Ashley Robb (16) and Tessa Hughes (17) head to Nepal in six weeks on the Everest Treks' Youth to Everest programme, which, founder and managing director John Gully says, was changed to help them achieve their Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Mr Gully said last week he had approached the scheme's national director to get Everest Treks involved and make the participants' experience more independent.
"The girls will be cooking for themselves, and caring for themselves outside of the lodge/tourist situation for their part of the programme, so it dovetails beautifully with what we do and vice-versa."
They will camp independently and work in a reforestation effort alongside Sherpa youths.
The girls are the only Wakatipu High School pupils involved with the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, but Miss Hughes' mother, Arrow Events co-ordinator Julie Hughes, said the school was looking for a teacher to take up the role of co-ordinator.
"I think that the idea is that if we can get the Duke of Edinburgh set up at Wakatipu High School, it can give the students that don't excel in sports and academics something they can strive for," she said.
"It helps young people to be able to push themselves beyond what they imagine they are able to do and to explore new opportunities. With Duke of Edinburgh, they are able to take up new skills and it's making them look at what they can achieve."
The scheme challenges students to become involved in the community, develop skills, complete adventurous journeys, and take part in physical activity and residential projects.
Everest Treks has been involved with the Nepalese community since 1988, but this is only the third year it has been carrying out reforestation work.
The change was inspired by a conversation Mr Gully had with Sir Edmund Hillary the last time he was in Nepal.
"He blamed himself for the deforestation and I told him that was crazy. But he blamed himself because he built the airstrip, which resulted in a huge tourism boom. When he died, I made the decision to change my focus with the youth to Everest work from pollution control and community education to reforestation."
A total of 75 New Zealanders, split into four groups, will be making the trip. Each group includes a leader and a nurse.
• A Nepali food-night fundraiser will be held on March 13 at Mantra restaurant in Arrowtown, and bookings can be made at Mantra.
