Holly, 11, was one of 20 school children selected from hundreds of applicants from around the country to take part in the Christchurch event on September 21 and 22.
Students spent the weekend with the Antarctic Heritage Trust and Kiwi explorer William Pike, who lost his leg in the 2007 Mt Ruapehu eruption.
Young explorers stepped outside their comfort zone, camping out overnight, meeting huskies and penguins and learning about the inspiring stories of the great Antarctic explorers, including Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary.
“It was a once in a lifetime experience. There are no words to describe it,” Holly said.
Interacting with huskies and getting to harness one of the rescue dogs up for a 5km walk was a real highlight for Holly – as was learning how to pitch a tent.
“When we tried putting up our tents it was tricky because none of us had ever done it before. We had no idea what to do but in the end it looked like a tent and it stayed up, so we must have done something right.”
Holly is now using the information she learnt on the summit to do her bit in protecting the planet.
“I would really like to make my carbon footprint smaller so I will be doing less driving, not using as much electricity and reducing food wastage.”
The trust, in partnership with the William Pike Challenge, hosted the summit.
Mr Pike said it was incredible to give Kiwi kids an opportunity to learn more about the history of Antarctica, its wildlife, science and importance to the world today.
He says all young people deserve a future where they succeed in life, no matter what unexpected challenges and obstacles come their way.
“To be prepared for what life throws at us, we need a bank of experiences under our belt, and that’s what the summit is all about,” Mr Pike said.
Having completed the summit, the students will become members of the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s alumni programme, which includes inspiring explorers such as William Pike, Brando Yelavich and many others.
The summit was supported by Christchurch NZ, The Antarctic Office and the International Antarctic Centre.
