At 66, Salt Lake City native Gawynn Dutson now lives in Hildale, Washington County, UT and proves that age is no barrier to adventure. What began as a click on a Facebook ad in 2021 launched a high-altitude journey from Utah’s trails to the Himalayas. Since then, Gawynn has trekked to Everest Base Camp, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and summited Nepal’s 21,000-foot Mera Peak twice (once in November 2024 as a trial run to see if he had the stamina and could acclimate at that elevation and then possibly take on Everest, and again in April 2025 as part of his training for Everest). A lifelong hiker, Gawynn embraced the physical and mental challenge of extreme elevation, even adapting to crampons and extreme temperatures in his 60s. Inspired by fellow climbers and Sherpa guides, he conquered training for his boldest goal yet: summiting Mount Everest. With weighted hikes, stair workouts, and daily runs, Gawynn’s achieved his goal and became the oldest Utahn to have ever reached the summit of Mount Everest over a 5-week journey.

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