From the classrooms of International Grammar School to the peaks of the world’s highest mountains, Callum Hawkins (Class of 2013) has carved an extraordinary path in adventure and outdoor exploration. In this engaging conversation with Paul Galea, Callum shares his journey from guiding in Canada’s wilderness to scaling some of the most challenging peaks on Earth, including a near-summit attempt on Mount Everest. He reflects on the lessons learned, the influence of his IGS years, and the inspiration drawn from his equally adventurous family. With his next challenge taking him to Argentina’s Aconcagua alongside his mother, Callum’s story is one of resilience, preparation, and an unwavering passion for the outdoors.
Paul Galea:
Hello Callum Hawkins. Paul Galea from International Grammar here. How are you?
Callum:
Yeah, going pretty well. How are you?
Paul Galea:
I’m good, mate. I’m good. I believe you’re down at Bronte Beach at a cafe, enjoying yourself today.
Callum:
Stunning. Stepped up and, yeah, the water’s nice and warm today, so we’re off to a good start.
Paul Galea:
Nice. Well, just let me give you a bit of an intro. You went to IGS from very early on. You went through Primary School, and you went all the way through to Year 12 and you left in 2013, so that’s twelve years ago now, which is pretty hard to believe. You and I had a lot to do with each other when you were young because I was coaching the footy team that you were playing in and then you were also in the same year group as my son and daughter. So we sort of had a fair bit to do with each other and you were always a fantastic young man. But, yeah, tell us a little bit about what you’ve been doing since you left school, mate.
Callum:
Yeah. So since IGS, I definitely got into the world of travel and exploring this beautiful world and through that, yeah, I have been able to make a career out of outdoor guiding. So, yeah, I moved over to Canada, got my guiding accreditations and worked over there for several years, guiding people through hiking, rock climbing and ocean kayaking trips. And I’ve been able to do that in a few different countries now. COVID pretty much brought me home so I then worked in the Northern Territory. So I work up there every winter now for about six months of the season on the Larapinta Trail, which is absolutely just incredible. But I love the outdoors and I think a lot of inspiration also came from my days at IGS, which is pretty cool, through Duke of Ed and a range of Antipodean trips as well. So it’s amazing where our influence through young years does take us after school. I’ve got a lot to be grateful for as well.
Paul Galea:
Yeah. Okay. So in Canada, where were you working?
Callum:
Yeah, I was on Vancouver Island, in beautiful British Columbia, at an amazing outdoor lodge in the centre of the island. You have incredible access to all the mountains, the rivers and lakes, so plenty of adventures up there. It was a pretty good time.
Paul Galea:
You know what? I spent six months in Canada and I was with my brother and we desperately kept wanting to go to Vancouver Island and things just kept getting in the way. I’ve got to go there because it’s one of those places I always wanted to visit and you talking about it makes me even more determined to get there. So that’s definitely on my list! Maybe in the next couple of years because it always looked like an incredible place.
Callum:
Oh, it sure is. It’s a paradise for those who love the outdoors. It’s pretty much the picture postcard of Canada.
Paul Galea:
Yeah, that’s great. Now part of your adventuring was this last year when you went and climbed Mount Everest and went very, very close to reaching the summit. Do you want to tell us about that experience? Because I think people would be interested in that.
Callum:
Yeah. It’s been about probably a nine, ten-year project to get up to that ability to have a crack at Mount Everest. It is an incredible, incredible expedition. A lot of training and preparation was involved before several other expeditions to similar heights above 8,000 meters. And then, yeah, the opportunity came about. So yeah, I took it on. We had a very smooth season. All the preparation and time of the mountain, of our rotations. And then when we had the right weather window come up, yeah, our team, we launched from base camp, rotated through Camp 1, 2 and 3 and yeah, for me personally, I think understanding my body well in those environments on the way to Camp 4, I just knew that it’s the right time, the right place to turn around and to come back down before pushing for the summit the following day. So yeah, I made the call and fortunately got back down safe and sound. The mountains will always be there. But it was an incredible experience, especially, you know, growing up and learning about the stories and adventure and pioneering experience and exploration in the Himalayas. So pretty amazing to be in a place where, you know, you can dream about for so long, but to then be there in person is pretty incredible.
Paul Galea:
Yeah. Well, I tell you what is also pretty incredible. I think sometimes people underestimate how dangerous that undertaking is because you’re always seeing and hearing about how many climbers don’t make it back down. In fact, some of them, their bodies never even make it back down. They’re stuck up there for years and years. And that must have been a pretty tough decision. I mean, obviously, you made a good decision, but it must have been a tough one to make. Tell us about that.
Callum:
Yeah, definitely. I made a decision when I was climbing up the last day, just below Camp 4, I think. I just knew at a time when I was getting pretty, pretty tired, had the oxygen mask on and then we had a huge day the following day. And I think it’s all about thinking forward, you know, how our choices in those moments do impact upon the following day in the mountains and also really, you know, following your gut feeling. And I knew it was tough at the time to make that decision because, you know, I’d prepared so much to get to that one moment. For the stars to align in any situation in the mountaineering world, a lot has to go right, but also a lot can go wrong. And I think it’s just been in the middle ground between those decisions. But for me, the priority was always to come back down safely and the summit is a bonus on top of that. But it was a pretty tough decision at that moment because you’ve got your team with you and encouraging each other to keep going, to keep pushing through. But just personally, I just knew it was the right decision to come back down at that moment. I stand by my decision and I think that’s the biggest thing. I’m confident and I know that was the right call. But, you know, the mountains will always be there and I think I’ll probably have another crack one day.
Paul Galea:
Well, I’d say it was the right decision 100% because you are here talking to me now! There are plenty of people who made the wrong decision and aren’t around to regret it! For me, that is a phenomenal achievement to just actually go and climb. But your family is a family of phenomenal achievers. Your sister did the Bibbulmun Track solo in Western Australia, which is over one thousand kilometres. Your mum is renowned for doing seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Something like that. Something incredible. So you’re in good company in the family. I mean, I’m feeling pretty chuffed and excited if I go for a five-kilometre walk. So you guys are in elite company there, that’s for sure.
Callum:
Yeah, definitely. We love to encourage each other, and challenge ourselves in the field and especially sharing those expeditions all together has been really special over the years. So to have that support and excitement, it’s been a really amazing time over the past few years.
Paul Galea:
Which leads me to my next question. Apparently, you and your mum are going to Argentina soon to take on the biggest mountain in South America.
Callum:
Yeah, that’s right. We fly out in just under a week, at the end of January. We’re very excited. It’s going to be a huge expedition to Aconcagua which is just below 7,000 meters in altitude. We’re attempting quite a hard route, but it’s going to be an incredible time up there. They’ve had a good season so far this year, so hopefully the weather holds for us. But we’re very excited and the preparation has been very smooth. It’s been tough training as we are carrying all our own gear up the mountain and stashing it at the three high camps. But yeah, it’s going to be a great time. Very excited.
Paul Galea:
Yeah. Wow. So there’s no Sherpas, no porters for the expedition you’re doing.
Callum:
Yeah, that’s right. So we’ll be carrying packs up with us. Sixteen to twenty kilos. At sea level that usually feels pretty good but when you’re up in the high altitude it’s quite a workout. So we’ve been training very hard.
Paul Galea:
Mate. I’ve done enough hiking with ten, fifteen or twenty kilos on my back to know that’s hard yards at sea level. At altitude, that is going to be really hard. So yeah, you must have been training super hard. But then again, you seem to be very professional in your preparation and everything. So that’s a big step towards achieving that. All right, mate, that’s very interesting. What an adventurer! Very hard for me to think that that little boy who was a try scoring fullback for the Clovelly Crocodiles is now this big time adventurer doing all of these exciting things. So going back to those early years, have you got any good memories from IGS? I mean you’ve already talked about Antipodeans and the Duke of Ed. Any other things that you remember fondly from your time at school?
Callum:
Yeah. IGS -what a community! Especially, we had a wonderful grade group who were all really encouraging and very accepting of each other and completing school from Preschool all the way to grade 12 at IGS, that was something really special, having such a wonderful group to share that experience with. I remember all the sports carnivals and ArtsFests. It was just such a wonderful time. A lot of good memories. I think just the opportunities and experiences that IGS really offered have really influenced me for the direction I went in. And teachers like yourself, Paul and others who influenced and really encouraged and saw the potential that each of us students had and really gave us that support and encouragement to make decisions upon who we are and follow our passions. I think that was really important, really special to have that from such a young age. So I think to see that play out and hear as well from fellow classmates, like to hear from where they’ve ended up in life, I think IGS had quite an important role to play in that.
Paul Galea:
Yeah, really good, mate. That’s nice. Okay, and the last little question, mate, – have you got any advice for the people out there, particularly our younger listeners, about maybe some things you’ve learned along the way when doing your adventures or preparing for them? Anything that comes to mind you think could be useful for other people to hear?
Callum:
Yeah, most definitely. I think the biggest thing is that if you have dreams if you have aspirations in life that you want to aim for, do it. Aim for the skies. I think the main thing is to create a network around you that is supportive, does encourage you, that you find your tribe and, as well, if you’re going to give anything a shot in life, don’t just give it a go, but give it a good go. That you train hard, you prepare well, you think about any type of scenario you might face, but stick to it because it’s always the hard yards that you put in beforehand that make that journey a lot easier as time goes on. So, yeah, just get out there and don’t let anything phase you. Just have some fun along the way as well.
Paul Galea:
Pretty good advice, mate. Okay. Really happy to talk to you, and I really appreciate you taking the time to call me and obviously you’ll be training pretty hard at the moment, so I appreciate you taking time out to have a chat. And mate, say good luck to your mum, Heather. Give her my best. And obviously your dad, Doug, who was my partner in coaching the footy team and a real good man, your old man. Say hi to them. And then obviously to Rebekah, who we did an interview with at some stage a couple of years ago. Great family and lovely to hear from you, mate. I’ll see you soon.
Callum:
Yeah, thank you, Paul. Appreciate it. Have a good one.
Editor’s note: Callum and Heather made it to the summit of Aconcagua!
