he tried to summit, according to Guinness World Records. For this trip, he said he chose teas that would “reduce stress and boost immune systems” for the climbers. He researched what items would last during a trip around the world all the way up to Everest’s Camp 2. One of those items included Girl Scout cookies from Troop 6000. The proceeds from Troop 6000 go to serving girls in the New York City shelter system.
He understood that carrying the items — in addition to limited availability to train as he normally would in 2020 and 2021 — made this particular climb even more difficult. What’s more, the adventurers encountered “huge snowfalls” during the trek, yet Hughes said looking forward to the “joy for a small mental break from the summit” made the snowfalls an “unforgettable element” in reaching the world record.
“The greatest things in life are often those shared,” Hughes told Guinness World Records. “The record will forever immortalize an unforgettable moment and experience in my life and hopefully inspire others to seek their own dreams and perhaps set a record while doing.”