It has been a quick but enjoyable stay in Kathmandu. Our hotel, the Yak & Yeti (www.yakandyeti.com) is a very enjoyable hotel, a quiet sanctuary within the busy & noisy city. Many expeditions heading to and from the Nepal Himalaya stay in this hotel, so we have encountered many other expeditions including several also planning to climb Everest.
We have run into notable Himalayan figures such as Peter Athans who has just completed an archaeological expedition in the Mustang region of Nepal. Peter has produced some fascinating work in this field & very worth checking out. To see Peter's recent findings check out the following: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110301-himalayas-caves-defleshed-skeletons-science-nepal-mustang/
We also spent time with Elizabeth Hawley, who keeps very detailed records of climbers heading into the Himalaya. There was a very good article on Elizabeth in Outside magazine this month. Her Himalayan Database is very impressive indeed & also a useful tool, to check out her work visit: www.himalayandatabase.com
Last night we had a team dinner at a very good restaurant of traditional Nepali food. It is fun to sample the local cuisine, and to immerse oneself in the local culture. Today our group went on a city tour and visited several important cultural & historical landmarks in Kathmandu (Monkey Temple, Crematorium, Bodhnath Temple).
Tomorrow our plan is to fly to Lukla and begin our trek up the Khumbu Valley to Everest Base camp. Pending good flying weather, we hope to trek to the village of Phakding where we plan to spend our first night in the Khumbu. We are excited to begin our journey into the mountains!
Garrett Madison
No comments:
Post a Comment