Everest Base Camp Trek: A challenging achievement

Everest, the world’s crown is the Nepalese pride. Myriads of adventure seekers throng to this adventurous shrine every year with the strong desire of closely viewing the mighty Everest towering beyond the sky in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

Besides, the trek also highlights electrifying flight to the world’s one of the high altitude airports, Lukla 2900m. The cultural encounters in the frequent highland settlements of indigenous Sherpas, the biodiversity of floras, faunas, Himalayan wild animals and colorful birds at Sagarmatha National Park, the pleasant walk along the lush vegetation of rhododendron, firs, pines and oak forest, the panoramic views of towering Himalayan giants including Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Lobuche and many more, the visit to sacred highland monasteries including the one at Tengboche 3846m, Kalapattar 5545m, the highest cabinet meeting point and the walk on the glacier to Everest Base Camp 5357m are the major highlights of the trek.

Everest Base Camp Trek is an achievement and this autumn, the nine out of thirteen Danish trekkers through our exclusive country partner Kipling Travel achieved it. Mr. Jakob Lapp who was also a group leader of said few lines on the trek after its completion.

The fantastic mountain views throughout the trek and the pleasant people living in the region were very nice. Mountains and the people of the mountains in Everest Region are very hard to forget. Both were equally amazing.

Staffs of Explore Himalaya were professionals. We had two rescue operations which were performed so swiftly that everyone was amazed. Ram, our guide did a very good job. Thanks to him and Explore Himalaya, we had a great holiday.

Flight to Lukla – One of the world’s most thrilling rides

The flight to Lukla in the Everest Region is one of the most thrilling experiences. Apart from the stunning vista of +8000m peaks and snowy Himalayan ranges, the heart racing touchdown and take-off experience at the airport runway (which is perched on a cliff) is guaranteed to give one goosebumps. No wonder the Tenzing Hillary airport has made it as one of the “World’s Thrilling Airports.” According to a report on CNNGO, Airfarewatchdog.com has compiled a list  of the world’s most thrilling airports and Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla is one of them.

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The runway at Tenzing-Hillary Airport (pic: EH archive)

The Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla  was built in 1964 at the initiative of the Himalayan Trust to ease the transportation of cargo and building materails for the trust's educational projects in Everest Region. Prior to the establishment of the airport, locals as well as trekkers and mountaineers had to make an ardous trek lasting several days from Jiri to reach the Sherpa villages in Everest region. With the building of the airport, life has become much easier for the Khumbu locals as well as tourist visiting the Everest Region. In 2008 Nepal Government named the airport Tenzing-Hillary Airport in honor of Everest heroes and the first climbers to conquer Mount Everest, Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Read about it on CNNGO “World's most 'thrilling' airports, where thrilling = terrifying

Take a flight to Lukla & Trek to Everest Base Camp

Danish Climbers Scale Mera Peak – October 2011

On October Explore Himalaya organized an expedition to Mera Peak(6654m) for a large group of 13 Danish climbers. The team leader was Ole Andreassen. The team along with 6 climbing sherpas from Explore Himalaya left Kathmandu and flew to Lukla on 7th October from where their trek started. By 19th October the team had reached the High Camp of Mera Peak. They made their summit bid in the early hours of 20th October. Luckily they were successful and at around 5:30 Am (local time) 12 Danish members and 6 sherpas stood  jubilantly at the summit of Mera Peak.

Here are some delightful pictures of the expedition taken by Pasang Sherpa (Sirdar):

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Enjoying views of snowy peaks while taking a breather

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Lunch at a wooded grove

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Taking an uphill trail

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Base Camp

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High Camp

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 Summit push in the early hours – 20th Oct, 2011

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At the summit of Mera Peak(6654m) "Yay!"

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"Take our picture too!"

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Descent

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Easy descent

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Snow covered Base Camp

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Let's celebrate – Cheers!

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Party time –' It's the time to disco (the sherpa way)!'

(Pics courtesy : Pasang Sherpa)

Climb Mera Peak (6654m)

 

 

Everest Heli Trek 2011

Heli- Trekking in Everest Region

Is it possible to trek to Everest region and return to Kathmandu in two days? It may seem unbelievable (what with AMS & other health concerns),  but yes we have made it possible! How did we do  it? Read our trip our report on the Everest Heli-Trek that we organized for Danish clients Mr. Ole Andersen & Ms. Line Gjessoe Andersen.

The father and daughter duo Mr. Ole Andersen & Ms. Line Gjessoe Andersen, after arriving in Kathmandu, were  flown  to Lukla on 14th May 2011. From Lukla they began their two-day trek to Shyangboche.

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On the way to Shyangboche

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Line with guide Maya Gurung

Above Namche

Above Namche

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Trek to Shyangboche

After reaching Shyangboche, on 16th May they boarded Fishtail Air’s AS 350 B3 helicopter and flew over the snowy and towering Mount Everest and other mountains, and the mesmerizing  Gokyo Lake, finally landing at Kalapatthar (5,545m) – one of the finest viewpoints to view Mount Everest up close and the site of the World’s Highest Cabinet Meeting (held on December 4, 2009).

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Enjoying the mountain views from aboard the chopper

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Himalayan Panorama – Everest Region

Gokyo Lake

Gokyo Lake

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Breathe easy – Oxygen systems are always at hand to help you breathe easy at high altitude

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At the Base of Mount Everest – Kalapatthar(5545m)

After exploring and capturing some fantastic shots in their cameras,  the father and daughter duo were flown to Yeti Mountain Home in Kongde or Kongde Resort for breakfast.

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Breakfast at the World’s Highest Luxury resort in Kongde (4250m)

Located at an elevation of 4250m, this is the highest luxury hotel in the world. From Kongde, the clients  were flown to Kathmandu. According to Mr. Ole “it was a very good and memorable trip”.

(Photos: Explore Himalaya)

 

Clothing Bank for Trekking Workers in Lukla

As part of its welfare scheme for trekking workers, TAAN (Trekking Agents Association of Nepal) has opened a clothing bank for trekking workers in Lukla, Solukhumbu. The clothing bank has 1,000 pairs of high-quality jackets, trousers and shoes. The workers can borrow clothing or shoes for a certain time by depositing a nominal fee. A seven-member management committee comprising of two leaders (central and local) each from three tourism workers unions – Union of Travel, Trekking, Rafting and Airlines Workers, All Nepal Tourism Workers’ Union and Nepal Tourism Workers Association – and representative of TAAN will operate the bank. Trekking workers have hailed this move, asserting that now they can go about their work  without having to worry about the cold.

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Porters taking a breather on the busy Everest Trail

Plans are underway to open such banks in the trekking regions of Langtang and Annapurna too.