September 2008 Archives

Going on an Everest expedition entails more than purely climbing the mountain. When I pictured the journey to base camp, I merely imagined a helicopter ride from Kathmandu to base camp. Just getting to base camp is a nine day trek in itself. The trail to Everest has become more popular as the years have gone by and it is has become a commonly traveled route. Along the way, you will enjoy your surroundings and take in some of the most spectacular views.

This trip starts from the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. The thirty minute flight arrives in Lukla. From Lukla we proceed onto Phakding and spend the night. Throughout the next week, the group will experience the culture through visiting local Sherpa villages and monasteries. Once morning comes, we are off to Namche Bazaar and reach an altitude of 3535 meters. In order to cope with the thin air, the group must spend another day there to properly acclimatize. This location gives the climber their first legitimate view of Everest. Day four marks the arrival at Tengboche which is at an altitude of 3850 meters.

The second day of acclimatization occurs once Dingboche has been reached. The guides are careful to make sure that the climbers are acclimatizing on the trek to base camp because as we know, the trek to base camp cannot even compare to the trek to the summit of Everest. The next step is to make it to Lobuje and then to Gorak Shep. Day nine marks the end of the beginning. The trek to Everest base camp may be completed, but the real challenge lies right before your eyes: Mount Everest. As Ed Viesturs puts it in No Shortcuts to the Top, "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory."

http://nepalvisitors.com/trekking/everest_region/everest-base-camp-trek.htm

Other than being the highest mountain in the world, Everest is rich in culture and has a strong religious history. Buddhism is the most prevalent religion and is a large part of life there. Guru Rinpoche is the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Prayer flags can be seen on the high peaks of the mountain and are in five colors to represent the five Buddhist elements: earth, wind, fire, water and consciousness. At the center of Buddhist beliefs are patience and mindfulness.

Sherpas are an ethnic group that inhabit the area. They generally live in the high mountain region of the eastern Himalaya. They are devoted to Buddhism and are considered "Tibetan Buddhists." Although there has been technological progress made around Everest, they have stayed with their traditional customs. For example, instead of using our modern technology, they continue to grow and raise the majority of their food herding yaks. Sherpas are strong willed and courageous people on and off the mountain. They are willing to help and use their religious beliefs and traditions in their daily lives.

There are two main monasteries in this region. First is the Tyengboche monastery. It remains today as one of the most important religious centers for the Sherpa culture. The Monastery is at the meeting point of two rivers, the Dudh Kosi and the Imja Khola. It has a beautiful view of Everest. The other is the Rongbuk monastery and is located on the north side. This monastery was founded in 1902. This is one of the last sites you will view if you are climbing through the North side of Everest. Some say that it has the most breathtaking views of Everest and is a sacred threshold.

All in all, Mt. Everest is more than just a large mountain. It's location, bordering Tibet and Nepal, is the homeland to many. It has a distinct cultural and religious background and provides opportunity and faith to those who inhabit the area. The Sherpas are faithful to Buddhism and continue to practice their ancient traditions today.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/history/sherpasworld.html

In order to climb the highest mountain in the world, you need to be sure that you have a sufficient and valid guide service. Finding a legitimate and reliable guide service can be difficult these days. There are plenty of services that can be found on the internet that are scams. After researching different services, I found that Adventure Consultants, American Alpine Institute and Alpine Ascents International are the premier guiding services for Mt. Everest. They are all cost effective and dependable.

American Alpine Institutes charges $65,000 and takes a maximum of nine climbers. They climb through the South Col route in Nepal. Three Sherpa accompany those nine climbers. This expedition group would leave on March 30th and will return on June 2nd. To learn more about American Alpine Institutes, visit their website at: http://www.mtnguide.com/ProgramDetail/everest/.

Another option is Alpine Ascents. This trekking agency and guide service also costs $65,000 and requires a $20,000 deposit. This expedition departs on March 29th and returns on June 1st. Again, to learn more, visit: http://www.alpineascents.com/everest.asp.

The third and best option is Adventure Consultants. This guide service has the highest success rate of climbers getting to the summit of Everest. If I were to climb Everest, I would feel most comfortable with this guide service. Out of the three it is the most adequate and organized. It also costs the “standard” rate of $65,000 and claims to be the premier guiding service. It provides climbers with a “good chance to summit" because they make sure they only take suitable climbers and provide them with the proper instruction. The Sherpa and guide team are the best quality in the business and the ratio between climbers to Sherpa is great. They provide the most up to date technology so that the weather forecasts can be properly determined. This trip leaves on March 30th and returns June 9th. More information is available at: http://www.adventureconsultants.co.nz/AdventureInternational/7Everest/.

Do you know what it feels like to be on top of the world? Although not many of us do, there are about 300 brave human beings who can say they have done so successfully. Mt. Everest, which boarders Nepal and Tibet, is the highest mountain in the world. It towers over the world at 29,035 feet and never fails to intimidate. Everest is also referred to as the goddess of the sky and the mother goddess of the earth. The first ascent took place in May of 1953 and was achieved by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

More recently, on May 23, 2008, a team of 11 men and 9 Sherpa reached the summit. Out of the 20 successful climbers, 8 of them reached the summit for their first time. As of now, about 4,000 climbers have attempted to climb Everest and about 600 have achieved the ultimate goal of summiting.

There is a large array of individuals who decide to take on an expedition such as this. Climbers have ranged in age from 15 to 64. Imagine a 15 year old, just entering his or her first year of high school, deciding to climb the highest mountain in the world! It is truly unbelievable that someone as young as that would have the courage to take on Everest. Summiting the highest mountain in the world is more than just the physical climb. It means more than that to those who do it. It is spiritually, mentally and emotionally rewarding. To those who accomplish this, they feel that their life has been completed by this brave expedition. It's time to ask yourself, how would it feel to be on top of the world?

Nervously awaiting the climb, I sat fully strapped and ready to go. The tight harness around my waist added to the churning feeling inside my stomach. Being afraid of heights certainly didn't compliment what I was about to do. When it was my turn I approached the cliff and grabbed on. Within a matter of seconds, those nervous blues inside me began to disappear. They were immediately replaced with the rush of the moment. I made sure not to look down and to concentrate on the placement of each step. About halfway up the cliff I reached a point where I couldn't figure out how to proceed. The butterflies in my stomach took over and left me panicked. Luckily, I had people around me that were able to suggest where to go from there. Once I got to the top I felt a sense of satisfaction and relief. Little did I know, that feeling of calmity would be gone. After you go up, you have to go down. I was nervous to hang from the cliff and belay myself down. Being so distracted by my nervous feelings, I wasn't able to fully appreciate the magnificent view. Soon enough it was my turn. After I started belaying, I felt much better. I was feeling better and better after each step down. I reached the bottom and felt great. Even though this was no Everest, I was able to overcome one of my fears and do something new. A weight was lifted off of me as a I took off all of my gear and walked over to the rest of the group.