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Archive for the ‘Nepal Trekking’ Category
Most people can only dream of seeing the earth from space; and reaching the summit of Mount Everest (8,848 metres) is a formidable challenge that fewer than 3,000 people have ever achieved. In May 2009, American astronaut, Scott Parazynski became the first human to have done both.
In 2008, NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski embarked on his first expedition from Everest Base Camp, trekking towards the summit. He was forced to turn back on that occasion, but this year he returned for a second try. On May 20th, with the support of his NASA trek team at Everest Base Camp below, he reached the summit at around four in the morning, in time to see the sunrise on the curved horizon.
The Views He’s Seen
Scott has had a remarkable life so far. His education spanned four continents, attending schools in Senegal, Lebanon, Iran and Greece, as well as the U.S. In 1989, he completed his doctorate at Stanford Medical School and then continued to study and practise medicine. With NASA, Scott had the enviable experience of seeing the world from a different and rare perspective, taking space walks while in orbit around the earth. These were part of his five NASA space shuttle missions where he worked on the Russian Mir Space Station and helped construct the International Space Station. This meant he spent hours floating in zero gravity with the blue planet spinning beneath him.
Astronauts and Everest Records
Scott Parazynski is not the only astronaut to crave further adventure after returning from space, and his association with the world of mountaineering is not unique. The Apollo 11 astronaut, Neil Armstrong, teamed up with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1985 to help Hillary set another record. It was more than thirty years after Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had returned safely to Everest Base Camp from the summit, becoming the first team to successfully reach the top. Armstrong flew Hillary to the South Pole in a small plane, helping Hillary become the first person to have stood on both poles and to have stood on Everest’s peak.
Twenty four years later, as part of his acclimatisation preparations for the Everest ascent, Scott and his NASA team approached the mountain via the classic Everest Base Camp Trek route. He then took a number of training runs up the mountain to get his body used to the exertion and thin air. Once he was ready, he headed for the summit with a lump of rock from the moon in hand, which had been collected during Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 moon landing.
Photographing the Top of the World
As part of Scott’s second and successful Everest trek, he carried a special, high-quality robotic camera to capture panoramic images of the mountain. Called a GigaPan Epic, it is mounted on a tripod and left to scan for a while, collecting a 360 degree image of the view which is then stored on a computer. The results are wide strip of an image that you can zoom into and pan across, with an image that sharpens and refocuses as you interact with it. It’s an interesting preview of what is waiting for trekkers at the culmination of the Everest Base Camp Trek.
The picture shows the many yellow and orange tents scattered among heaps of rock and boulders at the base camp. The fractured ice of the Khumbu Icefall is visible, as is the base of the Nuptse, an adjoining mountain. You can see the Khumbu valley leading up the mountain through which the NASA trek team approached on their Everest Base Camp Trek.
Scott took the camera up Everest to Camp IV. At 7,920 metres, it is believed to be the highest photo of its kind ever taken. However, the photos of Scott at the peak were more conventional: flags of sponsors and charities being held up for the camera, jackets adorned with memorial badges of space missions, and Scott with frosted eyebrows and a pink smiling face.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have run the Everest Base Camp Trek for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
When the finest trekking holidays in the world are discussed, there are plenty of strong contenders. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the legendary Tour du Mont Blanc, and the trek to Everest Base Camp are amongst the most famous walks in the world, but veteran walkers often point to another, perhaps lesser known trek as their personal highlight – the Annapurna Circuit. This epic circumnavigation of the Annapurna Massif visits an astonishing range of highlights: high mountain passes festooned with prayer flags, dramatic deep gorges, remote Buddhist temples and picturesque Nepalese farming villages scattered along the route. It is often said to be the best trek in Nepal – perhaps even the best in the world.
Sights of the Annapurna Circuit
The central highlight of the Annapurna Circuit is the Annapurna Massif itself. This stunning mountain range is composed of seven major peaks, and towering above them all is Annapurna I (8,091m), the tenth highest mountain in the world. One of the great pleasures of the Annapurna Circuit trek is viewing the range from every different angle; each day’s walking brings another new perspective on this stunning mountain range.
Other highlights include the fertile valley of Marshyangdi, the stunning Thorong La Pass (which, at 5,415m, is the high point of the trek and offers the finest views of the Annapurna mountains), the historic pilgrimage temple at Muktinath and the beautiful Nepalese village of Marpha. The diversity of the landscape is truly incredible, and the trek offers the chance to see almost every kind of terrain in Nepal.
Trekking the Annapurna Circuit
It is a long, tough trek – involving over 200 miles hard walking over mountainous terrain, it typically takes even seasoned walkers almost three weeks hard trekking to complete the Annapurna Circuit. But part of the appeal of the Circuit is its relative accessibility, as there is an outstanding infrastructure along the route. Nepalese tea houses are simple but comfortable and characterful places to stay and, due to the large number of lodges along the way, camping is unnecessary. Good food is on offer at the lodges, minimising the amount that needs to be carried. However, many people will choose to hire a porter or go with a tour group to minimise the kit they have to carry; it is easier to enjoy the views when you aren’t weighed down with a heavy pack!
Trekking is best avoided during the summer monsoon season, where the heavy rain can make conditions difficult and unpleasant, and during the winter, when it can get extremely cold in the higher parts of the Circuit. March, April, October and November are the best months to go. You need to be in good shape and a keen walker, preferably with experience of trekking at high altitude, but no technical mountaineering skills are required to trek the Annapurna Circuit. Due to the long, gradual nature of the hike, altitude is rarely a problem, with plenty of time given to acclimatise along the way. Weather conditions can vary greatly and having good cold weather clothing and waterproofs is essential. Of course, as with any trekking holiday, a good quality and (more importantly) well broken pair of hiking boots is the most valuable thing to have with you!
Whether you travel independently or with a specialist tour operator, the Annapurna Circuit is one trek you aren’t likely to forget. Is it the best walk in the world? That will always be a matter of opinion, but one thing is for certain – there are few other trekking holidays in the world that can match the Annapurna Circuit for its diversity, excitement, and unspoilt Himalayan landscapes.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have provided Annapurna Circuit treks for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
Ever since it was confirmed as the highest mountain on the planet in the 19th century, Mount Everest has fascinated amateur and professional mountaineers alike. Learn more about treks to Everest Base Camp, the last stopping off point for climbers before they attempt the summit.
A trek to Everest remains a dream for many, and achieving the summit of the highest mountain in the world will always be the ultimate prize for experienced mountaineers. Standing at 8,848 metres above sea level, Everest defeated attempts from climbers for over thirty years until Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made it to the top in 1953. Since then, several thousand people have made it to the summit; but the skills required, the danger of the climb and the considerable expense of an Everest expedition put a trip to the top of the mountain out of the reach of most people. Treks to Everest Base Camp, however, continue to grow in popularity, giving travellers to this region an unforgettable glimpse of the world’s highest mountain.
Everest Base Camp
Contrary to popular perception, there are in fact two Everest Base Camps that Everest expeditions can set off from: the South camp in Nepal (5,360 metres) and the North camp in Tibet (5,208 metres). At both of them, mountaineers preparing to attempt the summit stay to acclimatise to the altitude and wait for favourable weather conditions before leaving to make an attempt on the summit. The South camp tends to be the more commonly used by Everest expeditions for practical reasons – the southern ridge is the easier and safer route to the summit, and climbing from the Tibetan side requires a special visa from China.
To see and visit one of these Everest Base Camps is to step onto the stage of mountaineering history – the world’s greatest climbers have passed through the camps at one point or another in search of their moment of glory.
Regional Highlights
As well as the awe inspiring views of Everest itself and the historical significance of seeing Everest Base Camp, treks to this region typically take in several other summits and sights. Most treks to Everest Base Camp will follow the classic route from Lukla, through pretty Sherpa villages and dramatic high mountain scenery, whilst other Everest Base Camp treks will follow a longer route to Everest, giving the opportunity to retrace the steps of the great explorers all the way from Jiri to the Base Camp itself. Other trekking routes in this region can also include a visit to the spectacular Gokyo Lakes, a series of high altitude lakes that offer breathtaking views out over the region.
Almost all Everest Base Camp treks in Nepal will include an ascent of nearby Kala Pattar (5,545 metres), which offers great views down over the base camp and up to Everest itself.
Experience and Equipment Required
Trekking to Everest Base Camp does not require mountaineering experience. The walking though is challenging due to the terrain and the altitude. Organised trips should give visitors time to acclimatise to the altitude. Although altitude sickness is unpredictable and affects different people in different ways, simple precautions can minimise the chance of experiencing this. Previous experience of high level trekking is not a requirement for an Everest Base Camp trek, just a good general level of fitness and a spirit of adventure.
Tour operators will be able to provide a more complete list of the equipment required for individual treks, but a good waterproof jacket, clothes that will provide sufficient warmth at high altitudes, sunglasses and good quality walking boots will be a bare minimum. The cost of a trek varies from company to company but, due to the distances covered in a typical trek, and the need to gradually acclimatise to the altitude, a complete trip will take around three weeks and usually costs between £1,900 and £2,500, including flights.
Everest Base Camp has been drawing in walkers and climbers for years, and it remains an essential destination for the trekking enthusiast – spectacular scenery, challenging walking and a once in a lifetime chance to stand beside the highest mountain in the world.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have run an Everest Base Camp trek for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
There’s something about Mount Everest (8,848 metres) that repeatedly attracts members of the military to its slopes. No strangers to a challenge and hardship, soldiers have been testing themselves on the world’s highest mountain for decades. Perhaps it’s the pull of an extreme environment, or perhaps it is the thrill of seemingly insurmountable odds that brings enlisted men and women to the Khumbu looking for adventure.
The Soldiering Tradition
George Mallory’s fateful 1924 expedition was lead by General Bruce; Sir Edmund Hillary was in the Royal New Zealand Air Force; and Bear Grylls trained with the UK Special Forces before his television career and his ascent of Mount Everest at the age of 23. But the army’s connection goes far deeper than the visits of Westerners to Mount Everest. Nepal’s soldiering tradition is almost part of the landscape. In villages across Annapurna and along the trails of the Everest Base Camp Trek, you can find monuments to – and celebrations of – the many Gurkha troops recruited to the British Army. Hardy young Nepalese men still train and compete for the immense privilege of serving abroad. The Ghurkhas have been serving with Indian and British forces since the early 1800s, but have made the news recently thanks to Joanna Lumley’s Gurkha Justice Campaign, when she fought for their right to retire in Britain after serving.
A Long Walk with One Leg
As well as being a place of adventure for many soldiers, the dramatic and beautiful path of the Everest Base Camp Trek can also be a path to recovery. Royal Marine, Nick Gibbons, was hurt during active duty in Afghanistan and lost part of his right leg. He was on patrol in Helmand in 2008 when he was hit by an explosion. It took five operations and some tough physiotherapy to get him back walking, and before long he had walked from Lukla airport to Everest Base Camp (5360 m) on his new prosthetic. In January this year, he was back training with a Commando unit in Norway.
It is brave souls like Nick that motivate people to raise money for charitable causes by following in his footsteps to Everest. One example is a Literature lecturer from Newport who will be walking the Everest Base Camp Trek this February to raise money for “Help for Heroes”, choosing this charity because of his connection with the Territorial Army.
Base Camp Border Police
There have been plenty more sightings of the army on Everest. In September 2009, members of the Indian army – the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) – made the news by announcing plans for a record-breaking, ecological Mount Everest expedition. Their aim was to simultaneously conduct a clean-up effort while attempting a world record ski run from the summit of Everest down to Everest Base Camp.
It was a daring plan, especially with the knowledge that many similar attempts to ski down Everest have resulted in failure and serious injury. The ITBP took on the expedition aiming to improve their “survival strategy” and “operational preparedness” as well as an environmental mission to clear some of the refuse that has been allowed to accumulate on the mountain.
Eight of the team planned to ski down from the summit, with the other twenty climbers hauling the rubbish they have collected from the top down to Everest Base Camp. Unfortunately, bad weather meant they had to abandon their ascent before they reached their objective. Sometimes even the precision of military planning cannot overcome the unpredictable and unforgiving nature of the weather around the world’s highest peak.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have run the Everest Base Camp Trek for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
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The stunning Annapurna Circuit trek is a haven for nature lovers, showcasing some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world. But what animals might you be lucky enough to spot whilst trekking the Annapurna Circuit?
Pika
Most people haven’t heard of pikas, but these small critters are commonly spotted on the Annapurna Circuit. A pika is similar in appearance to a chinchilla, albeit slightly smaller. They are native to the colder climates of Asia, Eastern Europe and North America and are sometimes called rock rabbits or coneys. Pikas are most active during the winter season as they don’t hibernate; instead they rely on collected hay for warm bedding and food.
Blue Sheep
Yes, you really can spot blue sheep on an Annapurna circuit trek, although slate grey would probably be a more apt description. These sheep are also known by their Nepalese name, bharal, and can often be spotted clambering over rocky crevices on the Annapurna Circuit. Both male and female bharal have horns, although the males curve sideways in the manner of a Victorian moustache, whilst the females grow upwards and straight. They are hard to spot as they tend to camouflage well against the slate grey of the mountain drop and tend to freeze once they feel they are in danger of being approached.
Snow Leopard
The stunning snow leopard is one of the most elusive creatures in Nepal with only between 300 and 500 left. The northern region of the Annapurnas is their main hunting ground, where pika and bharal are plentiful. The snow leopard hunts during dawn and dusk and spotting one of these beautiful creatures is an incredibly rare privilege whilst on an Annapurna circuit trek. Snow leopards are able to kill up to three times their size and when they’ve made their kill they will stay with their prey for several days protecting it from scavengers and eating it very slowly.
Red Panda
The red panda is native to Nepal and can often be spotted whilst walking the Annapurna circuit, as they make their homes on the slopes of the southern Himalayans. The red panda is very heat sensitive and can not tolerate temperatures of over 25C. As a result, red pandas sleep during noontime when the sun is at its hottest, with their bushy tales sheltering their faces.
Himalayan Tahr
The Himalayan tahr is another animal that you perhaps haven’t heard anything about. This black, long-haired, goat like creature is native to the Himalayan Mountains and most active during the early morning and late afternoon. They can often be seen resting on a rocky outcrop during the day and will bolt for the hills once approached. However, when you learn that tahr hunting is a native sport among many of the tribes on the Annapurna circuit, its no wonder that they may shy away from human company.
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is said to frequent the Annapurna circuit and many locals are convinced that they’ve caught a glimpse of him. The animal has been described as ape-like, with shaggy brown hair, sharp teeth and no tail. Stories have been told of the yeti killing yaks and attacking locals, so whether you believe them or not, you better watch out as who knows what may lurk on the slopes of the Annapurna circuit.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have provided Annapurna Circuit treks for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
Learn more about the myth of Shangri-La, the heaven on earth Buddhist kingdom that has fascinated and baffled scholars and travellers for centuries.
Nepal and Tibet are now hugely popular destinations for trekking holidays (with the Annapurna Circuit and the Everest Base Camp trek reckoned as two of the best treks in the world) but it wasn’t always so.
The Himalaya, for a long time, remained the last blank on the map, an uncharted and unexplored land. Nepal, Tibet and the other Himalayan nations were closed to outsiders for centuries (most until well into the twentieth century), their lands and people a mystery. Myths clung to the mountains, and none more so than the myth of Shangri-La.
Shangri-La in the West
In 1933, James Hilton published Lost Horizon, perhaps inspired by a combination of Buddhist myth and the Everest trekking expeditions of the time. Set in the aftermath of a plane crash in the Himalaya, the British and American survivors find themselves at the hidden Buddhist monastery of Shangri-La, a utopian “heaven on earth” where the inhabitants enjoy a prolonged life of near immortality.
Just like any other myth, the popularity of the myth Shangri-La was inevitably affected by the state of the world at any time. With a world economy wracked by the great depression, and the great powers sliding towards fascism, communism, and eventual world war, the idea of an escape in the mountains held an understandable appeal.
In a strange twist of fate, the myth found an unusually receptive audience with the Nazis. Fascinated by the occult and the concept of the master race, the regime was understandably drawn to the idea of a perfect place where eternal life was possible. In 1938 they tried to find it – a Nazi expedition went trekking around Everest and the Himalaya in search of the mythical place.
Shangri-La in the East
Lost Horizon was the book that sparked western imagination, but the idea of a paradise hidden in the Himalaya originated centuries before James Hilton set his typewriter in motion, or any westerner went trekking to Everest and the Himalaya. Known as Shambala, the Buddhist myths of the Himalaya speak of a hidden kingdom of the enlightened, governed according to the highest precepts of Buddhism.
Like every Buddhist myth, Shambala has both an “outer” interpretation (that it refers to an actual hidden kingdom) and an “inner” one (that it refers to a state of being or a place of spiritual contentment.)
The Final Word?
Today, Tibet and Nepal have both been thoroughly explored. The world’s highest mountain has been conquered a thousand times over, and Everest Base Camp treks are massively popular amongst more adventurous travellers. The idea of an actual kingdom of Shangri-La hidden away in the mountains may only be entertained by the most wild conspiracy theorists, but the myth lingers on. With almost no part of the earth left unexplored, except for the deepest parts of the ocean, there will always be a part of us that craves the mystery that Shangri-La offers.
The Dali Lama, when asked about Buddhism’s most popular myth, had this to say:
“Nowadays, no one knows where Shambala is. Although it is said to exist, people cannot see it, or communicate with it in an ordinary way. Some people say it is located in another world, others that it is an ideal land, a place of the imagination. Some say it was a real place, which cannot now be found. Some believe there are openings into that world which may be accessed from this one. Whatever the truth of that, the search for Shambala traditionally begins as an outer journey that becomes a journey of inner exploration and discovery.”
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who for over 20 years have been the premier choice for the superlative Everest base camp trek. They now offer tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
Following the success of her high profile Gurkha Justice Campaign, Joanna Lumley went to Nepal in August for the first time. She visited villages set in the Annapurna trekking region of astonishing mountains and valleys, and received a rapturous welcome.
Joanna Arrives in Nepal
Joanna Lumley had originally planned a “quiet, private visit” to Nepal, but following her campaign for Gurkha veterans’ rights in Britain, she has become a hero in Nepal. She was met at Kathmandu airport by more than a thousand Gurkha veterans and supporters, people who had walked for days, trekking from Annapurna’s mountain villages to thank her.
Joanna attended a number of presentations where she was bedecked in silk scarves, garlands of flowers and greeted with applause. There were scores of people holding placards depicting words of thanks, featuring her new nickname “Ayo Goddess Joanna”. One placard was amusingly affable: “We admire British Public totally.
A small plane was chartered to fly her across the Himalaya, so she could visit the Gurkha veterans in several small villages, and see some of the amazing landscape that makes Annapurna treks so breathtaking. At Dharan, the entire town was waiting to welcome her.
The Gurkhas
Gurkhas have served in the British and Indian armies for more than sixty years, although the tradition of Gurkhas serving alongside British troops dates back as far as the early nineteenth century. The Nepalese men, from whom the Gurkha regiments are assembled, are reputably tough and exhibit remarkable endurance. This is a strength that is common to both the Gurkha and Sherpa peoples of Nepal, and is often demonstrated by them while serving as guides or porters on an Annapurna trek in the Himalaya. They are capable of carrying large loads over long distances and steep slopes in thinning air, a feat that never fails to impress the western visitors trekking in Annapurna.
The village of Ghandruk, which you may visit while on an Annapurna trek, is at the centre of the Gurkha tradition. The village is a recruiting centre for the Gurkhas, where boys and young men volunteer for tests of physical prowess to impress the recruiters. There is great competition for places. Serving in a foreign army provides an opportunity to prove themselves, bringing pride to their families and a welcome wage in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Until recently, veteran Gurkhas that retired before 1997 had no right to stay in Britain, despite having served for the country. This situation left many veterans homeless because they had been denied permission to work in the UK while they applied for residency there. Thanks to the recent change in policy, all Gurkhas that have served four years in the British military have the right to apply for residency in Britain when they retire.
Lumley’s Legacy
Joanna Lumley, who took up the Gurkha’s cause because her father owed his life to a Nepalese soldier in the Second World War, was very moved by the appreciation of the Nepalese people. She was overwhelmed when she arrived at Pokhara, which is the starting point for several Annapurna treks routes into the Annapurna region. Joanna learned that a hill in Pokhara was to be re-named in her and her father’s honour. Mattikhan Hill will now be known as Mattikhan Lumley View.
After the welcome she received in Nepal, Joanna was reticent to leave. ‘I want everyone to know how beautiful Nepal is. I’d love to go back, but next time to do more looking rather than being looked at.
If Joanna were to go trekking in Annapurna, she would not have to go far from her hill in Pokhara to find the families of the people her campaign has helped. The popular Annapurna trek route to sanctuary lodge would introduce her to the owner of the Mountain View Cafe who was a Gurkha and has a family connection with the British army; his father was awarded the Military Cross for his service in World War one. It is veterans like these that Joanna Lumley has helped by pressing the government into action.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company that arranges a number of routes for an Annapurna trek and specialises in trekking holidays in various destinations including North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
For many people, television and film images are their only window onto Mount Everest (8,848m). However, TV pictures rarely manage to capture and preserve for prosperity the unique majesty of the mountain. The striking impact of good photography – such an expressive art form – is the only medium that truly does justice to this iconic landscape and the dramas played out on it. In fact, the power of a single unforgettable image can only really be matched by seeing Everest with the naked eye.
From summit pictures to those taken along the course of the Everest Base Camp Trek, the best photographs are those that capture some of the scale and beauty of the Everest landscape and transport us to places seen only by an adventurous few.
Tensing on Top of the World
Everyone will remember the iconic image of Tensing Norgay, masked and hooded with one boot on the peak of Everest, with blue daylight merging from the horizon into the darkness of space above. Above his head he is holds his ice axe, which bears the national flags of the expedition team that waits expectantly at Everest Base Camp three thousand metres beneath him. You can also see the guide rope curled at his feet which ties him to his climbing partner, who is out of shot. This photograph, of course, was taken by Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953, just after they became the first mountaineers to reach the summit.
This is one of several striking images of Everest expeditions belonging to the Royal Geographic Society. Another powerful picture (that you can see for yourself on the National Geographic website) features Hillary and Norgay on the way up one of the steeper stages. They labour towards the camera which looks down the mountain, with the slopes twisting down behind them in giddy perspective towards the South Col and Lhotse Face below. As well as giving an impression of the steepness of the climb, this image conveys some of the effort involved in the long hard, trek from Everest Base Camp.
Reinhold Messner’s Tent
Reinhold Messner was the first recorded mountaineer to reach the summit alone and without the use of bottled oxygen. Imposing these limitations upon himself, it is no surprise that he described himself as “a single, narrow, gasping lung, floating over the mists.” This notion is depicted by one of his arresting photographs: his tent tied on a precarious outcrop of snow in the foreground with only an expanse of cloud behind, and no sign of a safe place to stand.
Part of the visual impact of these images comes from the innate difficulty in attaining them; but you don’t have to be a professional photographer – or even a mountaineer – to take a breathtaking shot of Mount Everest. Internet photo sharing sites like Flickr contain a bounty of amateur snaps taken along the Everest Base Camp Trek trails and at Base Camp itself. They show that anyone has the potential to catch the world’s mightiest mountain in a good light, emerging from the mist, or cutting an impressive silhouette from the sky.
If you like the idea of gathering your own photo diary of an unforgettable adventure, then you should investigate the classic Everest Base Camp Trek, with the chance to see Mount Everest with your own eyes, and take some memorable photographs.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have run the Everest Base Camp Trek for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
Remarkable things happen around Everest Base Camp. It is more than a staging point for mountaineering expeditions; it is a popular trekking destination, a forum for important global issues, and a place where people test themselves and achieve monumental goals.
The Everest Declaration
On Friday 4th December 2009, the government of Nepal conducted an unusual open-air meeting, swapping their traditional cosy boardroom for a high-altitude mountain setting. They convened at Kala Pattar, the top of which is a good vantage point to look down upon the neighbouring Everest Base Camp (5,360 metres), and a great spot to view Mount Everest (8,848m).
They staged the event on a plateau not far from the location of the world’s highest parachute landing that took place in September. Wrapped in warm coats and scarves, and emblazoned with the caption “Save the Himalayas,” the cabinet ministers posed for the cameras before conducting their meeting via microphones because of the noisy wind. Their aim was to raise awareness of the damage being done to their country because of global climate change, and to issue their “Everest Declaration” to other world leaders, setting targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases.
The ministers were equipped with breathing apparatus because of the relatively thin oxygen; but this is understandable since, at an altitude of 5,242 metres, they were sitting at more than equivalent to the highest summit in the continent of Oceania, Carstenz Pyramid (4,884m), and almost higher than any mountain in North America. They would have held the meeting at Everest Base Camp itself except they struggled to find a suitable place to arrange a boardroom table and chairs. It was an incongruous scene, with the twenty four ministers sat around a table with striking, white mountains and a bright blue sky as a backdrop.
Lows and Highs
A declaration of a different kind was made by the German endurance sportsman, Geri Winkler. Several years ago, he defiantly faced the grave diagnosis of having type-1 diabetes by planning a series of extreme sports and long distance journeys that would test the healthiest of people.
His most ambitious journey took him from the lowest place on the planet to the highest. Beginning at the Dead Sea at an altitude of 422 metres below sea level, he cycled more than 4700 miles via Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal, reaching Everest Base Camp, and going on to successfully summit Everest.
Geri is a man who appears unhindered by a medical condition that needs constant monitoring, and has gone on to achieve the admirable ‘Seven Summits’ accolade, which means conquering the highest peak in each of the world’s seven continents.
No Barriers
If that physical feat and determination seems remarkable, then you should learn the story of former teacher, Erik Weihenmayer. All his life he has been an adventurer, enjoying thrilling adrenaline pursuits such as skiing, paragliding and in particular, mountain climbing.
Like Geri Winkler, Erik is a ‘Seven Summits’ veteran, and in 2001, he trekked from Everest Base Camp to the summit of the highest peak in the world. All considerable achievements bearing in mind he has been blind since the age of 13. It is not surprising that he now earns his money as a motivational speaker.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have run the classic trek to Everest Base Camp for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.