SUMMIT - Himalaya by edoardo.massazza

SUMMIT ཧིམལཡ་

SUMMIT ཧིམལཡ་ A project by

Luca Bianchini, Edoardo Massazza, Adriana Tria

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Luca Bianchini Edoardo Massazza Adriana Tria

EDITORIAL STAFF James Gambert Lara Bloomberg Ryan McAvoy Massimo Boldi Clara Rotvelt Edward Truth Luke Lilcum Samuel Dope Adrian Butan Becca Burp Greta Usan

PHOTOGRAPHY James Gambert John Kramer Anna Tour Edward Kaser Rebecca Phaser James Gambert Lara Bloomberg Ryan McAvoy

Typographic assets: - Neue Machina, by Pangram Pangram and Baugasm - GT Super Display, by Grilly Typefoundry - ITC Garamond, by ITC

Summit Via Privata Mario Bianco, 3 Milano, 20131 www.summit.com Ordering Information: Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above.

For those who dare.

SUMMIT ཧིམལཡ་

This book was printed by AeA Digital Print Via Giulio Romano, 19 - 20135 MI Milano, Italia First edition February 2021, Milano Italia.

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AreaOne HISTORY

SUMMIT ཧིམལཡ་

Summit is a technical guide that synthesizes in its pages all the knowledge required to organize expeditions attempts in hostile areas around the globe. Our product is not designed to actually become a practical and useful object, nor it is to be actually used as a travel guide or a planning book. Conversely it wants to be valued for the methods and visual languages through which it displays its content. In this perspective Summit is in first place a visual research, an experimental project willing to explore novel visual solutions and languages by putting in relation two apparently very distant imaginaries: technical sport performance and design.

The Himalayas The Himalayas represents the ultimate earthly fronteer where human performance can still be challanged. High altitudes, extreme and harsh weather conditions, remote and unaccesible locations make it one of the last regions on earth that human kind can’t yet claim as his own property. From the first expeditions in those regions in the nineteenth century new technologies, tools and strategies have been developed. Without any doubt equipment, local support and infrastructure have greatly improved over the decades. Still those improvements haven’t managed to effectively tame the mighty and deadly spirit of those mountains. Many of those still mantain treaterous names. Annpurna, in Nepal, is called by nowadays climbers “the man eater”; K2, the second highest mountain in the world, located in the Karakoram region, is called the “the savage mountain”. This is clear evidence of how those mountains still remain a place out of human control and probably forever will. Our editorial project wanted to start precisely from this concept: describing and analyzing a location that is yet to be conquered. Planning and expedition in a place like this represents a complex and detailed venture. Many factors are at play and must be considered in order to have at least a possible chance of success. Together with routes and schedules, that are of course of great importance, one must also be sensible and aware of the local culture, environemnt and ecosystem in order to effectively engage with local resources. Great phisical preparation is required togehter with a comprehensive understanding of the various difficoulties one will encounter: high altitude, harsh weather conditions, hostile environment and a total lack of possible external support. Once you are on that mountain, you are on your own.

A general overview of the expeditions that have taken place in the Himalayan range starting from the british explorations in the nineteenth century.

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CULTURE Religion, history, languages and dialects. In this section the main features of the Himalayan cultures are analyzed and displayed to thte reader.

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AreaTwo ECOSYSTEM The Himalayan range covers a vast portion of different countries and territories presenting a very diverse and rich wildlife ecosystem.

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TERRITORY Himalayan mountains represent a harsh and often hostile environment. A comprehensive knowledge of its features is necessary for every succesful expedition.

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AreaThree EQUIPMENT A general overview of all the required equipment needed in order to effectively engage with an hostile, harsh and extreme environment.

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LOGISTICS Schedules, itineraries, required documentation and resources required to effectively organize an expedition in the Himalayan range.

8000m The volume’s content has been organized following the altitude variations that define an expedition in the Himalayan range. A preliminary and introductory phase is displayed in the AreaOne. In this area previous expeditions and local culture (history, languages and dialects, religion ecc,) are analyzed and explained to the reader. The AreaTwo content displays a more practical approach. In the first section of this area the volume presents an overview of the local ecosystem and wildlife (both flora and fauna); while in the second section of this area an in-depth exploration of the region’s territory is displayed. Altitude and soil analysis, routes and mountains description: every aspect pertaining the territory’s features is presented in this section. At last, AreaThree covers all operational aspects of the expedition. In this area key equipment is listed together with a in-depth analysis of the routes, schedules and altitude rotations one must follow when organizing an expedition in those areas.

AreaOne

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HISTORY

TERRITORY

Introduction............................................................................................................ 12 The dawn of mountaineering.................................................................................... 14 First Mount Blanc Summit........................................................................................ 15 The Himalayas......................................................................................................... 16 Sir William Conway................................................................................................ 17 Freshfield/Sella....................................................................................................... 19 Oscar Eckenstein...................................................................................................... 22 Duke of the Abruzzi.................................................................................................. 23 Everest attempts....................................................................................................... 26 1921 photography..................................................................................................... 27 1922 expedition....................................................................................................... 32 1922 expedition team.............................................................................................. 33 1922 photography.................................................................................................... 34 1924 expedition....................................................................................................... 38 The Summit............................................................................................................. 41 Tenzig Norgay.......................................................................................................... 42 First Everest ascent route......................................................................................... 46

Introduction...........................................................................................................134 Climate analysis..................................................................................................... 135 Khumbu region map............................................................................................... 136 Khumbu region........................................................................................................ 137 Khumbu villages and main features........................................................................ 138 Basecamp section...................................................................................................139 Khumbu and Everest natural features...................................................................... 140 3D render of the Everest area...................................................................................142 The summits.......................................................................................................... 144 The summits 01...................................................................................................... 146 The summits 02..................................................................................................... 148 The summits 03..................................................................................................... 150 3D render of gray granite........................................................................................ 152 Shist rock...............................................................................................................154 3D render of shist granite....................................................................................... 155 Gneiss rock............................................................................................................ 156 Metamorphic rocks.................................................................................................. 157

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CULTURE National symbols..................................................................................................... 52 Introduction............................................................................................................ 54 Region’s history....................................................................................................... 55 Rise of Tibetan Buddhism......................................................................................... 56 The Dalai Lama........................................................................................................ 56 Tibetan politics...................................................................................................... 60 Politics today.......................................................................................................... 61 The Language-Nepali.............................................................................................. 62 Nepali..................................................................................................................... 63 The Language-Tibetan............................................................................................. 70 Tibetan.................................................................................................................... 71 The currencies......................................................................................................... 76 Exchange rate........................................................................................................... 78 Historic Nepalese money......................................................................................... 80 Spirituality.............................................................................................................84 Samsara.................................................................................................................. 86 Prayer flags............................................................................................................ 88

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AreaTwo ECOSYSTEM

the reader to find the precise topic he/she is looking for.

Introduction...........................................................................................................162 Equipment List....................................................................................................... 163 Ice Axe.................................................................................................................. 164 Ice Axe technical analysis..................................................................................... 166 Geodesic Tent........................................................................................................ 168 Down vest.............................................................................................................. 170 Altitude boots......................................................................................................... 172 Down sleeping bag.................................................................................................. 174 Carabiner...............................................................................................................176 Carabiner 3D render................................................................................................ 177 Crampons...............................................................................................................178 Photometric lenses..................................................................................................179 Avalanche backpack............................................................................................... 180 Avalanche backpack activation............................................................................... 182 Helmet................................................................................................................... 185 Oxygen can............................................................................................................ 186 GPS satellite......................................................................................................... 189

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LOGISTICS 4500M

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*Index and pages display The index displays every tematic voice in order to make it easier for

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AreaThree

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Introduction.......................................................................................................... 102 Blue Poppy/Yellow Poppy....................................................................................... 103 Begonia/Duabanga................................................................................................. 104 Decaisnea.............................................................................................................. 105 Hooker illustration................................................................................................ 106 Buddleja/Wild Primula.......................................................................................... 108 Wild Primula......................................................................................................... 109 Gaping/Ader...........................................................................................................110 Cedar.....................................................................................................................110 Cedar forest............................................................................................................ 111 Coniferous forest.................................................................................................... 112 Birch/Boxwood........................................................................................................ 114 Eastern Himalayan classification............................................................................. 115 Hooker illustration................................................................................................. 116 Fauna...................................................................................................................... 117 Snowleopard/Yak/Danphe....................................................................................... 120 Giant Panda/Swamp Deer....................................................................................... 126

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Introduction........................................................................................................... 192 Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC)..................................................................................193 Visa and permits.................................................................................................... 194 EBC-Phase one....................................................................................................... 196 EBC-Phase two...................................................................................................... 198 EBC-Summit push..................................................................................................200 EBC-Travel schedule.............................................................................................. 202 EBC-Day one.......................................................................................................... 203 Lukla airport.......................................................................................................... 204 EBC-Day two.......................................................................................................... 207 EBC-Day three........................................................................................................ 208 EBC-Day four......................................................................................................... 210 Tengboche temple................................................................................................... 212 EBC-Day five...........................................................................................................214 EBC-Day six............................................................................................................ 217 Acclimatisation rotations .......................................................................................222 EBC photos............................................................................................................. 239

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*Index and pages display The index displays every tematic voice in order to make it easier for the reader to find the precise topic he/she is looking for.

Because it's there.

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HISTORY An overview of the explorations and expeditions that have taken place in the interested geographical region. The considered time period starts with the first attempts and arrives to the present

days. A collection of stories, experiences and documents that will serve the traveler by making him/her more concious about previous efforts, mistakes and successes.

Humans have been present in mountains since prehistory. However, the highest mountains were rarely visited early on, and were often associated with supernatural concepts. Nonetheless, there are many documented examples of people climbing mountains prior to the formal development of the sport. 01. Mont Blanc Ascent 1860, Mont Blanc represents a simbolyc mountain. The first succesful summit ascent that occured in 1786 is normally considered the starting point of modern mountaineering.

In the Europe of the eighteenth century with modern technologies mountains didn’t look intimidating anymore.

The Age of Enlightenment and the Romantic era marked a change of attitudes towards high mountains. In 1757 Swiss scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure made the first of several unsuccessful attempts on Mont Blanc in France. He then offered a reward to anyone who could climb the mountain, which was claimed in 1786 by Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard. The climb is usually considered an epochal event in the history of mountaineering, a symbolic mark of the birth of the sport. By the early 19th century, many of the alpine peaks were reached. In 1808, Marie Paradis became the first woman to climb Mont Blanc, followed in 1838 by Henriette d’Angeville. One of the most dramatic events was the spectacular first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 by a party led by English illustrator Edward Whymper, in which four of the party members fell to their deaths. By this point the sport of mountaineering had largely reached its modern form, with a large body of professional guides, equipment, and methodologies. In the early years of the “golden age”, scientific pursu-

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Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Pacard succesfully manage to summit the Mount Blanc. The climb is usually considered the symbolic mark of the birth of the sport.

its were intermixed with the sport. In the later years, it shifted to a more competitive orientation as pure sportsmen came to dominate the London-based Alpine Club and alpine mountaineering overall. In the 19th century, the focus of mountaineering turned towards mountains beyond the Alps, and by the turn of the 20th century, mountaineering had acquired a more international flavour. In 1897 Mount Saint Elias (5,489 m) on the Alaska-Yukon border was summitted by the Duke of the Abruzzi and party. In 1879-1880 the exploration of the highest Andes in South America began when English mountaineer Edward Whymper climbed Chimborazo (6,268 m) and explored the

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02. Illustrator and explorer Edward Whymper, 1860

02. Illustrator and explorer Edward Whymper, 1860 Leader of the first succesfull summit of the Matterhorn in 1865. Whymper will in the following years climb some of the tallest mountains in South America.

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Englishman and illustrator Edward Whymper succesfully manages to summit the legendary Matterhorn despite four of his crew members found their death during the expedition.

03. The Matterhorn mountain

The dawn of mountaineering

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mountains of Ecuador. It took until the late 19th century for European explorers to penetrate Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa was climbed in 1889 by Austrian mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller and German geologist Hans Meyer, while Mount Kenya on the 13th of September 1899 by Halford McKinder, C. Ollier andh J. Bocherel.

The Himalayas

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/trans. “himalaya” pronounce “Upakarana”

The last and greatest mountain range was the Himalayas in Central Asia. They had initially been surveyed by the British Empire for military and strategic reasons. European exploration of the Himalaya began in earnest during the mid-19th century, and the earliest people known to have climbed in the range were surveyors of the Great Trigonometric Survey. During the 1850s and 1860s they climbed dozens of peaks of over 6,100 m and several of over 6,400 m in order to make observations, and it was during this period that claims to have ascended the highest point yet reached by man began to be made.

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1850-1860 The Great Trigonometric Survey and its surveyors are reportedly the first europeans to have started to explore the region of the Himalayas of which they climbed dozens of peaks.

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DREAMING THE 7.000 The first pure mountaineers (as opposed to surveyors) to have climbed in the Himalaya were the English barrister William Graham, the Swiss hotelier Emil Boss and the Swiss mountain guide Ulrich Kaufmann, who together climbed extensively in the area in 1883. Most of their ascents are disputed. It is not claimed that they lied about their ascents, rather that the poor quality of maps at the time may have led them to be unsure of which

1883 William Graham, Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann inagurate the era of sport expeditions in the Himalaya region.

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1000 On the following page the resulting map, published in 1870, of The Great Trigonometric Survey. The maps tries to categorize in altitude and positions many of the Himalayas greatest peaks spanning from Karakorum to Sikkim.

1892 Sir William Martin Conway explores the western Himalaya’s Karakorum region under the auspices of the Royal Geographical Society.

mountain they were actually on, and to make estimates of their height which owed more to wishful thinking than scientific measurements. In their most renowed ascent they supposedly managed to get to 30 meters from Kabru’s east summit (7.330m), a mountain south of Kanchenjunga in the Sikkim region. Although their report of views of Mount Everest from the top appears convincing, Graham’s description of the ascent was also vague. This, coupled with the speed of their ascent and his failure to report effects of altitude sickness, have led many to assume that they climbed a lower peak in the same area. Their claim was, however, supported in the following years by many important climbers as Douglas Freshfield and Tom Longstaff.

In his first expedition Sir William Conway managed to map apx. 5.180 squared km of the Karakoram range. 04. The Royal Geographical Society Seal

In 1892 however the first true expedition arrived on the scene. Its leader, strangely enough, was art historian and professor of the University of Liverpool William Martin Conway (knighted in 1895) who also happened to be an well knonw mountaineer. The group included other famous figures: Oskar Eckenstein, an innovator in the techniques of progression on both rock and ice, and designer of the jointed crampon, which was produced at Courmayeur by the Grivel brothers and made his name a household word for mountainers all over the world. Other members of Conway’s party were Charles G. Bruce, who led the second British expedition to Mount Everest in 1922. Conway was a member of the Alpine Club, of which he was president

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05. Karakorum glacier map by Conway, 1894

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04. The Royal Geographical Society Seal The Royal Geographical Society, founded in 1930 in

05. Karakorum glacier map by Conway Sir William Martin Conway wrote a book on its

order to promote and sustain geographical research improvements, strongly incouraged Sir Conway’s expedition in the Karakorum region.

expedition named “Climbing and exploration in the Karakoram Himalayas” (1894)t in which he also inserted various maps representing portions of the area.

A few years after Sir Conway’s vast exploration of the western Himalayas’ region, mountaineer and author Albert F. Mummery together with J. Norman Collie, Geoffrey Hasting and two Gurkhas were the first climbers to attempt Nanga Parbat, and the first climbers ever to attempt a Himalayan 8,000-metre peak. Mummery was an exceptionally gifted rock climber who pushed the boundaries of mountaineering in the Alps, putting up many new routes and pioneering the practice of climbing without guides. He invented a particular type of lightweight silk tent which became very popular with other mountaineers. But the mountaineer seemed to have no appreciation of the enormous scale of Nanga Parbat, or how the reduced oxygen level would affect his performance. He assumed he could employ the same lightweight climbing methods which had worked for him in the Alps. Following reconaissance of the mountain and a first ascent of Diamarai Peak (5,568m), the team attempted the Diamir face of Nanga Parbat, placing two camps and reaching a high point of c.6,100m. However the innovative, light-weight endeavour on the mountain in 1895, was to prove ill-fated with Mummery and both Gurkhas having perished in an avalanche whilst reconnoitering the mountain’s Rakhiot Face. The mountain would go on to earn its reputation as a “man-eater” as thirty-one men would lose their lives on its slopes before the first ascent was made in 1953.

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1895 Albert Mummery J. Norman Collie, Geoffrey Hastings and two Gurkhas are the first men to attempt and Himalayan 8.000m peak: Nanga Parbat.

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British mountaineer Douglas Freshfield in 1899 organized a Tour of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak located in the eastern region of Sikkim. Always ambitious, Freshfield had numerous objectives in mind for this trip. Among them a reconnaissance of the passes around the great peak, an assessment of the climbing potential on Kangchenjunga and surrounding mountains, botanical, geographical, and geological research, and a comprehensive photographic docu-

1899 Douglas Freshfield and Vittorio Sella explore the eastern Himalayan region of Sikkim. Their expedition will be reported in the 1903 book: “Round Kangchenjunga”.

06. Round Kangchenjunga, Douglas W. Freshfield

for the first years of the nineteenth century and his previous expeditions ranged from remote and harsh regions of Northern Europe to high peaks of SouthAmerica. In 1892, in the course of the exploring and mountaineering expedition undertaken under the auspices of the Royal Society, the Royal Geographical Society and the British Association, he made an ascent of a subsidiary summit of Baltoro Kangri, claiming a world altitude record with a height of 7,010 m. In 1892 he mapped 5,180 square km of the Karakoram Range in the Himalayas, for which achievement he was knighted three years later. He chronicled his feat in Climbing and Exploration in the Karakoram-Himalayas (1894).

mentation of the region. For the photography he enlisted the best mountain photographer we’ve had yet: the Italian Vittorio Sella. He was that rare combination of explorer, artist and technician. He had virtually invented high mountain photography a time when camera gear was prohibitively heavy and delicate. All of the expedition material has subsequently been collected in Freshfield’s renowed volume “Round Kangchenjunga” published a few years later in 1903.

06. Round Kangchenjunga, Douglas W. Freshfield In 1903, one year after his exploration of the

Kanchenjunga, Douglas W. Freshfield published his book describing the expedition, with the photos of Vittorio Sella.

Sikkim was a natural selection for Freshfield. He had opened up the Caucasus to mountaineering in the 1860’s, and the Kangchenjunga area had the requisite attractions of unexplored terrain, tremendous mountains, and the exotic pull of Asia. Even today, to contemplate an extended trip in this region is an ambitious prospect. To do so nearly 100 years ago was proportionately more ambitious, mountain travel in those areas at that time involving far more unknowns. His expedition has few rivals for audacity and accomplishment, and stands as a model upon which modem travelers could base their own trips.

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07. The Kangchengjunga, Vittorio Sella

" Vittorio Sella was that rare combination of explorer, artist and technician. He had virtually invented high mountain photography in a time when camera gear was prohibitively heavy and delicate”

07. The Kangchengjunga, Vittorio Sella Vittorio Sella represents the first true mountain photographer. Many say he actually invented this profession. Above a photo extracted from the Kanchenjunga expedition.

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Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley engage with the first attempt to summit K2, in the Karakorum region of the Himalayas.

spent on a glacier and at that altitude. Alister Crowley served as his right arm man during the expedition, even stepping in to lead the team for a few weeks when Eckenstein had to leave for Kashmir to face trumped up charges related to espionage which was likely instigated by Sir William Conway which did not want to see the expedition succeed. 1909 The Duke of the Abruzzi and Vittorio Sella manage to set a new altitude record on K2: 6.700m.

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09. The Duke of the Abruzzi at the end of the expedition

Oscar Eckenstein was a member of Conway’s 1893 expedition in the Karakorum region. A profound conflict between the two personalities forced the Eckenstein to withdraw from the expedition just six month after it started. All the data collected during this period of exploration has been summarized in Eckenstein’s book “The Karakoram and Kashmir”. Although Eckenstein was a great mountaineer and explorer his greatest merit lies in the fundamental technical improvements he designed for various items of mountaineering sports equipment. He in fact was the inventor of the modern crampon and the first to develop a shorter ice axe. Both of which made climbing ice dramatically more efficient and safer and though having evolved some, these are still in use today. In the years following his participation to Sir Conway’s renowed expedition Eckenstein with the support of Alister Crowley lead the first attempt to summit K2, the tallest peak of the Karakoram mountain range. The expedition took place in 1902 and though ultimately failing to reach the top the team achieved the then record of the greatest number of days 08. Oscar Eckenstein first evere invented Crampon

08. Oscar Eckenstein first evere invented Crampon Oscar Eckenstein represented a great innovator both in alpinism and in the gear required to practice such activity. He invented the first crampon and implemented existing equipment tools.

A fascinating and controversial figure had yet to make his entry in the history of the Himalayas’ expeditions. Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, also known as the Duke if the Abruzzi, belonged to the Savoys, a family who in the 19th century became the kings of reunited Italy. Despite his royal origins the duke is remembered for his fearless spirit and his determination in pursuing some of the most audacious expedition of his time granting him the title of “prince of climbers”. He had begun to train as a mountaineer in 1892 on Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa in the Italian alps. In 1897 he made the first

09. The Duke of the Abruzzi at the end of the expedition The Duke of the Abruzzi represents a legendary and controversial figure within mountaineering history. He explroed many remote areas around the globe.

ascent of Mount Saint Elias (5,489 m). There the expedition searched for a mirage, known as the Silent City of Alaska, that natives and prospectors claimed to see over a glacier. In 1898, Prince Luigi Amedeo organized an expedition towards the North Pole and managed to reach latitude 86° 34’ on 25 April, setting a new record while a few years later he scaled sixteen summits of the Ruwenzori Range in Uganda. Meanwhile the restless duke had fixed his attention again on Asia, where he had yet to go climbing. In 1909 Luigi Amedeo led a group of expert mountaineers into the mountains of the Karakoram, on the northern edge of India. In addition to Petigax and other Italian Alpine guides, who had now proven their usefulness both on Mount St. Elias and in the Ruwenzori, as well as on the Polar attempt, the expedition included Filippo de Filippi, who was later to publish a full account of the expe-

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10. Climbing K2 The Duke of the Abruzzi insisted to bring with him the photoagrapher Vittorio Sella, an Italian as him. The resulting photographs of the exepdtion represent the most famous shots of the photographer.

dition, and Vittorio Sella who again furnished the pictorial record. Luigi Amedeo’s goal was to conquer K2. Nevertheless the Italians failed to make it to the top of the mountain, slowed by awful weather and finding what seemed impassable walls ahead of them on both the southeast ridge, later called the Abruzzi Spu, and the west side of the mountain. The highest point they reached on K2 was 6.700m, less thatn 2.000 short from the summit. The duke now turned to another unclimbed mountain south from K2: Chogolisa, which Conway had called Bride Peak. On Chogolisa the duke of the Abruzzi and three companions, climbing without oxygen supplies, were once again forced to turn back, in thick fog, just five hundred feet below the peak. The duke’s altitude record was to stand for thirteen years until, in 1922. K2 remained unconquered until an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio reached the peak in 1954

11. K2 - The summit The expedition managed to reach a new height record of 6700 on the K2. They also managed to set a new record for the maximum amount of time spent at such altitudes until that moment.

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EVEREST ATTEMPTS In 1856 the Great Trigonometric Survey was able to calculate that the highest peak in the world was not Kangchenjunga, but the somewhat unnoticed Peak XV, later named Everest, measured to be 8.400m high. With this new information at disposal, in 1907, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Alpine Club, a definite plan was hatched for a British reconnaissance of Everest. In January 1921 the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society jointly set up the Mount Everest Committee to co-ordinate and fund the expedition.Although they initially supported an all-out attempt at the summit, members of the committee eventually agreed that the primary purpose of the mission should be reconnaissance. The expedition, having gathered Sherpas, Bhutias, porters, supplies and one hundred army mules (which later had to be replaced with hill mules and yaks), set off from Darjeeling in British India on 18 May 1921. During the summer of the same year the northern approaches to the mountain were thoroughly explored. On the approach to Everest, Kellas died of heart failure. Because Raeburn also fell ill, the high exploration devolved almost entirely upon Mallory and Bullock. Neither had Himalayan experience, and they were faced with the problem of acclimatization besides the difficulty of the terrain. The first 1921 object was to explore the Rongbuk valley. The party ascended the Central Rongbuk Glacier, Alpine Club and Royal Geographical missing the narrower opening of the eastern Society jointly branch and the possible line up Everest. They set up the first relevant returned eastward for a rest at Kharta Shekar. expedition From there they discovered a pass at 6,700 towards Mount metres, the Lhakpa, leading to the head of the Everest. East Rongbuk Glacier. The saddle north of Everest, despite its forbidding appearance, was climbed on September 24 by Mallory, Bullock, and Wheeler and named the North Col. A bitter wind prevented them from going higher, but Mallory had from there traced a potential route to the summit. On 25 September the party was forced to climb again to the Lhakpa La and on 26 September the entire expedition struck all the upper camps, returned to Kharta, and eventually reached Darjeeling on 25 October

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1922 British Mount Everest Expedition the first mountaineering expedition with the express aim of making the first ascent of Mount Everest.

13. 1921 expedition members In this historical photo from Lowe you can see all the 1921 expedition members. 13-14. The Khumbu valley many photos have been taken as documentation of the expedition also in order to create material for possible future expedition in case of failure or rescheduling.

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15. 1922 expedition members In the photo you can see all the members of the 1922 expedition. Again on the bottom left you can see George Mallory, one of the protagonists of the 1921 expedition and of the future 1924 expedition.

The 1922 British Mount Everest expedition was the first mountaineering expedition with the express aim of making the first ascent of Mount Everest. The second British expedition, under General Charles Granville Bruce and climbing leader Lt-Col. Edward Lisle Strutt, and containing Mallory, returned for a full-scale attempt on the mountain. Supplies were carried from Base Camp at 5,030 metres to an advanced base at Camp III. From there, on May 13, a camp was established on the North Col. On May 22, they climbed to 8,170 m on the North Ridge before retreating. They were the first humans to climb above 8,000 metres on a mountain. The scope of this accomplishment is reflected by the fact that there are only 14 mountains on earth.the eight-thousanders,that reach and exceed 8,000 metres. At that moment, Mallory and Strutt had exceeded the summit of all but five other mountains on the planet. On May 25 Finch and Captain Bruce set out from Camp III using oxygen for the first time in history. Finch, a protagonist in the implementation of oxygen, was justified by the results. The party, with the Gurkha Tejbir Bura, established Camp V at 7,772 metres. There they were stormbound for a day and two nights, but the next morning Finch and Bruce reached 8.320m. They climbed from the North Col to their highest camp at a phenomenal rate of 900 vert-ft/hr., and were the first climbers to sleep using oxygen. After two unsucces-

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sful summit attempts the expedition ended on the third attempt when seven porters died as the result of a group-induced avalanche. Not only had the expedition failed to reach the summit but it also marked the first reported climbing deaths on Mount Everest. The expedition did however establish a new world record climbing height of 8,326 metres during their second summit attempt, which was subsequently exceeded in the 1924 expedition.

without mishap.Before the expedition had left Tibet, the Mount Everest Committee met and decided that a full assault should be made on the mountain in 1922 with General Bruce as leader. The Rongbuk, East Rongbuk, North Col route would be followed but on this occasion oxygen cylinders would be taken for the climbers. The 1921 expedition was regarded as successful by experts as well as the general public with large numbers of people turning up for the official welcome home.

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After the 1922 expedition, insufficient time for preparation and a lack of financial means prevented an expedition in 1923. The Common Everest Committee had lost some 700 pounds in the bankruptcy of the Alliance Bank of Simla. So the third expedition was postponed until 1924. Like the two earlier expeditions, the 1924 expedition was also planned, financed and organised by the membership of the Royal Geographical Society, the Alpine Club. As the kingdom of Nepal was forbidden to foreigners, the British expeditions before the Second World War could only gain access to the north side of the mountain. In 1921, Mallory had seen a possible route from the North Col to go to the top. The first attempt was scheduled for Mallory and Bruce, and after that Somervell and Norton would get a chance. Odell and Irvine would support the summit teams from Camp IV on the North Col while Hazard provided support from Camp III. The supporters would also form the reserve teams for a third try. During the second summit attempt Norton managed to reach a new high point of 8.520m, a record that would take other twentyeight years to brake. The summit was less than 280 m above Norton when he decided to turn around because of increasing terrain difficulty, insufficient time and doubts of his remaining strength.

1924 William Graham, Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann inagurate the era of sport expeditions in the Himalaya region.

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18. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the Lhotse face

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At the question by and interviewer asking "Why do you do this?" Mallory gave his famous answear “Because its there” . 16. Photographer George Lowe Following the work of italian Vittorio Sella, George Lowe represents another fundamental mountain photographer of the first expedition. He always brought with him very heavy equipment. 17. Panoramic view of Runbuck Glacier Also in this expedition a lot of photographic material was created in order to create more preparation material.

The Summit

उपकरण

/trans. “himalaya” pronounce “Upakarana”

By the spring of 1953, the ascent of the world’s highest mountain was beginning to seem inevitable. First attempted in 1921 by the British, Everest had repulsed at least ten major expeditions and two lunatic solo attempts. With the 1950 discovery of a southern approach to the mountain in newly opened Nepal, and the first ascent of the treacherous Khumbu Icefall the following year, what would come to be known by the 1990s as the “yellow brick road” to the summit had been identified. Now the British were determined to bring every possible advantage to their spring 1953 offensive including hiring Tenzing, 38, as their lead Sherpa, or sirdar. Earlier British expeditions, though impressive in their accomplishments, were often charmingly informal in style. Hunt’s intricately planned assault, on

18. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Captured by George Lowe in this photo Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbig the Lhotse face, one of the last sections before arriving at Camp IV.

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Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 pushed further the boundaries of what was thought possible until that moment. Higher grounds were reached and new possibilities opened up in front of human kind for the first time in history.

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1000 19. Tenzing Norgay on the Summit Probably the most iconic image of the expedition sees sherpa Tenzing Norgay holding the New Zealand flag, part of the Common Wealth, on the top of Mount Everest.

the other hand, was all business. “You get there fastest with the mostest,” observes mountaineering pundit Ken Wilson. “You have a military leader who is totally in tune with that philosophy, and you don’t dink around in an amateur sort of clubby way.” From the start, the 33-year-old beekeeper Edmund Hillary (not yet Sir Edmund) was a strong contender for one of the summit slots. “It was his fourth Himalayan expedition in just over two years and he was at the peak of fitness,” Band says. So it was that three days later Hillary and Tenzing set out for the top. Their pairing was hardly an accident. “It had always been Hunt’s intention, if feasible, to include a Sherpa in one of the summit teams, as a way of recognizing their invaluable contribution to the success of these expeditions,” Band says. “Tenzing had already proved he had summit potential by his performance the previous year with Lambert. In fact, he had been at least 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) higher than any of us!” Indeed, Tenzing (who died in 1986) was the most experienced Everest veteran alive, having participated in six previous attempts on the mountain dating all the way back to 1935. (To those who criticize the practice of leading paying clients on Everest, Himalayan Experience founder and longtime Everest guide Russell Brice has a barbed, half-joking response: “You know who the first guided client on Everest was? Ed Hillary.”)

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But Hillary, too, had proved his worth, seeming to grow stronger as the expedition progressed. Band notes that Hillary had also realized what a powerful team he and Tenzing would make. “During the expedition, with hindsight, one can see that he made a deliberate effort to develop a good partnership with Tenzing,” Band says. “It paid off. Hillary and Tenzing were the logical second party for the summit. But this was not determined at the outset, only during the course of the expedition as it evolved.”

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With an earlier start from a higher camp than Bourdillon and

As the two men made their way back down, the first climber they met was teammate George Lowe, also a New Zealander. Hillary's legendary greeting “Well George, we knocked the bastard out” . 20. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay The two climbers laughing while descending from Mount Everest summit in 1953, one of the most famous photographs of this expedition, that became famous worldwide.

Evans’s, Tenzing and Hillary reached the South Summit by 9 a.m. But the difficulties were far from over. After the South Summit, the ridge takes a slight dip before rising abruptly in a rocky spur some 12 meters high just before the true summit. Scraping at the snow with his ax, Hillary chimneyed between the rock pillar and an adjacent ridge of ice to surmount this daunting obstacle, later to be known as the Hillary Step. The pair reached the highest point on Earth at 11:30 a.m. on May 29. The men shook hands, as Hillary later wrote, “in good Anglo-Saxon fashion,” but then Tenzing clasped his partner in his arms and pounded him on the back. As the two men made their way back down, the first climber they met was teammate George Lowe, also a New Zealander. Hillary’s legendary greeting: “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off!”

21. The new route, 1953 On the following page you can see the newly designed path discovered by the 1953 expedition that still represents nowadays the best and easiest route to follow, from Khumbu Icefall to the Lhotse face.

Mother and motherland are greater than heaven.

01. Nepalese National Symbols

02. Tibetan National Symbols, the SnowLion

01. Nepalese National Symbols Those two symbols are contained in the Nepalese national flag and represent the depiction of celestial bodies: permanence and the hope that Nepal will last as long as the sun and the moon.

02. Tibetan National Symbols, the SnowLion The Snow Lion, sometimes also Snowlion is a celestial animal of Tibet. It is the emblem of Tibet, representing the snowy mountain ranges and glaciers of Tibet.

CULTURE An brief overview of the main cultural, economical and social traits presented by the interested geographical region. A collection of multiple stories, costumes, ways of living, spiritual insights, generic

useful information that will serve the traveler in developing a more profound sense of understanding of the area and population he will live within during his explorations.

Just as the Eastern Himalayas are known for its rich biodiversity and wildlife, they are equally celebrated for its diverse people and their cultures. With more than fourty languages spoken here, the region is home to a mosaic of cultures and faiths (Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and animists) all of whom have lived closely with nature for centuries. 54

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Region’s History The gradual rise of one of the most ancient and spiritually profound cultures and populations our world has yet experienced. By 55,000 years ago, the first modern humans had arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa, where they had earlier evolved. The earliest known modern human remains in South Asia date to about 30,000 years ago. The oldest discovered archaeological evidence of human settlements in Nepal dates to around the same time. The Gopal Bansa was the oldest dynasty to be mentioned in various texts as the earliest rulers of the central Himalayan kingdom known by the ancient name ‘Nepal’. Hinduism and Buddhism fundamentally shape the cultures of the Himalayas, integrating indigenous elements with those imported directly from India. This period is characterized by the active patronage of Buddhism in Tibet under Khri-srongIde-btsan (r. ca. 750–97) and contact of Tibetan artists with Buddhist painting traditions in Central Asia (including Khotan and Dunhuang). Buddhism is firmly established in the mid-ninth century in what is now Bhutan, under Tibetan influence. During the ninth century, Buddhism is persecuted in Tibet, but flourishes under state patronage from the eleventh century. Nepal is ruled by the

03. Silver statue of Shiva, Hindu god, 500-700 d.c.

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1000 03. Silver statue of Shiva, Hindu god, 500-700 d.c. Art was mainly connected to religious aspects in the early beginning of the Himalayan civilazation processes. Hindusim and Buddhism were the main subjects.

Licchavi family, heralding the profound influence of Indian culture. Hinduism and Buddhism are patronized as Licchavi power wanes around 750, followed by a period of transition about which little is known.

RISE OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM 1000 AD Buddhism becomes the dominant cultural foce in Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism is firmly established.

Buddhism becomes the dominant cultural force in Tibet, superceding the indigenous Bon religion. Buddhist monasteries emerge as religious, political, and economic centers. By 1200, Buddhism has all but disappeared from India, which for centuries had served as the source of religious texts and teachings for surrounding cultures. Tibetan Buddhism is firmly established, with four major lineages: Nyingmapa, Kagyupa, Sakyapa, and Kadampa. Political disunity continues in Tibet until around 1250, when the Sakya order—with Mongol support—becomes dominant. In Nepal, Buddhism no longer receives much royal patronage, but continues to flourish alongside Hinduism. Buddhist and Hindu arts in all forms—painting, sculpture, metalwork—flourish in Nepal during this period. Art in Tibet is mainly Buddhist but some continues to be made for the Bon. In the early fifteenth century, the Gelugpa school is founded in Tibet and will become the dominant religious and political force there.

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THE DALAI LAMA 1400 AD Centralized states gradually form in the Himalayan region. Dalai Lama figure is established.

Centralized states gradually form in the Himalayan region. In the fifteenth century, the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism consolidates its religious and temporal power in central Tibet with the help of Chinese patronage. During the 15th century the Kathmandu Valley (in present-day Nepal) is united under Malla rule

04. Tibetan Buddhist Carpet with Samsara representation Tibetan bhuddism represented a great center of art and cultural production. Many artifacts of this centuries have been subsequently collected and stored.

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The name Dalai Lama is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning ocean or big coming from Mongolian title Dalaiyin qan or Dalaiin khan. It is translated as Gyatso or rg ya-mtsho in Tibetan and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning master, guru. In this sense the world Dalai Lama means Ocean Of Wisdom.

until 1482. Newari is the dominant language 1600 AD of the valley. Buddhism continues to expand Dalai Lama figure its influence. The Gelugpa school of Tibetan is established 1578 by Altan Buddhism, founded by Tsong Khapa in 1379, in Altan Khan, rises to political and religious prominence in ruler of Tumed central Tibet, becoming the most powerful of Mongols. the four main Tibetan Buddhist schools After the death of King Jayayaksha (r. 1428–80), Nepal is divided into the three kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon), each ruled by one of his sons. The three Malla kingdoms flourish until 1768. Kathmandu becomes the capital of the Gorkha kingdom shortly thereafter. In the 16th century Mongol tribes migrate into northern Tibet. In 1578, Altan Khan, ruler of the Tumed Mongols, invites Sonam Gyatso, third incarnation of the abbot of Drepung, the main Gelugpa monastery, to his court. Khan bestows upon Gyatso the Mongolian title of “Dalai Lama” (“Ocean of Wisdom”). The title is also given posthumously to two abbots of Drepung monastery, thus Sonam Gyatso is actually the third to be so named. The title is hereditary and the fourth Dalai Lama is a grandson of Altan Khan, who, with his followers, converts to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama acts as the spiritual and temporal ruler of Tibet from this period, until the onset of Chinese rule in the twentieth century.

05. Dalai Lama, Ocean of wisdom, in modern Tibetan

06. The Dalai Lama vest Every Dala Lama wears the same religious vest constituted by a

long red gown covered by a heavier orange blanket. Ancient traditions and cultural color meanings have defined this costume.

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autonomous, though it formally recognizes Chinese sovereignty. Tibet asks for assistance from China in its wars with Ladakh in 1842 and Nepal in 1858, but receives no help at all. Tibet faces occupation for most of the twentieth century. After remaining largely closed to outsiders, Tibet signs a treaty with the British in the early twentieth century, making it a de facto British protectorate. The country falls into Chinese hands shortly thereafter, but the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911 gives Tibet its independence. Though China invades Tibet in 1950, the country retains authority over its internal affairs until the late ’50s. At this time, Chinese rule becomes more oppressive, with Beijing challenging the Dalai Lama and attempting to establish rural communes. The Tibetans riot; the Chinese send in their military; and the Dalai Lama flees the country. Tibetan independence ends in 1959. Tibet is called the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). POLITICS TODAY

07. A young Dalai Lama with Mao Tse-Tung , 1955

WESTERN AND CHINESE In the nineteenth century, concerned about Russian expansion, the British begin to explore relations with the Himalayan countries of Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet. Nepal loses territory in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–16. Meanwhile, the British send missions to Bhutan, but relations sour. Following the Duar War of 1864–65, Bhutan cedes land to the British in the mountains of Assam and Bengal.Tibet remains closed to outsiders during the nineteenth century, but the British send spies from India. China’s Manchu dynasty weakens and cannot protect Tibet or interfere with it. As a consequence, the country becomes virtually

1600 AD William Graham, Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann inagurate the era of sport expeditions in the Himalaya region.

07. A young Dalai Lama with Mao Tse-Tung , 1955 In 1955 the two leaders of China and Tibet,

Paragraph AboveIn Since 1950 Tiber remains under the control of China with the name of

Mao-Tse Tung and the Dalai Lama met after China’s invasion in 1950 after which Tibet still retains its authority over its internal affairs.

The 2,400 kilometres of the Himalaya range mark several state borders. It begins on the disputed Pakistan-India border in Kashmir, curls Southeast through the disputed China–India border, the disputed India-Nepal border, the resolved China-Nepal border, the disputed China-Bhutan border, and finally the Eastern section of the disputed China–India border. Since the contemporary Indian, Chinese and Pakistani states emerged in the 1940s, they have struggled to solidify their control of the Himalaya. India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir. The region remains restive. Aksai Chin, between Ladakh (India), the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) (China), and Xinjiang (China), is administered by China and claimed by India. In the East, Arunachal Pradesh is administered by India and claimed by China as Zangnan (Southern Tibet). Sino-Indian tensions were strained during the 1950s as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) annexed and occupied the Tibetan Plateau and stationed troops in the high-altitude grey zones between India and China. The brief 1962 India–China border war shattered their cooperation, and tensions have remained. Since then, China (1964), India (1998), and Pakistan (1998) have all become nuclear-armed states. Nuclearisation and disputed borders have combined to produce entrenched low-level tensions and persistent militarisation.

Tibet Autonomous Region still retaining formal authority over its internal affairs even if this is not alwats true.

The Language - Nepali

नेपाली

Speaking regions: Nepal, Buthan, Sikkim

Nepali Language, Devanagari Alhpabet

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Native spakers 16 million

Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language of the sub-branch of Eastern Pahari. It is the official language of Nepal and one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. Also known by the endonym Khas kura, the language is also called Gorkhali or Parbatiya in some contexts. It is spoken mainly in Nepal and by about a quarter of the population in Bhutan.In India, Nepali has official status in the state of Sikkim and in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision and Kalimpong district of West Bengal. It has a significant number of speakers in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Uttarakhand. It is also spoken in Myanmar and by the Nepali diaspora worldwide.Nepali developed in proximity to a number of Indo-Aryan languages, most notably the other Pahari languages and Maithili and shows Sanskrit influence.However, owing to Nepal’s location, it has also been influenced by Tibeto-Burman languages. Nepali is mainly differentiated from Central Pahari, both in grammar and vocabulary, by Tibeto-Burman idioms owing to close contact with this language group. According to the 2011 national census, 44.6 per cent of the population of Nepal speaks Nepali as the first language, and 32.8 per cent speaks Nepali as a second language. The Ethnologue reports 12,300,000 speakers within Nepal (from the 2011 census). Nepali is traditionally spoken in the hilly regions of Nepal. The language is prominently used in governmental usages in Nepal and is the everyday language of the local population. The exclusive use of Nepali in the court system and by the government of Nepal is being challenged. Gaining recognition for other languages of Nepal was one of the goals of the decade large Maoist insurgency in Nepal. In Bhutan, native Nepali speakers, known as Lhotshampa, are estimated at about 35 per cent of the population. This number includes displaced Bhutanese refugees, with unofficial estimates of the ethnic Bhutanese refugee population as high as 30 to 40 per cent, constituting a majority in the south (about 242,000 people).As per the 2011 Census of India, there were a total of

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Nepali includes three regional dialect groups: the western, the central, and the eastern. There is also a distinct dialect used by the members of the royal family and the upper classes. This dialect has a special lexicon and a four-level honorific system, and it is increasingly being adopted by the educated middle class and the newly wealthy. Nepali has a rich heritage of oral literature as well as a body of written literature that has been developed during last two and half centuries. The vocabulary and style of written Nepali are influenced by Sanskrit and recorded with the Devanagari script.

नमस्ते

Namastè

Good morning

तिमीलाई

Timīlā’ī kastō

How are you

मैले बुझिन

Mailē bujhinacha

I don’t understand

माफ गर्नहु ोस्

Māpha garnuhōs

Sorry

मलाईं माफ गर्नहु ोस्

Malā’īm māpha garnuhōs

Excuse me

मेरो नाम

Mērō nāma

My name is

धन्यबाद

Dhan’yabāda

No, thank you

तपाईलाई स्वागत छ

Tapā’īlā’ī svāgata cha

You are welcome

यो कति हो

Yō kati hō

How much is it

1000 00. For the scheme above A few useful worlds any traveler might need to know during its stay on the Nepalese side of the Himalaya where the Devanagari alphabet is used as in most parts of the same region.

DEVANAGARI CONSONANTS

Kha

Gha

Cha

Jha

Pha

Dha

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Mah

00. The Devanagari Alphabet - Consonants 01 The table above shows the consonant letters

Sha

Ksa

TraJ

Kna

The orthography of this script reflects the pronunciation of the language. Unlike the Latin alphabet, the script has no concept of letter case. It is written from left to right, has a strong preference for symmetrical rounded shapes within squared outlines, and is recognisable by a horizontal line, known as a shirorekha, that runs along the top of full letters.In a cursory look, the Devanagari script appears different from other Brahmic scripts such as Bengali-Assamese, Odia or Gurmukhi, but a closer examination reveals they are very similar except for angles and structural emphasis. Devanagari is part of the Brahmic family of scripts of India, Nepal, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. It is a descendant of the 3rd century BCE Brahmi script, which evolved into the Nagari script which in turn gave birth to Devanagari and Nandinagari. Both were used to write Sanskrit, until the latter was merged into the former. The resulting script is widely adopted across India to write Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi and its dialects, and Konkani. he Devanagari script is closely related to the Nandinagari script commonly found in numerous ancient manuscripts of South India.

00. The Devanagari Alphabet - Consonants 02 The table above shows the consonant letters

(in combination with inherent vowel a) and their arrangement. Below of the Devanagari letter it shows the Latin script transliteration.

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DEVANAGARI VOWELS

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00. The Devanagari Alphabet - Vowels 01 The table above shows the vowels letters and their

00. The Devanagari Alphabet - Vowels 02 The table above shows the vowels letters and their

arrangement. Below of the Devanagari letter it shows the Latin script transliteration useful for pronounciation.

Chasing angels or fleeing demons, go to the mountains.

स्वर्गदूतहरू खोज्दै वा प्रेतहरू भाग्दै, पहाडहरूमा जानुहोस्। स्वर्गदूतहरू खप्रेतहरू भाग्दै पहाडहरूमा जानुहोस्। 68

The Language - Lhasa Tibetan Tibetan Language, Sanskrit Alhpabet

Speaking regions: Tibet

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ཐུགས་རྗེ་ཆེ་།

Native spakers 16 million

The Tibetic languages are a cluster of Tibeto-Burman languages descended from Old Tibetan, spoken across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas in Baltistan, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Classical Tibetan is a major regional literary language, particularly for its use in Buddhist literature. Tibetic languages are spoken by some 6 million people. With the worldwide spread of Tibetan Buddhism, the Tibetan language has spread into the western world and can be found in many Buddhist publications and prayer materials; with some western students learning the language for translation of Tibetan texts. Outside Lhasa itself, Lhasa Tibetan is spoken by approximately 200,000 exile speakers who have moved from modern-day Tibet to India and other countries. Tibetan is also spoken by groups of ethnic minorities in Tibet who have lived in close proximity to Tibetans for centuries, but nevertheless retain their own languages and cultures.Although some of the Qiang peoples of Kham are classified by China as ethnic Tibetans (see rGyalrongic languages; rGyalrong people are identified as ‘Tibetan’ in China), the Qiangic languages are not Tibetic, but rather form their own branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family. Standard Tibetan is a widely spoken form of the Tibetic languages that has many commonalities with the speech of Lhasa, an Ü-Tsang (Central Tibetan) dialect. For this reason, Standard Tibetan is often called Lhasa Tibetan. Tibetan is an official language of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. The written language is based on Classical Tibetan and is highly conservative.

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ཀོང་དགས་།

ཕེབས་པར་དགའ་བསུ་ཞུ།

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00. The Tibetan Alphabet Tibetan is an official language of the Tibet Autonomous Region

Help

ku-chi

Please

tujay-chay

Thank Yout

gong-da

Sorry

hebbar kasushu

བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས། ཁྱད ེ ་རང་སགཇུག ས་བདེ་པོ་ཡིན་པས། ང་བདེ་པོ་ཡིན།

ཁྱད ེ ་རང་གི་མཚན་ལ་ག་རེ་ ཞུ་གི་ཡོད། ཁྱད ེ ་རང་ལུང་པ་ག་ནས་ ཡིམ། ཤོགས་པ་བདེ་ལེགས།

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ཧ་གོ་མ་སོང་།

སོར་སྲང ུ ་བ་སད་གཏོང་ དང་།

Welcome

tashi delek

Hello

kayrang kusu debo yimbay

How are you

nga debo yin

Reply to How are you

kayrang gi minglâ karay ray

What’s your name

kayrang lungbâ kanay yin

Where are you from

shokba delek

Good morning

ha ko-masong

I don’t understand

korsung-wa kay tong-da

Police!

00. For the scheme above A few useful worlds any traveler might need to know during its

of the People’s Republic of China. The written language is based on classical tibetan and is highly conservative.

ས་མཁྱན ེ

rog nâng-da

stay on the Tibetan side of the Himalaya where the Tibetan alphabet is used as in most parts of the same region.

TIBETAN CONSONANTS

Cha

Kha

Nga

Nya

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Tha

Wha

Kah

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TIBETAN VOWELS

Tsa

Thsa

Dza

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-u

00. The Tibetan Alphabet - Consonants 01 The table above shows the consonant letters (in

00. The Tibetan Alphabet - Consonants and vowels The table above shows the consonant

combination with inherent vowel a) and their arrangement. Below of the Tibetan letter it shows the Latin script transliteration.

-a

letters (in combination with inherent vowel a) and their arrangement. Below of the Tibetan letter it shows the Latin script transliteration.

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.

ེ ་རང་ ཁྱད ེ ་རང་གི་མཚན་ལ་ག་རེ་ཞུ་གི ཁྱད སགཇུག ་གཏོང་དང་ཁྱད ེ ་རང་གི་མ ཁྱད ེ ་རང་ གི་མ མཚན་ལ་ག་ 74

The Currencies उपकरण

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8000 The Nepali Rupee (ISO code NPR) has been the official currency of Nepal since 1932. The most commonly used symbol of the Rupee is Rs. The rupee was introduced for the first time in 1932, replacing the silver Mohar at an exchange rate of 2 Relative to the USD, the

/trans. “himalaya pronounce “Upakarana”

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08. Complete Nepalese banknotes set Above you can find displayed a semi-complete Nepalese set of banknotes that ranges from a 5NPR cut to a 200NPR. All banknotes have refined illustrations.

The NPR was introduced in 1932, replacing the previous currency, the Nepalese mohar. Its exchange rate is based on a peg set against the INR. Prior to 1994, the NPR was pegged at a rate of one INR per one point fourty-five NPR. However, since 1994 the peg has been adjusted to 1 INR per 1.60 NPR.The NPR is divided into units known as “paisa,” and is circulated in both coin and banknote forms. One rupee is comprised of 100 paisa. Today, the NPR’s coins are denominated in units of one, two, five, ten, twenty-five, fifty paisa. The banknotes are denominated in units of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 paisa. The most recent series of banknotes, released in 2012, feature images of Mount Everest along with other local symbols of natural and cultural significance.Transacting in the NPR can be difficult for foreigners, because there are three primary exchange rates operating in Nepal: an official central bank rate, a legal private bank rate, and an illegal black market rate. Of these, the most favorable exchange rates are generally found in the black market. For this reason, much local commerce takes place at the black-market exchange rates. Most tourists, however, will use the private banks and will therefore obtain a less favorable rate. The same is true for formal exchange-rate businesses and the foreign-exchange services offered at the Kathmandu airport. These authorized agents will transact at the private banking rates. Because of the legal ambiguities involved, travelers are advised to obtain and keep receipts for all their currency exchange transactions, in order to be able to prove that only legal agents were used. Similarly, travelers should ensure they have adequate small-denomination bills and coins available, as small vendors may be reluctant to provide change. These authorized agents will transact at the private banking rates.

The Nepalese Rupee was introduced in 1932, replacing the previous currency, the Nepalese Mohar. Its value over the previous years has weakened against western currencies due to lower exports.

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08. Complete Nepalese bamknotes set

NPR has depreciated over the past 10 years. In Sept. 2009, 1 USD was equivalent to just over 75 NPR. However, by Sept. 2019, the value of 1 USD had risen to over 110 NPR. Mohares for each Rupee. At first the Rupees were called Mohrus. A Rupee is divided into 100 “Paisas”.

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Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2012

0,0082

0,075

0,02

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2013

0,0072

0,134

0,075

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2014

0,0070

0,20

0,06

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2015

0,0020

2015

0,13

0,055

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2016

0,0070

0,232

0,05

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2017

0,0080 Nepali Rupee/Eur

2018

2017

0,12

0,065

Yuan/Eur

Nepali Rupee/Eur

2016

0,19

0,034

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

2020

0,0070

0,1234

0,011

Nepali Rupee/Eur

Yuan/Eur

Rupee/Eur

0,0080

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00. Exchange rate scheme Above you can find a comparison tab where the exchange rate of

The NPR was introduced in 1932, replacing the previous currency, the Nepalese mohar. Its exchange rate is based on a peg set against the INR. Prior to 1994, the NPR was pegged at a rate of one INR per one point fourty-five NPR. However, since 1994 the peg has been adjusted to 1 INR per 1.60 NPR. The NPR is divided into units known as “paisa,” and is circulated in both coin and banknote forms. One rupee is comprised of 100 paisa. Today, the NPR’s coins are denominated in units of one, two, five, ten, twenty-five, fifty paisa. The banknotes are denominated in units of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 paisa. The most recent series of banknotes, released in 2012, feature images of Mount Everest along with other local symbols of natural and cultural significance.Transacting in the NPR can be difficult for foreigners, because there are three primary exchange rates operating in Nepal: an official central bank rate, a legal private bank rate, and an illegal black market rate. Of these, the most favorable exchange rates are generally found in the black market. For this reason, much local commerce takes place at the black-market exchange rates. Most tourists, however, will use the private banks and will therefore obtain a less favorable rate. The same is true for formal exchange-rate businesses and the foreign-exchange services offered at the Kathmandu airport. These authorized agents will transact at the private banking rates. Because of the legal ambiguities involved, travelers are advised to obtain and keep receipts for all their currency exchange transactions, in order to be able to prove that only legal agents were used. Similarly, travelers should ensure they have adequate small-denomination bills and coins available, as small vendors may be reluctant to provide change. These authorized agents will transact at the private banking rates.

09. Complete Nepalese coin set Above you can find displayed a semi-complete Nepalese

the Nepalese Rupee with the Euro is compared over a nine year period with the ones of the Chinese Yuan and Indian Rupee.

09. Complete Nepalese coin set

RUPEE

currency in the present context depends on how long it will take to contain the coronavirus. “Since it is uncertain when the situation will be brought under control, it is difficult to predict the impact just yet,” added Acharya As imports will be dearer, the balance of payment situation will take a further hit, according to economists. The country could have reaped benefits from the appreciation of the US dollar as remittances that migrant workers send home will have more value. Unfortunately, this might not be the case in the present context when the number of remitters is expected to fall significantly.

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As Nepal’s economy relies heavily on imports, the weakening rupee against the EU euro will have severe adverse impact on our economy. A weaker currency makes imports costlier and it will simultaneously create an inflationary pressure on the economy. Likewise, the country will lose out while repaying interests and principals of foreign loans, which need to be paid in EU euro. “Euro-denominated power purchase agreements of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will compel the authority to pay more to the power suppliers.” According to economists, the impact of depreciating domestic

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set of coins that ranges from a 1NPR Cents cut to a 2NPR cut. All coins have refined illustrations on both sides.

10. Historic Tibetan Money - Banknote 01, 1913

11. Historic Tibetan Money - Banknote 01, 1913

10. Historic Tibetan Money - Banknote 01, 1913 Tibetan banknotes were first issued in January

11. Historic Tibetan Money - Banknote 01, 1913 Tibetan banknotes were first issued in January

1913 with the denominations of 5 tam (green or blue) and 10 tam (red). These were dated to the year 1658 of the Tibetan Era.

13. Historic Tibetan Money - Coin, 1913

14. Historic Tibetan Money - Banknote 01, 1913

13. Ancient Tibetan Coin, 1913 Leader of the first succesfull summit of the Matterhorn in 1865. Whymper will in the following years climb some of the tallest mountains in South Ameritca.

14. Historic Tibetan Money - Banknote 01, 1913 Tibetan banknotes were first issued in January

1913 with the denominations of 5 tam (green or blue) and 10 tam (red). These were dated to the year 1658 of the Tibetan Era.

Spirituality - Buddhism, Hinduism उपकरण

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Buddhism and Hinduism coexisted for centuries in the Himalayan region, the encounter of asian spirituality.

/trans. “himalaya” pronounce “Upakarana”

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Several places in the Himalayas are of religious significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. A notable example of a religious site is Paro Taktsang, where Padmasambhava is said to have founded Buddhism in Bhutan. In Hinduism, the Himalayas have been personified as the king of all Mountain “Giriraj Himavat”, father of Ganga and Parvati (form of Adi Shakti Durga). A number of Vajrayana Buddhist sites are situated in the Himalayas, in Tibet, Bhutan and in the Indian regions of Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Spiti and Darjeeling. There were over 6,000 monasteries in Tibet, including the residence of the Dalai Lama.[54] Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh are also dotted with numerous monasteries. The Tibetan Muslims have

16. The Ohm symbol, hindu symbol

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15. Gautama Buddha Statue, 1600d.c.

their own mosques in Lhasa and Shigatse. Rvegardless of one’s beliefs, the plethora of monuments, temples, statues and spiritual imagery representative of Buddhism in the Himalayas have a special attraction that locals and visitors alike feel while walking through remote villages, valleys, and ridges. It seems that wherever one looks, shrines, mantra stones, prayer flags, and other aspects of Buddhism greet one on the trail and dot the landscape. It seems that wherever one looks, shrines, mantra stones, prayer flags, and other aspects of Buddhism greet one on the trail and dot the landscape. It seems that wherever one looks, shrines, mantra stones, prayer flags, and other aspects of Buddhism greet one on the trail and dot the land-

16. The Ohm symbol, hindu symbol is the sacred sound and spiritual icon in Indian religions here written in Devanagari. 17. The endless sacred knot, buddhist symbol is a symbolic knot

15. Gautama Buddha Statue, 1600d.c. Buddhism is one of the four main religions in the Himalayan region togetheer with Hinduism, Jianism and Sikhism. Several places in the Himalayas are of religious significance.

17. The endless sacred knot, buddhist symbol

and one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols for Tibeta Buddhism.

The concept of Samsāra has roots in the post-Vedic literature. The theory is not discussed in the Vedas themselves. The Samsāra doctrine is tied to the karma theory of Indian religions, and the liberation from Samsāra has been the core of the spiritual quest of Indian traditions, as their disagreements. According to Monier-Williams, Samsāra is rooted in the term Samsa which means “to go round, revolve, pass through a succession of states, to go towards or obtain, moving in a circuit”. A conceptual form from this root appears in ancient texts as Sahsaraha, which means “going around through a succession of states, birth, rebirth of living beings and the world”, without obstruction. It shortens Samsāra, referring to the same concept, as a “passage through states of mundane existence”, a transmigration, metempsychosis, a circuit of living where one repeats previous states, from one body to another, a worldly life of constant change, that is rebirth, growth, decay and redeath. The concept is then contrasted with the concept of moksha, also known as mukti, nirvana, nibbana or kaivalya, which refers to liberation from this cycle of aimless wandering. The concept of Samsara developed in the post-Vedic times, and is traceable in the Samhita layers such as in sections 1.164, 4.55, 6.70 and 10.14 of the Rigveda.While the idea is mentioned in the Samhita layers of the Vedas, there is lack of clear exposition there, and the idea fully develops in the early Upanishads.

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15. Samsara Illustration, 1120d.c.

Samsara or Sansar is a Sanskrit word that means wandering or world, with the connotation of cyclic, circuitous change. It is also the concept of rebirth and cyclicality of all life, matter, existence, a fundamental belief of most Indian religions. In short, it is the cycle of death and rebirth. Samsara is sometimes referred to with terms or phrases such as transmigration, karmic cycle, reincarnation, and cycle of aimless drifting, wandering or mundane existence.

In Hinduism, Samsāra is a journey of the soul. The body dies, assert the Hindu traditions, but not the soul which it assumes to be the eternal reality, indestructible and bliss. Everything and all existence is connected, cyclical and composed of two things, the soul and the body or matter. This eternal soul called Atman never reincarnates, it does not change and cannot change in the Hindu belief. In contrast, the body and personality, can change, constantly changes, is born and dies. Samsāra in Buddhism is the “suffering-laden cycle of life, death, and rebirth, without beginning or end”. Also referred to as the wheel of existence (Bhavacakra), it is often mentioned in Buddhist texts with the term punarbhava (rebirth, re-becoming); the liberation from this cycle of existence, Nirvana, is the foundation and the most important purpose of Buddhism. Samsara is considered impermanent in Buddhism, just like other Indian religions. Karma drives this impermanent Samsara in Buddhist thought and “short of attaining enlightenment, in each rebirth one is born and dies, to be reborn elsewhere

17. Samsara Illustration, 1120d.c. Samsara or Sansar is a Sanskrit word that means wandering or world, with the connotation of cyclic circuitous change. It is also the concept of rebirth and cyclicality of life.

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THE PRAYER FLAGS A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bon. In Bon, shamanistic Bonpo used primary-colored plain flags in Tibet.Traditional prayer flags include woodblock-printed text and images. Nepal Sutras, originally written on cloth banners, were transmitted to other regions of the world as prayer flags. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Gautama Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras. The legend may have given the Indian bhikku a reason for carrying the heavenly banner as a way of signifying his commitment to ahimsa. This knowledge was carried into Tibet by 800 CE, and the actual flags were introduced no later than 1040 CE, where they were further modified. The Indian monk Atisha introduced the Indian practice of printing on cloth prayer flags to Tibet and Nepal. Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five: one in each of the five colours that correspond with the 5 Elements of Chinese theory. The five colors are arranged from left to right in a specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. The five colors represent the five elements and the Five Pure Lights. Different elements are associated with different colors for specific traditions, purposes and sadhana. Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements.

Blue, Sky Yellow, Water Red, Fire Green, Earth

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18. Vajra Masters Crowns, 1700d.c. The single most potent symbol of Buddhist ritual as

performed in Nepal is the Vajracarya priest’s crown. Five examples presented in this exhibition create a cosmic field into which viewers enter, encircled by paintings of ritual performance. The exhibition is occasioned by the recent acquisition of a superb early Vajracarya crown dating to the thirteenth or early fourteenth century; this is joined by an eighteenth-century crown already in the collection and two others recently discovered in the Department of Arms and Armor. 19. Prayer flags A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bon. In Bon, shamanistic Bonpo used primary-colored plain flags in Tibet. Traditional prayer flags include woodblock-printed text and images. Nepal Sutras, originally written on cloth banners, were transmitted to other regions of the world as prayer flags.

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A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bon. In Bon, shamanistic Bonpo used primary-colored plain flags in Tibet.Traditional prayer flags include woodblock-printed text and images. Nepal Sutras, originally written on cloth banners, were transmitted to other regions of the world as prayer flags. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Gautama Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras. the actual flags were introduced no later than 1040 CE, where they were further modified. The Indian monk Atisha introduced the Indian practice of printing on cloth prayer flags to Tibet and Nepal.

Prayer flags are the expression of the respect and reverence that the Himalayan population have of the environment in which they live in. A strong and iconic symbol, recognized worldwide.

19. Prayer flags A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes.

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Mountain cathedrals and a vibrant wildlife.

ECOSYSTEM Flora Classification

An overview of the wild life living in the interested geographical region analyzing both the flora and the fauna. A collection of specimens, scientific analysis, data and general informations

that will serve the traveler to have a more profound understanding of the ecosystem and landscape he will find himself surrounded by during his expedition and explorations.

The transition zones from sub-tropical warmth to arctic colds are telescoped into a mere 250 kilometers between the Punjab plains and the Tibetan plateau, Himachal Pradesh is an ideal habitat for a rich species of flora and fauna. Towards the plains, the Shivalk are fringed with broad-leaved Sal and silk cotton, which give way to sheesham, kail and the long leaved cheer pine on the slopes of the foothills. A temperate zone of the mixed forests follows on the lower reaches of the Dhauladhars and Pir Panjal ranges, which are covered with mossy oak, dropping branches of Spruce, and the smooth silvery bark of the West Himalayan fir. Near streams or on the colder northern slopes one finds the maple, but most significant is the tree of the gods and the pride of the Western Himalaya –the stately deodar. This magnificent conifer soars up to a height of 45 meters. The neat park-like coniferous forests begin to thin around 2,700meters (9,000 feet). Windblown birches and clumps of stunted junipers mark the tree line, beyond which extend the idyllic alpine meadows. Here in summer, a profusion of wild flowers, including the rare Himalayan blue poppy, push out their way out of the thawing soil.

These varying life zones support an exciting range of fauna. One of the lasting pleasures of a walks in these woods are the alluring calls from un-sighted birds. Easily traced are the whistling thrushes, magpies, tits and woodpeckers. Flycatchers pirouette in mid air to claim their catch, while nuthatches and tree creepers comb the fissures in the bark of conifers. While walking in the countryside or climbing a hill in the Himalaya you may come across numerous wild flowers, brightening a hollow in a rock, or half hidden amidst the ferns which will make your outdoor experience especially rich. Stop and look at the wild flowers carefully and you will discover, a disarming beauty of their own. Many of them are also ancestors of the familiar garden flowers that we tend so enthusiastically. The Himalaya is a treasure trove of flowers many of which grow all over the northern temperate zone too. Some of them are unique to the Himalayas while others are very alpine in character. The lower hills have a mixture of temperate and subtropical flora. The plains and the scrub deserts have distinctly different flowers, while hot and humid areas have flora that is specific to their condition. The ability to identify wild flowers can transform a journey, walk or a drive into a voyage of discovery. Every shady nook, forest path or ditch becomes endowed with charm as you seek out its hidden cache of wild plants. Knowing the flowers in one’s surroundings furthers a desire to know more about flowers whether near or far, and the need to save all the wild things that we have inherited on the earth. The fact that a rapidly growing population is threatening wild habitats is also connected with an awareness of nature and the need to preserve it. We have described below few wild flowers adoring, lush green mountain meadows and deep valleys will surely enhance your Himalayan experience.

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BLUE POPPY- Meconopsis Meconopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. It was first created by French botanist Viguier in 1814 for the species known by the common name Welsh poppy, which Carl Linnaeus had described as Papaver cambricum. The genus name means poppy-like (from Greek mekon poppy, opsis alike). Himalayan species discovered later were also placed in Meconopsis. In the 21st century, it was discovered that the Himalayan species were not closely related to the Welsh poppy, which has been restored to Papaver. All species placed in Meconopsis are now native to the Himalayas and surrounding regions. They have attractive, usually blue flowers. The taxonomy of Meconopsis remains unsettled. Although many sources recognize the genus, others sink it into Papaver. There is also uncertainty over the number of species, as many readily hybridise with each other producing viable seed. It is likely that some individually named species are in fact a single species but with an under-appreciated morphological diversity. A large proportion of species are monocarpic and as such are notoriously difficult to maintain in cultivation.

YELLOW POPPY- Meconopsis Nep. 4000

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The Himalaya is a treasure trove of flowers many of which grow all over the northern temperature zone.

Meconopsis napaulensis, the Nepal poppy or satin poppy, is a plant of the family Papaveraceae. The plant contains beta-carbolines, which (in doses high enough) act as a psychedelic drug. However, its phytochemistry remains predominantly unstudied. In light of the current reclassification by Grey-Wilson, the description of the species M. napaulensis is subsequently much more refined. Based on the type specimen, it is only yellow in flower, with a small geographical range in central Nepal. Prior to the recent reclassification of Meconopsis napaulensis, flower colours of the species ranged between red, purple and white, and much of what is grown in gardens under the name M. napaulensis are of this colour. However, the name is now technically misapplied, a point which is bound to frustrate many gardeners. Prior to the recent reclassification of Meconopsis napaulensis, flower colours of the species ranged between red, purple and white, and much of what is grown in gardens under the name M. napaulensis are of this colour. However, the name is now technically misapplied, a point which is bound to frustrate many gardeners. point which is bound to frustrate many gardeners. gardeners. point which is bound to frustrate many gardeners. point which is bound to frustrate many gardeners.

01. The Blue Poppy, most common flower Leader of the first succesfull summit of the

Matterhorn in 1865. Whymper will in the following years climb some of the tallest mountains in South Ameritca.

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01. The Blue Poppy, most common flower

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BEGONIA - Cathcartii With 1,831 species, Begonia is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs, and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia. Terrestrial species in the wild are commonly upright-stemmed, rhizomatous, or tuberous. The plants are monoecious, with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant; the male contains numerous stamens, and the female has a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. In most species, the fruit is a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds, although baccate fruits are also known. The leaves, which are often large and variously marked or variegated, are usually asymmetric (unequal-sided). With 1,831 species, Begonia is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs, and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia. Terrestrial species in the wild are commonly upright-stemmed, rhizomatous, or tuberous. The plants are monoecious, with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant; the male contains numerous stamens, and the female has a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. In most species, the fruit is a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds, although baccate fruits are also known. The leaves, are often large.

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Duabanga is a small genus of lowland evergreen rainforest trees in southeast Asia, comprising two or three species. Duabanga was traditionally included in the ditypic family Sonneratiaceae, but it is now classified in its own monotypic subfamily Duabangoideae of the Lythraceae. From its peculiar habit, Duabanga grandiflora (syn. D. sonneratioides) is a singular feature in its native forests. The trunk is erect, 40–80 feet high, undivided but sometimes forking from the base. The lower limbs spread drooping from the trunk; these are long, slender, sparingly branched, and the branches are four-angled, loosely covered with large spreading leaves. Since the leaves are arranged in two ranks, the slender branches resemble

03. A blooming Duabanga flower

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Begonia Brevirimosa............africa-eu-asia Begonia Cathcartii..........................nepal-tibet Begonia Aconitifolia................ south america

DUABANGA - Sonneratioides

petioles, bearing pinnae of a compound leaf; the leaves are further often recurved, and are deep green above, and almost white beneath. The large blossoms expand in April, exhaling a rank odour reportedly resembling asafoetida when they first burst, but they become inodorous before the petals drop. The stamens are all bent inwards in bud. The fruit is a large as a small apple. The wood is white and soft. Duabanga grandiflora is an evergreen tree growing up to 30 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 40 metres. The bole, which is scarcely buttressed, can be up to 200cm in diameter. The flowers have an unpleasant odourt. The edible fruit is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use, whilst the tree is exploited in the wild for its timber. The lower limbs spread drooping from the trunk; these are long, slender, sparingly branched, and the branches are four-angled, loosely covered with large spreading leaves. Since the leaves are arranged in two ranks, the slender branches resemble petioles, bearing pinnae of a compound leaf; the leaves are further often recurved, and are deep green above, and almost white beneath.

Decaisnea known commonly as dead man’s fingers, blue bean plant or blue sausage fruit, is a genus of flowering plant in the family Lardizabalaceae. It is native to eastern Asia, from China west to Nepal and south to Myanmar. It was described from Nepal, and is sometimes restricted to the plants occurring in the Himalaya, with Chinese plants distinguished as Decaisnea fargesii Franchet. Decaisnea are deciduous shrubs or small trees growing to 5 to 8 meters tall with trunks up to 20 centimeters in diameter. The leaves are pinnate, 60 to 90 cm long, with up to 25 leaflets each up to 15 cm long and 10 cm broad. The flowers are produced in drooping panicles 25 to 50 cm long. Each flower is 3 to 6 cm wide with greenish-yellow sepals and no petals. The fruit is a soft greenish-yellow to blue-black pod-like follicle up to 10 cm long and 3 cm diameter. It contains a transparent, glutinous, jelly-like pulp containing numerous (Usually around 40) flat black seeds about a centimeter wide. The pulp is edible however the seeds are not. The flavor of D. fargesii fruit pulp has been described as sweet and similar to watermelon, and the texture described as “gelatinous”. D. insignis fruit has been described as “bland” and jelly-like

04. The dead man fingers fruits of the Decaisnea

04. The Dead Man Fingers fruits of the Decaisnea The flowers are producted in drooping

panicles 25 to 50cm long. Each flower is a 3 to 6cm wide with greenish-yellow sepals and no petals. The fruit is a soft greenish yellow sepals and no petals.

02. The Yellow Poppy, a different kind of poppy

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05 The Blue Poppy Illustration, J.D. Hooker, 1855

06 The Yellow Poppy Illustration, J.D. Hooker, 1855

05 The Blue Poppy Illustration, J.F. Catheart, 1855 Illustrations of Himalayan plants chiefly selected from drawings made for the late J.F. Cathcart, Esq.re of the Bengal Civil Service and extracted from “Himalayan Illustration”.

06. The Yellowt Poppy Illustration, J.D. Hooker, 1855 Illustrations of Himalayan plants chiefly selected from drawings made for the late J.F. Cathcart, Esq.re of the Bengal Civil Service and extracted from “Himalayan Illustration”.

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WILD PRIMULA - Primula Vulgaris Primula vulgaris, the common primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia and the Himalayan region. The common name is primrose, or occasionally common primrose or English primrose to distinguish it from other Primula species also called primroses. None of these are closely related to the evening primroses (genus Oenothera). Primula vulgaris is a perennial growing 10–30 cm tall, with a basal rosette of leaves which are more-orless evergreen in favoured habitats. It flowers in early spring in the northern hemisphere (February–April) on slopes and meadows.

09. Wild Primula in the blossoming phase

The leaves are 5–25 cm long and 2–6 cm broad, often heavily wrinkled, with an irregularly crenate to dentate margin. The leaf blade is gradually attenuated towards the base and unevenly toothed. The single stem, extremely

09. Wild Primula in the blossoming phase The wild primula is found mainly by streams, under bushes and clear, moist dedicious forests. To prevent excessive damage to the species, picking of primroses.

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flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia.[2][3] The common name is primrose, from the evening primroses

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11. Wild Primula in flower Primula vulgaris, the common primrose, is a species of

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hedgerows. It is found mainly by streams, under bushes, in orchards and clear, moist deciduous forests. Occasionally it also appears in meadows. In Central Europe plants thrive best on nutrient-rich, but lime-poor, humus-rich, loose and often stony loam soils in winter-mild situations. In more populated areas it has sometimes suffered from over-collection and theft so that few natural displays of primroses in abundance can now be found. However it is common on motorway verges and railway embankments where human intervention is restricted. To prevent excessive damage to the species, picking of primroses or the removal of primrose plants from the wild is illegal in many countries, e.g. the UK Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Section 13, part 1b).

Buddleja (orth. var. Buddleia); also historically given as Buddlea) is a genus comprising over 140 species of flowering plants endemic to Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The generic name bestowed by Linnaeus posthumously honoured the Reverend Adam Buddle (1662–1715), an English botanist and rector, at the suggestion of Dr. William Houstoun. Houstoun sent the first plants to become known to science as buddleja (B. americana) to England from the Caribbean about 15 years after Buddle’s death. The botanic name has been the source of some confusion. By modern practice of botanical Latin, the spelling of a generic name made from ‘Buddle’ would be Buddleia, but Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum of 1753 and 1754 spelled it Buddleja, with the long i between two vowels, common in early modern orthography. The pronunciation of the long i in Buddleja as j is a common modern error. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature has gradually changed to incorporate stricter rules about orthographic variants and as of 08. Blooming Buddleja flower photography the 2006 edition requires (article 60, particularly 60.5) that Linnaeus’ spelling should be followed in this case. Of the approximately 140 species, nearly all are shrubs less than 5 m (16 ft) tall, but a few qualify as trees, the largest reaching 30 m (98 ft). Both evergreen and deciduous species occur, in tropical and temperate regions resp. The leaves are lanceolate in most species, and arranged in opposite pairs on the stems (alternate in one species, B. alternifolia); they range from 1–30 cm (0.4–11.8 in) long. The flowers of the Asiatic species are mostly produced in terminal panicles 10–50 cm (4–20 in) long; the American species more commonly as cymes forming small, globose heads.

short, is hidden in the centre of the leaf rosette. The delicately scented flowers are 2–4 cm in diameter, borne singly on short slender stems. The flowers are typically pale yellow, though white or pink forms are often seen in nature. The flowers are actinomorphic with a superior ovary which later forms a capsule opening by valves to release the small black seeds. The flowers are hermaphrodite but heterostylous; individual plants bear either pin flowers (longuistylous flower: with the capita of the style prominent) or thrum flowers (brevistylous flower: with the stamens prominent). Fertilisation can only take place between pin and thrum flowers. Pin-to-pin and thrum-to-thrum pollination is ineffective In appropriate conditions, P. vulgaris can cover the ground in open woods and shaded

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The wild primula is found mainly by streams, under bushes and clear, moist deciduous forests. To prevent excessive damage to the species, picking of primroses or the removal of primrose plants from the wild is illegal in many countries.

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BUDDLEJA - Manchinus

GAPING - Monskood

ALDER - Alnus Nepalensis

Gaping Monkshood is a perennial herb 1-2 ft cm tall, with leafy stem. Leaves are regularly distributed, the upper leaves only slightly smaller than the lower ones. They are deeply cut, pentagonal-circular in outline, 4.2-4.8 × 4-5.6 cm, both surfaces hairless or nearly so. Central segment is rhombic, base narrowly cuneate, 3-parted nearly to base; lobes dissected; lateral segments obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-parted. Flowers are borne in racemes up to 30 cm long or longer. Flowers have a gaping open mouth, compared to other Monk’s hood flowers. Sepals are blue or white with blue veins, rarely pale purple, lateral ones circular to nearly square, not contiguous with helmet. Claw of petals is 5-7 mm. Filaments are often almost hairless, winged, wings not ending in tiny teeth. Carpels are generally 5, straight, hairless or with a few hairs along the back and near the style, sometimes hairy. Follicles are oblong, 1-1.6 cm. Seeds have unequal wings. Gaping Monkshood is found in the meadows of the Himalayas, from Pakistan to Nepal, at altitudes of 2300-4300 m. Flowering: August. The dried pulverized roots are mixed butter and given as ointment on abscess and boils also mixed with tobacco and uses as “Naswar”. The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people.

Alnus nepalensis is a large alder tree found in the subtropical highlands of the Himalayas. The tree is called Utis in Nepali and Nepalese alder in English. It is used in land reclamation, as firewood and for making charcoal. It is the Indian state of Nagaland. Alnus nepalensis is a large deciduous alder with silver-gray bark that reaches up to 30 m in height and 60 cm in diameter. The leaves are alternate, simple, shallowly toothed, with prominent veins parallel to each other, 7–16 cm long and 5–10 cm broad. The flowers are catkins, with the male and female flowers separate but produced on the same tree. The male flowers are 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in) long and pendulous, while the female flowers are erect, 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in), with up to eight together in axillary racemes. Unusually for an alder, they are produced in the autumn, with the seeds maturing the following year. It occurs throughout the Himalaya at 500–3000 m of elevation from Pakistan through Nepal and Bhutan to Yunnan in southwest China. It grows best on deep volcanic loamy soils, but also grows on clay, sand and gravel. It tolerates a wide variety of soil types and grows well in very wet areas. It needs plenty of moisture in the soil and prefers streamside locations, but also grows on slopes. It grows best on deep volcanic loamy soils, but also grows on clay, sand and gravel.

Alnus nepalensis (alder) .................................................1500-2000m Betula utilis (birch)...........................................................2000-2500m Buxus wallichiana (boxwood).....................................2500-3000m Cedrus deodara (cedar)..................................................3000-4000m CEDAR - Cedrus Deodara Cedrus deodara, the deodar cedar, Himalayan cedar, or deodar/ devdar/ devadar/ devadaru, is a species of cedar native to the western Himalayas in Eastern Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan (especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and India (Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Darjeeling Region of West Bengal), Southwestern Tibet, and Western Nepal occurring at 3000–4000m altitude. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching 40–50 m tall, exceptionally 60 m with a trunk up to 3 m in diameter. It has a conic crown with level branches and drooping branchlets. The leaves are needle-like, mostly 2.5–5 cm long, occasionally up to 7 cm long, slender, borne singly on long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20–30 on short shoots; they vary from bright green to glaucous blue-green in colour. The female cones are barrel-shaped, 7–13 cm long and 5–9 cm broad, and disintegrate when mature (in 12 months) to release the winged seeds. The male cones are 4–6 cm long, and shed their pollen in autumn. The deodar is the national tree of Pakistan. Among Hindus, as the etymology of deodar suggests, it is worshiped as a divintree. Deva, the first half of the Sanskrit term, means divine, deity, or deus. Dāru, the second part, is cognate with (related to) the words durum, druid, tree, and true.[4] Several Hindu legends refer to this tree. For example, Valmiki

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Cedrus Deodara

12. Cedrus Deodara Forests, 2000m Deodar Forests are forests dominated by Cedrus

deodara also known as Deodar Cedars. These types of trees are found naturally in Western Himalayas from Gandaki river in central Nepal to Hindukush Mountain range.

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BIRCH - Betula Utilis

Extending over 2400 km nearly east-west with complex topographical features Himalaya provides a wide variety of climate and soils and consequently supports a remarkable assemblage of vegetation types and vascular plant diversity. In this database we examined all available 31 floras published in 42 volumes for different regions of Bhutan, Nepal and Indian Himalayan states and compiled a comprehensive checklist of all plants reported from Himalaya with information on their geographical and elevational distribution.

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BOXWOOD - Buxus Rugosa Boxwood is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, with the majority of species being tropical or subtropical; only the European and some Asian species are frost-tolerant. They are slowgrowing evergreen shrubs and small trees, growing to 2–12 m (rarely 15 m) tall. The leaves are opposite, rounded to lanceolate, and leathery; they are small in most species, typically 1.5–5 cm long and 0.3–2.5 cm broad, but up to 11 cm long and 5 cm broad in B. macrocarpa. The flowers are small and yellow-green, monoecious with both sexes present on a plant. The fruit is a small capsule 0.5–1.5 cm long (to 3 cm in B. macrocarpa), containing several small seeds. Common names include box or boxwood.

14. Birch forest in proximity of Kathmandu

13. Birch forest in proximity of Kathmandu Betula utilis, the Himalayan birch is a deciduous tree native to the Western Himalayas, growing at elevations up to 4,500 m. The Latin specific epithet utilis means “useful”.

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Eastern Himalaya plant list

A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus Betula contains 30 to 60 known taxa of which 11 are on the IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species. They are a typically rather short-lived pioneer species widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in northern areas of temperate climates and in boreal climates. Birch species are generally small to medium-sized trees or shrubs, mostly of northern temperate and boreal climates. The simple leaves are alternate, singly or doubly serrate, feather-veined, petiolate and stipulate. They often appear in pairs, but these pairs are really borne on spur-like, two-leaved, lateral branchlets.[4] The fruit is a small samara, although the wings may be obscure in some species. They differ from the alders (Alnus, other genus in the family) in that the female catkins are not woody and disintegrate at maturity, falling apart 13. Birch forest in proximity of Kathmandu to release the seeds, unlike the woody, cone-like female alder catkins. The bark of all birches is characteristically marked with long, horizontal lenticels, and often separates into thin, papery plates, especially upon the paper birch. Distinctive colors give the common names gray, white, black, silver and yellow birch to different species. The buds form early and are full grown by midsummer, all are lateral, no terminal bud is formed; the branch is prolonged by the upper lateral bud. The wood of all the species is close-grained with a satiny texture and capable of taking a fine polish; its fuel value is fair.

COMPREHENSIVE LIST

Acanthaceae Achariaceae Actinidiaceae Adoxaceae Aizoaceae Alismataceae Amaranthaceae Amaryllidaceae Anacardiaceae Annonaceae Apiaceae Apocynaceae Aponogetonaceae Aquifoliaceae Araceae Araliaceae Araucariaceae Arecaceae Aristolochiaceae Asclepiadaceae Asparagaceae Balanophoraceae Balsaminaceae Basellaceae Begoniaceae Berberidaceae Betulaceae Biebersteiniaceae Bignoniaceae Bixaceae Boraginaceae Brassicaceae Bromeliaceae Burmanniaceae Burseraceae Butomaceae Buxaceae Cactaceae Calceolariaceae Calophyllaceae Calycanthaceae Campanulaceae Cannabaceae Cannaceae Capparaceae Caprifoliaceae Cardiopteridaceae Caricaceae Carlemanniaceae Caryophyllaceae Casuarinaceae Celastraceae Ceratophyllaceae Chenopodiaceae Chloranthaceae Circaeasteraceae Cleomaceae Clethraceae Clusiaceae Colchicaceae Combretaceae Commelinaceae Compositae Connaraceae Convolvulaceae Coriariaceae Cornaceae Crassulaceae Cucurbitaceae

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Cupressaceae Cycadaceae Cyperaceae Daphniphyllaceae Datiscaceae Diapensiaceae Dichapetalaceae Dilleniaceae Dioscoreaceae Dipsacaceae Dipterocarpaceae Droseraceae Ebenaceae Elaeagnaceae Elaeocarpaceae Elatinaceae Ephedraceae Equisetaceae Ericaceae Eriocaulaceae Euphorbiaceae Eupteleaceae Fagaceae Flacourtiaceae Garryaceae Gentianaceae Geraniaceae Gesneriaceae Ginkgoaceae Gnetaceae Grossulariaceae Haloragaceae Haloragidaceae Hamamelidaceae Hernandiaceae Leguminosae Lentibulariaceae Liliaceae Linaceae Linderniaceae Loganaceae Loganiaceae Loranthaceae Lythraceae Magnoliaceae Malpighiaceae Malvaceae Marantaceae Marsileaceae Martyniaceae Melanthiaceae Melastomataceae Meliaceae Melianthaceae Menispermaceae Menyanthaceae Molluginaceae Moraceae Morinaceae Moringaceae Musaceae Myricaceae Myristicaceae Myrsinaceae Myrtaceae Nartheciaceae Nelumbonaceae Nitrariaceae Nyctaginaceae

Nymphaeaceae Ochnaceae Olacaceae Oleaceae Onagraceae Ophioglossaceae Opiliaceae Orchidaceae Orobanchaceae Osmundaceae Oxalidaceae Paeoniaceae Pandanaceae Papaveraceae Parnassiaceae Passifloraceae Paulowniaceae Pedaliaceae Penaeaceae Pentaphylacaceae Phrymaceae Phyllanthaceae Phytolaccaceae Pinaceae Piperaceae Pittosporaceae Plantaginaceae Platanaceae Plumbaginaceae Poaceae Podocarpaceae Podostemaceae Polemoniaceae Polygalaceae Polygonaceae Proteaceae Putranjivaceae Rafflesiaceae Ranunculaceae Resedaceae Rhamnaceae Rhizophoraceae Rosaceae Rubiaceae Rutaceae Sabiaceae Shenocleaceae Stachyuraceae Staphyleaceae Stemonaceae Stemonuraceae Stylidiaceae Styracaceae Symplocaceae Talinaceae Tamaricaceae Tiliaceae Tofieldiaceae Tropaeolaceae Typhaceae Ulmaceae Urticaceae Verbenaceae Violaceae Vitaceae Xanthorrhoeaceae Xyridaceae Zingiberaceae Zygophyllaceae

15. Gaping Monskood, J.D. Hooker, 1855

16. Magnolia Grandiflora, J.D. Hooker, 1855

15. Gaping Monskood, J.D. Hooker, 1855 Illustrations of Himalayan plants chiefly selected from

16. The Yellowt Poppy Illustration, J.D. Hooker, 1855 Illustrations of Himalayan plants chiefly selected from drawings made for the late J.F. Cathcart, Esq.re of the Bengal Civil Service and extracted from “Himalayan Illustration”.

drawings made for the late J.F. Cathcart, Esq.re of the Bengal Civil Service and extracted from “Himalayan Illustration”.

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Fauna Classification

In the Himalayas almost 163 different species of animals are on the verge of extinction, due to deforestation and global warming. Diverse region of grasslands, temperate forests, ice-clad mountains and dizzying array of animals- the Himalayan Mountains offers world’s most beautiful landscapes and provide shelter to some of the rarest wild animals, reptiles and birds. It is the longest and the highest mountain range that gives home to many endangered species some of which include Snow Leopard, Giant Panda, Red Panda, Himalayan Wild Yak, Himalayan Thar, Musk Dear, Himalayan Marmot, etc. Himalaya embraces the world’s highest peak on Earth i.e. Mount Everest, which is cold throughout the year and therefore the animals here are habituated to the cold climatic conditions. Most of the animals at Himalaya have thick skin and heavy body with phenomenal instinct that helps them protect their lives even in most arctic atmosphere. So if you are fascinated with Himalayan wildlife and planning to set off to the great mountains this summer then make this part of information as your handy guide to know the traits of Himalayan animals. Here’s some information about the geographical qualities and biodiversity of Himalayas along with the list of ten outstanding Himalayan animals. As you may have already knows that the Himalayan mountain range is stretch over 1,500 miles and spread across the regions of Nepal and Bhutan, South Tibet, and north of India. These massive ice-mountains were created about 70 million years ago when two continental plates collided, forming the magnificent Himalayan range. These great mountains have four kinds of vegetation naming tropical, subtropical, temperate, and alpine with over 300 species of mammals, close to 1000 species of birds, and hundreds and thousands of reptile, amphibian, and fish species. For a wildlife enthusiast this place is nothing but heaven.

Nepal has established numerous national parks and reserves in order to protect its diverse fauna ever since 1973, with the passing of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 BS. There are four different “classes” of protection, ranging from national parks and nature reserves to wildlife and hunting reserves. By 1992 Nepal had established seven national parks, protecting in total over 893,200 hectares (3,449 sq mi) of land.[3] Under these classes as of 2002 there were 23 protected areas in Nepal: nine national parks, three wildlife reserves, three conservation areas, one hunting reserve, three additional Ramsar sites, and four additional World Heritage Sites. The most noted world heritage sites are Sagarmatha National Park and Chitwan National Park. In addition, the world heritage site in the Kathmandu Valley also covers zones of significant biodiversity. However, the sad part is that as many as 163 varieties of animals here are on verge of extinction due to deforestation and global warming. Here’s the list of some of the widely popular Himalayan animals who have successfully mark their presence in the increasingly harsh condition on the mountains.

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Himalayan Yak

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Snow Lion

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Giant Panda

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Himalayan Thar

Mammel

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Musk Deer

Mammel

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Himalayan Black Bear

Mammel

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Himalayan Pheasant

Bird

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Black Tibetan Crane

Bird

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Himalayan Marmot

Mammel

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Royal Bengal Tiger

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Blue Sheep

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One Horned Rinoceros

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Rhesus Macaque

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Asian Elephant

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Water Shrew

Fish

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Swamp Deer

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00. Endgangered animals The Eastern Himalayas is a region that harbours thousands of

Greater one-horned rhinoceros Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) Swamp Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Snow leopard (Unicia unicia)

Clouded leopard (Neoflis nebulosa) Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) Rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros n.) Chestnut-breasted partridge Jerdon’s babbler (Chrysomma alti) Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) Pallas’s Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus)

In remote sections of the Himalayas, at higher elevations, snow leopards, brown bears, lesser pandas, and Tibetan yaks have limited populations. The yak has been domesticated and is used as a beast of burden in Ladakh. Above the tree line the most numerous animals, however, are diverse types of insects, spiders, and mites, which are the only animal forms that can live as high up as 20,700 feet (6,300 metres). The animal life at elevations above the tree line consists almost exclusively of cold-tolerant endemic species that evolved from the wildlife of the steppes after the uplift of the Himalayas. Elephants and rhinoceroses are restricted to parts of the forested Tarai region—moist or marshy areas, now largely drained—at the base of the low hills in southern Nepal. Asiatic black bears, clouded leopards, langurs (a long-tailed Asian monkey), and Himalayan goat antelopes (e.g., the tahr) are some of the denizens of the Himalayan forests. The Indian rhinoceros was once abundant throughout the foothill zone of the Himalayas but is now endangered, as is the musk deer; both species are dwindling, and few live, other than those in a handful of reserves set up to protect them. The Kashmir stag, or hangul, is near extinction. Fish of the genus Glyptothorax

00. Native Animals Tab Given the wide surface covering of the Himalayan range there

different species, including over 10,000 plants, 900 species of bird, and 300 species of mammal. Many of which are endangered or critically endangered.

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Native animals

are a lot of different animal species: in the above list you find seventeen of the most famous and renowed.

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snow leopards come from humans who encroach on their territory. Snow leopards are threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and retaliatory killing when they turn to livestock for prey. The snow leopard lives in a dozen countries in mostly mountainous areas of Central and South Asia. As more people move into the snow leopard’s domain, they build homes, farms, factories, and infrastructure, taking away more of the cat’s habitat. Trees are cut down to make way for pasture for livestock, which removes shelter for both the snow leopard and its prey. The elusive snow leopard was listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered in 1986. In 2017, its status changed to vulnerable – one step below endangered. However, the IUCN says the snow leopard’s population numbers are still decreasing, and the cat continues to face a high risk of extinction. Researchers aren’t sure how many snow leopards are left in the world. The IUCN estimates that there are between 2,710 and 3,386 snow leopards, while the Snow Leopard Conservancy calculated in 2010 that there were between 4,500 and 7,500 big cats living in the cold, high mountains of Central and South Asia. Nearly all of the main threats to

Humans have pushed ever further with their livestock into the snow leopards habitat is overgrazing damages the fragile mountain grasslands, leaving less food for the wild sheep and goats that are the snow leopards main prey. 120

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HIMALAYAN YAK

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The domestic yak (Bos grunniens) is a long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Northern Myanmar, Yunnan, Sichuan and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia. It is descended from the wild yak (Bos mutus). Yaks are heavily built animals with bulky frames, sturdy legs, rounded, cloven hooves, and extremely dense, long fur that hangs down lower than the belly. While wild yaks are generally dark, blackish to brown in colouration, domestic yaks can be quite variable in colour, often having patches of rusty brown and cream. They have small ears and wide foreheads, with smooth horns that are generally dark in colour. In males (bulls), the horns sweep out from the sides of the head, and then curve forward. They typically range from 48 to 99 cm in length. The horns of females (cows) are smaller, only 27 to 64 cm in length, and have a more upright shape. Both sexes have a short neck with a pronounced hump over the shoulders, although this is larger and more visible in males. Males weigh 350 to 585 kg, females weigh 225 to 255 kg. Wild yaks can be substantially heavier, bulls reaching weights of up to 1,000 kilograms. Depending on the breed, domestic yak males are 111–138 centimetres high at the withers, while females are 105–117 centimetres high at the withers.

17. Himalayan Wild Yak also Domestic Yak

HIMALAYAN DANPHE

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The Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also known as the Impeyan monal and Impeyan pheasant, is a pheasant native to Himalayan forests and shrublands at elevations of 2,100– 4,500m. It is part of the family Phasianidae and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the danphe or danfe, and state bird of Uttarakhand, India, where it is known as the monal. It was also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh until 2007. The scientific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice of Bengal, Sir Elijah Impey. It is a relatively large-sized pheasant. The bird is about 70 cm (28 in) long. The male weighs up to 2,380 g and the female 2,150 g. The adult male has multicoloured plumage throughout, while the female, as in other pheasants. Notable features in the male include a long, metallic green crest, coppery feathers on the back and neck.

18. Himalayan Wild Danphe also the Monal

00. Image on the left page The Snowlepard is the most endangered species of the Himalayan range. New political reform limiting illegal poaching have been impleemented and are having good results.

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Himalayan Yak

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Snowlepard

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GIANT PANDA The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Chinese also known as the panda bear or simply the panda, is a bear native to south central China. It is characterised by large, black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name “giant panda” is sometimes used to distinguish it from the red panda, a neighboring musteloid. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda is a folivore, with bamboo shoots and leaves making up more than 99% of its diet. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food. The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan, but also in neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. As a result of farming, deforestation, and other development, the giant panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived, and it is a conservation-reliant vulnerable species. A 2007 report showed 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country.[13] As of December 2014, 49 giant pandas lived in captivity outside China, living in 18 zoos in 13 different countries. Wild population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. Some reports also show that the number of giant pandas in the wild is on the rise. In March 2015, conservation news site Mongabay stated that the wild giant panda population had increased by 268, or 16.8%, to 1,864. In 2016, the IUCN reclassified the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, affirming decade-long efforts to save the panda.

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HYMALAYAN GORAL The Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral) is a bovid species found across the Himalayas. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because the population is thought to be declining significantly due to habitat loss and hunting for meat. The Himalayan goral is 95 to 130 cm in length and weighs 35–42 kg. It has a gray or gray-brown coat with tan legs, lighter patches on its throat, and a single dark stripe along its spine. Males have short manes on their necks. Both males and females have backward-curving horns which can grow up to 18 cm in length.

In addition to certain peculiarities in the form of the skull, gorals are chiefly distinguished from the closely related serows in that they do not possess preorbital glands below their eyes, nor corresponding depressions in their skulls. Himalayan gorals are found in the forests of the Himalayas including Bhutan, northern India including Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal, southern Tibet, and possibly western Myanmar. They inhabit most of the southern slopes of the Himalayas from Jammu and Kashmir to eastern Arunachal Pradesh. In India and Nepal they are present at elevations from 900 to 2,750 m. In Pakistan they have been recorded from 1,000 to 4,000 m altitude but their present occurrence in Punjab is doubtful. Group home range size is typically around 40 ha, with males occupying marked territories of 22–25 ha during the mating season. In Pakistan, a minimum of 370–1017 grey goral are distributed in seven isolated populations as of 2004. Himalayan goral often form small bands of four to twelve individuals, although they are also known to pair off or, especially in the case of older males, be solitary. Himalayan goral often form small bands of four to twelve individuals, although they are also known to pair off or, especially in the case of older males, be solitary. The animal is crepuscular, being most active in the early morning and late evening. After a morning meal, it often drinks and then rests on a rock ledge through the day. It feeds on leaves and associated softer parts of plants, mainly grasses. The Himalayan goral is very agile and can run quickly. Due to its coloration it is very well camouflaged, so that it is extremely difficult to sight it, especially since it spends much of the day lying still. However, it is hunted by various predators, notably the Himalayan wolf. When threatened, the Himalayan goral will vocalize with hissing or sneezing sounds. Himalayan goral can live for 14 or 15 years. The female gives birth after a gestation period of 170–218 days, usually to a single offspring. The young are weaned at 7 or 8 months of age and reach sexual maturity at around 3 years.

SWAMP DEER The barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), also called swamp deer, is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern Nepal. It is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The specific name commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Duvaucel. The swamp deer differs from all other Indian deer species in that the antlers carry more than three tines. Because of this distinctive character it is designated bārah-singgā, meaning “twelve-horned” in Hindustani. Mature stags usually have 10 to 14 tines, and some have been known to have up to 20. In Assamese, barasingha is called dolhorina; dol meaning swamp. The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan, but also in neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. As a result of farming, deforestation, and other development, the giant panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived, and it is a conservation-reliant vulnerable species.[11][12] A 2007 report showed 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country. As of December 2014, 49 giant pandas lived in captivity outside China, living in 18 zoos in 13 different countries. Wild population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. Some reports also show that the number of giant pandas in the wild is on the rise. In March 2015, conservation news site Mongabay stated that the wild giant panda population had increased by 268, or 16.8%, to 1,864. In 2016, the IUCN reclassified the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, affirming decade-long efforts to save the panda.

21. The Giant Panda, a rare encounter In the Himalayan range together with the Snowleopard one of the most rare animals you can encounter is the Gian Panda: living between 0 and 1000m of altitude.

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21. The Giant Panda, a rare encounter

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Swamp Deer

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A demanding terrain for fearless spirits.

An overview of the main territorial features of the interested geographical region. The traveler will find in this section a climate data description, altitude and geographical studies, soil analysis that will serve the traveler by making him/her more concious about the territory and the environment he will have to confront with during his expedition.

The Himalayas, Nepali Himalaya, is a great mountain system of Asia forming a barrier between the Plateau of Tibet to the north and the alluvial plains of the Indian subcontinent to the south. The Himalayas include the highest mountains in the world, with more than 110 peaks rising to elevations of feet 7,300 metres or more above sea level.

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KARAKORAM RANGE

MOUNT EVEREST AREA

Khumbu (the Everest Region) is a region of northeastern Nepal on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest. It is part of the Solukhumbu District, which in turn is part of Province No. 1.[2] Khumbu is one of three subregions of the main Khambu and Sherpa settlement of the Himalaya, the other two being Solu and Pharak. It includes the town of Namche Bazaar as well as the villages of Thame, Khumjung, Pangboche, Pheriche and Kunde. The famous Buddhist monastery at Tengboche is also located in the Khumbu, more precisely in the southern district of the region. Khumbu (the Everest Region)

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HIMALAYAN RANGE 2010-2018 -5°C -40°C/28°C E+: ARTIC, THUNDRIC 900KM^2

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AREA PERIOD AVERAGE MAX/MIN CLIMATE SURFACE

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Himalayan Temperatures

-25°C

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TENGBOTCHE LOBUCHE DINGBOTCHE RONGBUCK GLACIER

GORAK SHEP

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BASE CAMP

NAMCHE BAZAR

KHUMBU ICEFALL

NUPTSE KHUMBTSE

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CHANGTSE

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MOUNT EVEREST LHOTSE

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PEAK 38

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PUMORI

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DUDH KOSHI

Drone 500X - Zoom Satellite Photography - Optical Focus Authorization 99.FD324XYD - Nepalese Search Unit Command Of Kathmandu - Hillary Road, 45 Satellite Photography - Optical Focus

TENGBOTCHE

RIVER

The Kosi River, or Sapt Koshi, drains eastern up. It is known as Sapta Koshi because of the seven rivers which join together in east-central Nepal to form this river. The main rivers forming the Sapta Koshi River system are: the Sun Koshi (सुन कोशी)], the Indravati River (इन्द्रावती), the tama Koshi (तामा कोशी), the Dudh Koshi (दुध कोशी), the Arun River (अरुण), Tamor River (तमोर) and Likhu River. The Dudh Kosi river originates from the high-altitude areas of Mount Everest (8848 metres) and the snow and glacier melt contributes significant portion of streamflow, especially during the dry season. The combined river flows through the Chatra Gorge in a southerly direction to emerge from the hills.

Dingboche is a popular stop for trekkers and climbers headed to Mount Everest, Ama Dablam or Imja Tse. Parties will typically spend two nights in Dingboche for acclimatization purposes. The village relies heavily on tourists with lodges and tenting areas comprising most of Dingboche. The Imja River flows directly east of the village. A helicopter landing pad is located just west of the Imja River, near Moonlight Lodge. Dingboche is home to an Internet cafe (using satellite technology) and one of the world’s highest billiard parlors. One of the characteristics of Dingboche is the kilometers of stone walls, built using the stones of different sizes that cover the entire Valley of Imja. These stones are removed in order to plow the soil and end up being piled one over the other creating kilometers of walls. TRANSPORT

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Khumbu Valley, Himalayan Range, Nepal - 45°23°43° N 34° 54° 56° W Analytical Data - Geographical Analysis 1:100.000 = Distance and total lenght focus 122:000,22244 : 23 = 23211221 - Quadrupical Proportion

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Khumbu (the Everest Region) is a region of and Pharak. It includes the town of Namche Bazaar as northeastern Nepal on the Nepalese side of Mount well as the villages of Thame, Khumjung, Pangboche, Everest. It is part of the Solukhumbu District, which Pheriche and Kunde. The famous Buddhist monastery in turn is part of Province No. 1. Khumbu is one of at Tengboche is also located in the Khumbu, more three subregions of the main Khambu and Sherpa precisely in the southern district of the region. settlement of the Himalaya, the other two being Solu

Khumbu Region

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TRANSIT FROM LUKLA 8 DAYS TREK LUKLA EVEREST BASE CAMP, SOUTH 12 DAYS KATHMANDU, TENGBOTCHE E++

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Tengboche (or Thyangboche) is a village in Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality in the Khumbu subregion of Province No. 1 in Nepal, located at 3,867 metres. In the village is an important Buddhist monastery, Tengboche Monastery, which is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region. The structure was built in 1923. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake but subsequently rebuilt. It was destroyed again by a fire in 1989, and again rebuilt with the help of volunteers and the provision of foreign aid. Tengboche has a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains, including the well-known peaks of Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. Tenzing Norgay, the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, was born in the area in the village of Thani and was once sent to Tengboche Monastery to be a monk.

Thyangboche must be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The height is well over 12,000 feet. The Monastery buildings stand upon a knoll at the end of a big spur, which is flung out across the direct aaxis of the Imja river. Surrounded by satellite dwellings, all quaintly constructed and oddly mediaeval in appearance, it provides a grandstand beyond comparison for the finest mountain scenery that I have ever seen, whether in the Himalaya or elsewhere. John Hunt, 1921

LOBUCHE

VILLAGE/MOUNTAIN

GORAKSHEP

VILLAGE/LAKE

Gorak shep or Gorakshep (Nepali: गोराशप) is a small settlement that sits on the edge of a frozen lakebed covered with sand in Nepal with the same name. It is found at an elevation of 5,164 metres elevation, near Mount Everest. The village is not inhabited year-round. Even though trekking lodges at Gorak Shep are basic, in recent times more modern amenities have become available, such as satellite high-speed internet access. Gorak Shep is inside the Sagarmatha National Park, the homeland of the Sherpa people, famous for their skills as guides and mountaineers. It is the final stop on most common treks to Everest Base Camp from Lukla, following what the Dalai Lama dubbed “the steps to heaven.”This route takes trekkers from Lukla to Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Pangboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and on to Gorak Shep. Most trekkers stay overnight there, as their trekking permits will not allow them to camp at Everest Base Camp. Also, Gorak Shep provides the best “launching pad” for an ascent of Kala Patthar, which looks like a giant dune looming over the lakebed. For many trekkers, summitting Kala Patthar, with its 5,550 meters (18,209 ft), provides both the best views of Everest and the highest altitude that most will reach without a climbing permit, which must be obtained in Kathmandu, at the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Climbing starts in the early morning, when the visibility is usually better. It takes four hours to summit and come back. Gorak Shep was the original Everest Base Camp, being used by the Swiss mountain climbers in their attempt to climb the Everest in 1952. Later the camp was moved closer to the mountain, just below the Khumbu Ice Fall. Climbing time from Gorak Shep to the Everest Base Camp ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the weather, acclimatization and physical conditioning of each individual. At this altitude, few people feel comfortable and many start to suffer symptoms of altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness (AMS).

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China National Highway 318. Climbers typically rest at base camp for several days for acclimatization, to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. The Everest Base Camp trek on the south side, at an altitude of 5,500 m, is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas and about 40,000 people per year make the trek there from Lukla airport. Trekkers usually fly from Kathmandu to Lukla to save time and energy before beginning the trek to the base camp. However, trekking to Lukla is possible. There are no roads from Kathmandu to Lukla and as a result, the only method of transporting large and heavy goods is by plane. From Lukla, climbers trek upward to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar, 3,440 metres, following the valley of the Dudh Kosi river. It takes about two days to reach the village, which is the central hub of the area. Typically at this point, climbers allow a day of rest for acclimatization. They then trek for another two days to Dingboche, 4,260 metres before resting for another day for further acclimatization. Another two days takes them to Everest Base Camp via Gorakshep, the flat field below Kala Patthar, 5,545 metres and Mt. Pumori. On 25 April 2015, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale, struck Nepal and triggered an avalanche on Pumori that swept through the South Base Camp. A visit to the North Base Camp requires a permit from the Chinese government, on top of the permit required to visit Tibet itself. Access to the North Base Camp has been closed to tourists since February 2019. The North Base Camp is accessed by vehicle through a 100 km road branching to the South from the Friendship Highway near Shelkar. The last stretch is a gravel road to a marked hill at 5,200 meters above sea level just before the climbers’ camp.

COMMERCIAL EXPEDITIONS COMPOUND ONE

RESCUE AND FIELD SUPPORT

ADMINISTRATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

COMMERCIAL EXPEDITIONS COMPOUND TWO

KALA PATTHAR

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There are two base camps on Mount Everest, on opposite sides of the mountains: South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of 5,364 metres, while North Base Camp is in Tibet, China at 5,150 metres (28°8°29°N 86°51°5°E). The base camps are rudimentary campsites at the base of Mount Everest that are used by mountain climbers during their ascent and descent; they are also visited by hikers. South Base Camp is used when climbing via the southeast ridge, while North Base Camp is used when climbing via the northeast ridge. Supplies are shipped to the South Base Camp by porters, and with the help of animals, usually yaks. The North Base Camp is accessed by a paved road that branches from

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7.804M

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The main peak, Nubtse I, was first climbed on May 16, 1961 by Dennis Davis and Sherpa Tashi and the following day by Chris Bonington, Les Brown, James Swallow and Pemba Sherpa, members of a British expedition led by Joe Walmsley.This route they took is called the Scott route for the Nuptse mountain. After this it was climbed just twice between 1961 and 1996. A joint British/Nepalese Army team attempted the Scott Route in 1975 but sadly the summit team fell from the final couloir, probably having been knocked off by a stone fall or snow slide. After a long hiatus, Nubtse again became the objective of high-standard mountaineers in the 1990s and 2000s, with important routes being put up on its west, south, and north faces. While Nubtse is a dramatic peak when viewed from the south or west, and it towers above the base camp for the standard south col route on Everest, it is not a particularly independent peak. After a long hiatus, Nubtse again became the objective of high-standard.

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RONGBUK MONASTERY TIBET, NORTH FACE 1902 BUDDHISM 5072M FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY, 4H

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The summit of Lhotse is extremely dangerous due to loose snow with many hollows, and there are also weakly attached cornices of snow. This provides a barrier to climbing, yet is not sturdy enough for safe climbing. The long east-west trending main ridge of Nubtse is crowned by seven peaks. Nuptse or Nubtse (Sherpa: नुबचे, Wylie: Nub rtse) is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Mahalangur Himal, in the Nepalese Himalayas. It lies two kilometres WSW of Mount Everest. Nubtse is Tibetan for “west peak”, as it is the western segment of the Lhotse-Nubtse massif. The summit of Nuptse is extremely dangerous due to loose snow with many hollows, and there are also weakly attached cornices of snow. This provides a barrier to climbing, yet is not sturdy enough for safe climbing. The long east-west trending main ridge of Nubtse is crowned by seven peaks: The main peak, Nubtse I, was first climbed on May 16, 1961 by Dennis Davis and Sherpa Tashi and the following day by Chris Bonington, Les Brown, James Swallow and Pemba Sherpa, members of a British expedition led by Joe Walmsley.This route they took is called the Scott route for the Nuptse mountain. After this it was climbed just twice between 1961 and 1996. A joint British/Nepalese Army team attempted the Scott Route in 1975 but sadly the summit team fell from the final couloir, probably having been knocked off by a stone fall or snow slide. After a long hiatus, Nubtse again became the objective of high-standard mountaineers in the 1990s and 2000s, with important routes being put up on its west, south, and north faces. While Nubtse is a dramatic peak when viewed from the south or west, and it towers above the base camp for the standard south col route on Everest, it is not a particularly independent peak.

4000M

The Rongbuk Glacier is located in the Himalaya of southern Tibet. Two large tributary glaciers, the East Rongbuk Glacier and the West Rongbuk Glacier, flow into the main Rongbuk Glacier. It flows north and forms the Rongbuk Valley north of Mount Everest. The famous Rongbuk Monastery is located at the northern end of the Rongbuk valley. Mount Everest is the source of the Rongbuk Glacier and East Rongbuk Glacier. Climbing expeditions attempting the normal route from Tibet use this glacier to reach the Advanced Base Camp of Mount Everest at the upper end of the

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MOUNTAIN

DINGBOTCHE

GLACIER/MONASTERY

NUPTSE

Nuptse or Nubtse (Sherpa: नुबचे, Wylie: Nub rtse) is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Mahalangur Himal, in the Nepalese Himalayas. It lies two kilometres WSW of Mount Everest. Nubtse is Tibetan for “west peak”, as it is the western segment of the Lhotse-Nubtse massif. The summit of Nuptse is extremely dangerous due to loose snow with many hollows, and there are also weakly attached cornices of snow. This provides a barrier to climbing, yet is not sturdy enough for safe climbing. The long east-west trending main ridge of Nubtse is crowned by seven peaks:

TENGBOTCHE

RONGBUK

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Some colossal architect, who built with peaks and valleys, seemed here to have wrought a dramatic prodigy, a hall of grandeur that led to the mountain.

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East Rongbuk Glacier. From there, climbing expeditions try to summit Everest by the North Col and the northeast ridge. Rongbuk Monastery lies near the base of the north side of Mount Everest at 5,009 metres above sea level, at the end of the Dzakar Chu valley.Rongbuk is claimed to be the highest-elevation monastery in the world. However, the true highest monastery in the world is Drirapuk Monastery in Ngari Prefecture, at an altitude of 5,072 metres. For Sherpas living on the south slopes of Everest in the Khumbu region of Nepal, Rongbuk Monastery was an important pilgrimage site, accessed in a few days’ travel across the Himalaya through the Nangpa La. The monastery was also regularly visited by the early expeditions to Mount Everest in the 1920s and 1930s after a five-week journey from Darjeeling in the Indian foothills of the Himalaya. Most past and current expeditions attempting to summit Mount Everest from the north, Tibetan side establish their Base Camp near the tongue of Rongbuk Glacier about 8 km south of the Monastery. Today, the monastery is accessible by road after a two- to three-hour drive from the Friendship Highway from either Shelkar or Old Tingri. From Rongbuk Monastery, there are dramatic views of the north face of Mount Everest, and one of the first British explorers to see it, John Noel, described it: “Some colossal architect, who built with peaks and valleys, seemed here to have wrought a dramatic prodigy—a hall of grandeur that led to the mountain.”

LHOTSE

The North Col refers to the sharp-edged pass carved by glaciers in the ridge connecting Mount Everest and Changtse in Tibet. It forms the head of the East Rongbuk Glacier. When climbers attempt to climb Everest via the North ridge (Tibet), the first camp on the mountain itself is established on the North Col. From this point at approximately 7,020 metres above sea level, climbers ascend the North Ridge to reach a series of progressively higher camps along the North Face of Everest. Climbers make their final push to the summit from Camp VI at 8,230 metres altitude. The North Col was first climbed by George Mallory, Edward Oliver Wheeler, and Guy Bullock on 23 September 1921, during the British reconnaissance expedition. This was the first time a Westerner had set foot on Mount Everest. Although long credited to Mallory, discovery of the North Col was in fact made by Wheeler about a week before Mallory confirmed its existence while searching for possible routes to the summit of Mount Everest. All subsequent expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s attempted to reach the summit of Everest by using the North Col. Before 1950, most Everest expeditions went from Tibet and via the North Col, but most now go from Nepal via the South Col. In 1951, two mountaineers on the 1952 British Cho Oyu expedition, reached the North Col.

NORTH COL

The Khumbu Glacier is one that forms the icefall and moves at such speed that large crevasses open with little warning, and the large towers of ice (called seracs) found at the icefall have been known to collapse suddenly. Huge blocks of ice tumble down the glacier from time to time, their sizes ranging from that of cars to large houses. It is estimated that the glacier advances 0.9 to 1.2 m down the mountain every day. Most climbers try to cross the icefall during the very early morning, before sunrise, when it has partially frozen during the night and is less able to move. As the intense sunlight warms the area, the friction between the ice structure lessens and increases the chances of crevasses opening or blocks of snow and ice falling. The most dangerous time to cross the Khumbu Icefall is generally mid- to late-afternoon. Strong, acclimatized climbers can ascend the icefall in a few hours, while climbers going through it for the first time, or lacking acclimatization or experience, tend to make the journey in 10–12 hours. “Camp I” on Everest’s South Col route is typically slightly beyond the top of the Khumbu Icefall. On occasion, a climber will experience a large block of ice crashing down in their vicinity. The resulting blast of displaced air and snow can result in a “dusting” (the depositing of a billowing cloud of light ice and snow on the climber).

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The Himalayan range is one of the youngest mountain ranges on the planet and consists mostly of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rock.

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The Himalayas, or Himalaya, is a mountain range in South and East Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has many of Earth’s highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest, at the border between Nepal and China. The Himalayas include over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200m in elevation, including ten of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks. By contrast, the highest peak outside Asia (Aconcagua, in the Andes) is 6,961 m Aerial photograph of the Himalayas, Ladakh 02 Lifted by the subduction of the Indian tectonic plate under the Eurasian Plate, the Himalayan mountain range runs west-northwest to east-southeast in an arc 2,400 km long. Its western anchor, Nanga Parbat, lies just south of the northernmost bend of the Indus river. Its eastern anchor, Namcha Barwa, is just west of the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (upper stream of the Brahmaputra River). The Himalayan range is bordered on the northwest by the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush ranges. To the north, the chain is separated from the Tibetan Plateau by a 50–60 km wide tectonic valley called the Indus-Tsangpo Suture. Towards the south, the arc of the Himalaya is ringed by the very low Indo-Gangetic Plain.[4] The range varies in width from 350 km in the west (Pakistan) to 150 km in the east (Arunachal Pradesh). The Himalayas are inhabited by 52.7 million people, and are spread across five countries: Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The Hindu Kush range in Afghanistan and Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar are normally not included, but they are both (with the addition of Bangladesh) part of the greater Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) river system. They are now known as the “Himalaya Mountains”, usually shortened to the “Himalayas”. They were described in the singular as the Himalaya and rendered as Himavan in older writings. T The Himalayas consist of parallel mountain ranges: the Sivalik Hills on the south; the Lower Himalayan Range; the Great Himalayas, which is the highest and central range; and the Tibetan Himalayas on the north.

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Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world at 8,516 metres, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. Part of the Everest massif, Lhotse is connected to the latter peak via the South Col. Lhotse means “South Peak” in Tibetan. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, the mountain comprises the smaller peaks Lhotse Middle at 8,414 m, and Lhotse Shar at 8,383 m. The summit is on the border between Tibet of China and the Khumbu region of Nepal. The main summit of Lhotse was first climbed on 18 May 1956, by the Swiss team of Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger from the Swiss Mount Everest/Lhotse Expedition.

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Hkakabo Razi is believed to be Myanmar’s highest mountain, and with its height of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft) the probable highest mountain in South East Asia. It is located in the northern Myanmar state of Kachin in an outlying subrange of the Greater Himalayan mountain system near the border tripoint with India and China. Its highest status has recently been challenged by Gamlang Razi (5870 m), located about 6.6 kilometers WSW on the Chinese border. is believed to be Myanmar’s highest mountain, and with its height of 5,881 metres the probable highest mountain in South East Asia.

Hkbabo Razi

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HKAKABO RAZI 5.881M 904M EA+ 1996 KACHIN, MYANMAR

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MOUNTAIN LHOTSE ALTITUDE 8.516M PROMINENCE 610M DIFFICULTY EA+++ FIRST SUMMIT 1956 ROUTES NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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Mount Everest (Tibetan: Chomolungma) is Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point.[5] Its elevation (snow height) of 8,848.86 m was most recently established in 2020 by the Nepali and Chinese authorities. Mount Everest attracts many climbers, some of them highly experienced mountaineers. There are two main climbing routes, one approaching the summit from the southeast in Nepal (known as the “standard route”) and the other from the north in Tibet.

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MOUNTAIN EVEREST ALTITUDE 8.849M PROMINENCE 8.848M DIFFICULTY EA+++ FIRST SUMMIT 1953 ROUTES NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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K2 8.611M 4.020M EAA++ 1954 SKARDU

Karakoram 2 (K2)

K2, at 8,611 metres above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest at 8,848 metres. It is located on the China–Pakistan border between Baltistan in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and Dafdar Township in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram mountain range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain after George Bell, a climber on the 1953 American Expedition, told reporters “It’s a savage mountain that tries to kill you.” Of the five highest mountains in the world, K2 is the deadliest; approximately one person dies on the mountain for every four summit.

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Changtse (‘north peak’) is a mountain situated between the Main Rongbuk and East Rongbuk Glaciers in Tibet Autonomous Region, China, immediately north of Mount Everest. It is connected to Mount Everest via the North Col. The given elevation of 7,543 metres is from modern Chinese mapping. Some authorities give 7,583 metres. The Changtse Glacier flows north into the East Rongbuk Glacier. It is possible that the third highest lake in the world[2] is in the Changtse Glacier at 6,216 metres.

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Cho Oyu is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at 8,188 metres above sea level. Cho Oyu means “Turquoise Goddess” in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the Khumbu subsection of the Mahalangur Himalaya 20 km west of Mount Everest. The mountain stands on the China–Nepal border. Just a few kilometres west of Cho Oyu is Nangpa La, a glaciated pass that serves as the main trading route between the Tibetans and the Khumbu’s Sherpas. This pass separates the Khumbu and Rolwaling Himalayas.

Cho Oyu I

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MOUNTAIN CHO OYU ALTITUDE 8.220M PROMINENCE 8.835M DIFFICULTY EA+++ FIRST SUMMIT 1953 ROUTES NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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MOUNTAIN CHANGTSE ALTITUDE 7.543M PROMINENCE 900M DIFFICULTY EA+ FIRST SUMMIT 1982 ROUTES NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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Ama Dablam

Ama Dablam is a mountain in the eastern Himalayan range of Province No. 1, Nepal. The main peak is 6,812 metres the lower western peak is 6,170 metres. Ama Dablam means “Mother’s necklace”; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (ama) protecting her child, and the hanging glacier thought of as the dablam, the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women. For several days, Ama Dablam dominates the eastern sky for anyone trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp. For its soaring ridges and steep faces Ama Dablam is sometimes referred as the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas.”

MOUNTAIN AMA DABLAM ALTITUDE 6.812M PROMINENCE 1.041M DIFFICULTY EA+ FIRST SUMMIT 1961 ROUTES NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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Manaslu I

Manaslu also known as Kutang) is the eighth-highest mountain in the world at 8,163 metres above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. The name Manaslu means “mountain of the spirit” and is derived from the Sanskrit word manasa, meaning “intellect” or “soul”. Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956 by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. It is said that, given the many unsuccessful attempts by the British to climb Everest before Edmund Hilary, “just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain”.

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MOUNTAIN MANASLU ALTITUDE 8.163 M PROMINENCE 3.092 M DIFFICULTY EA+++ FIRST SUMMIT 1953 ROUTES NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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Annapurna is a massif in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes one peak over 8,000 metres thirteen peaks over 7,000 metres, and sixteen more over 6,000 metres Historically, the Annapurna peaks have been among the world’s most treacherous mountains to climb with the particular case of the extremely steep south face of Annapurna I Main - a wall of rock that rises 3,000 meters, making it one of the most difficult climbs in the world. By March 2012, there had been 191 summit ascents of Annapurna I Main, and 61 climbing fatalities on the mountain.This fatality-tosummit ratio is the highest of any of the eight-thousanders.

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Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at 8,485 metres. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas 19 km southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and Tibet Autonomous Region, China. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolated peak whose shape is a four-sided pyramid. Makalu has two notable subsidiary peaks. Kangchungtse, or Makalu II (7,678 m) lies about 3 kilometres north-northwest of the main summit. Rising about 5 km north-northeast of the main summit across a broad plateau, and connected to Kangchungtse by a narrow, 7,200 m saddle, is Chomo Lonzo (7,804 m).

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Kanchenjunga

Kangchenjunga, also spelled Kanchenjunga, is the third highest mountain in the world. It rises with an elevation of 8,586 m in a section of the Himalayas called Kangchenjunga Himal delimited in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak Chu and Jongsang La, and in the east by the Teesta River. It lies between Nepal and Sikkim, India, with three of the five peaks (Main, Central, and South) directly on the border,[4] and the remaining two (West and Kangbachen) in Nepal’s Taplejung District. Until 1852, Kangchenjunga was assumed to be the highest mountain in the world, but calculations based on various readings and measurements made by the Great Trigonometrical Survey.

MOUNTAIN KANCHENJUNGA ALTITUDE 8.586M PROMINENCE 3.922 M DIFFICULTY EA++ FIRST SUMMIT 1955 ROUTES SIKKIM

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NANGA PARBAT 8.126M 4.608M EA++ 1953 NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat, known locally as Diamer is the ninth-highest mountain in the world at 8,126 metres above sea level. Located in the Diamer District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, Nanga Parbat is the western anchor of the Himalayas. The name Nanga Parbat is derived from the Sanskrit words nagna and parvata, which, when combined, translate to “Naked Mountain”. The mountain is known locally by its Tibetan name Diamer or Deo Mir, meaning “huge mountain”. Nanga Parbat is one of the 14 eight-thousanders. Nanga Parbat is known to be a difficult climb, and has earned the nickname Killer Mountain for its high number of climber fatalities.

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MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE PROMINENCE DIFFICULTY FIRST SUMMIT ROUTES

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Shishapangma, also called Gosainthān, is the 14th highest mountain in the world at 8,027 metres above sea level. It was the last 8,000 metre peak to be climbed, due to its location entirely within Tibet and the restrictions on visits by foreign travelers to the region imposed by authorities of the Government of China and of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Geologist Toni Hagen explained the name as meaning a “grassy plain” or “meadow” (pangma) above a “comb” or a “range” (shisha or chisa) in the local Tibetan dialect, thereby signifying the “crest above the grassy plains”. On the other hand, Tibetologist Guntram Hazod records a local story that explains the mountain’s name in terms of Standard Tibetan.

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Mount Kailash, is a 6,638m high peak in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains), which forms part of the Transhimalaya in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The mountain is located near Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal, close to the source of some of the longest Asian rivers: the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and Karnali also known as Ghaghara (a tributary of the Ganges) in India. Mount Kailash is considered to be sacred in four religions: Hinduism, Bon, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Kailash

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KALISH 8.834M 8.835M EA+++ 1953 TAR BASECAMP

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MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE PROMINENCE DIFFICULTY FIRST SUMMIT ROUTES

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Schisha Pangma

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SCHISHA PANGMA 8.013M 1.350M EA+ 1964 NEPAL/TAR BASECAMP

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MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE PROMINENCE DIFFICULTY FIRST SUMMIT ROUTES

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Gasherbrum I

Gasherbrum I, surveyed as K5 and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at 8,080 metres (26,510 ft) above sea level. It is located in Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya. Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean “Shining Wall”, presumably a reference to the highly visible face of the neighboring peak Gasherbrum IV; but in fact it comes from “rgasha” (beautiful) + “brum” (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means “beautiful mountain.”

MOUNTAIN GASHERBRUM I ALTITUDE 8.080M PROMINENCE 2.155M DIFFICULTY EA++ FIRST SUMMIT 1958 ROUTES KARAKORAM

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The Higher Himalaya, the backbone of the Himalayan mountains, is made up of 10-20 km-thick metamorphic rocks (schist and gneiss) and granites situated at altitudes of 3000 m to over 8000 m. These rocks are Proterozoic Cambrian age (2,000-500Ma) and belong to the continental crust of the Indian plate. 7000

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Soil Analysis SHIST ROCK

NAME TYPE ALTITUDE FAMILY CONSTITUENT

SHIST METAMORPHIC ROCK 3000-8000M LAMELLAR MINERALS BIOTITE-MUSCOVITE

Schist (pronounced SHIST) is a medium-grade metamorphic rock formed from mudstone or shale. Schist has medium to large, flat, sheet-like grains in a preferred orientation (nearby grains are roughly parallel). It is defined by having more than 50% platy and elongated minerals (such as micas or talc), often finely interleaved with quartz and feldspar. These lamellar (flat, planar) minerals include micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is produced. Schist is often garnetiferous. Schist forms at a higher temperature and has larger grains than phyllite. Geological foliation (metamorphic arrangement in layers) with medium to large grained flakes in a preferred sheetlike orientation is called schistosity. The names of various schists are derived from their mineral constituents. For example, schists primarily composed of biotite and muscovite are called mica schists. Most schists are mica schists, but graphite and chlorite schists are also common. Schists are also named for their prominent or perhaps unusual mineral constituents, as in the case of garnet schist, tourmaline schist, and glaucophane schist. The individual mineral grains in schist, drawn out into flaky scales by heat and pressure, can be seen with the naked eye. Schist is characteristically foliated, meaning that the individual mineral grains split off easily into flakes or slabs. The word schist is derived ultimately from the Greek word meaning “to split”, which is a reference to the ease with which schists can be split along the plane in which the platy minerals lie. Most schists are derived from clays and muds that have passed through a series of metamorphic processes involving the production of shales, slates and phyllites as intermediate steps. Certain schists are derived from fine-grained igneous rocks such as basalts and tuffs. During metamorphism, rocks which were originally sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic are converted into schists and gneisses. If the composition of the rocks was originally similar, they may be very difficult to distinguish from one another if the metamorphism has been great. A quartz-porphyry, for example, and a fine grained feldspathic sandstone, may both be converted into a grey or pink mica-schist. Usually, however, it is possible to distinguish between sedimentary and igneous schists and gneisses. If, for example, the whole district occupied by these rocks has traces of bedding, clastic structure, or unconformability, then it may be a sign that the original rock was sedimentary. In other cases intrusive junctions, chilled edges, contact alteration or porphyritic structure may prove that in its original condition a metamorphic gneiss was an igneous rock.

GRAY GRANITE

NAME TYPE ALTITUDE FAMILY CONSTITUENT

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GRAY GRANITE IGNEOUS ROCK 3000-8000M GRAINED MINERAL BIOTITE-MUSCOVITE

Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly solidifies underground. It is common in the Earth’s continental crust, where it is found in various kinds of igneous intrusions. These range in size from dikes only a few inches across to batholiths exposed over hundreds of square kilometers. Granite is typical of a larger family of granitic rocks that are composed mostly of coarse-grained quartz and feldspars in varying proportions. These rocks are classified by the relative percentages of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase (the

01. Previous Page, Gray Granite, 02. On the right, Shist Rock 3D renders of the main rock

costituents of the Himalayan range that define the higher Himalayan backbone: a 20/30km high range of rock.

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8000 QAPF classification), with true granite representing granitic rocks rich in quartz and alkali feldspar. Most granitic rocks also contain mica or amphibole minerals, though a few (known as leucogranites) contain almost no dark minerals. Granite is nearly always massive (lacking any internal structures), hard, and tough. These properties have made granite a widespread construction stone throughout human history. The word “granite” comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a completely crystalline rock. Granitic rocks mainly consist of feldspar, quartz, mica, and amphibole minerals, which form an interlocking, somewhat equigranular matrix of feldspar and quartz with scattered darker biotite mica and amphibole (often hornblende) peppering the lighter color minerals. Occasionally some individual crystals (phenocrysts) are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic texture is known as a granite porphyry. Granitoid is a general, descriptive field term for lighter-colored, coarsegrained igneous rocks. Petrographic examination is required for identification of specific types of granitoids. Granites can be predominantly white, pink, or gray in color, depending on their mineralogy. The alkali feldspar in granites is typically orthoclase or microcline and is often perthi The plagioclase is typically sodium-rich oligoclase. Phenocrysts are usually alkali feldspar. Granitic rocks are classified according to the QAPF diagram for coarse grained plutonic rocks and are named according to the percentage of quartz, alkali feldspar (orthoclase, sanidine, or microcline) and plagioclase feldspar on the A-Q-P half of the diagram. True granite (according to modern petrologic convention) contains between 20% and 60% quartz by volume, with 35% to 90% of the total feldspar consisting of alkali feldspar. Granitic rocks poorer in quartz are classified as syenites or monzonites, while granitic rocks dominated by plagioclase are classified as granodiorites or tonalites. Granitic rocks with over 90% alkali feldspar are classified as alkali feldspar granites. Granitic rock with more than 60% quartz, which is uncommon, is classified simply as quartz-rich granitoid or, if composed almost entirely of quartz, as quartzolite. True granites are further classified by the percentage of their total feldspar that is alkali feldspar. Granites whose feldspar is 65% to 90% alkali feldspar are syenogranites, while the feldspar in monzogranite is 35% to 65% alkali feldspar.A granite containing both muscovite and biotite micas is called a binary or two-mica granite. Two-mica granites are typically high in potassium and low in plagioclase, and are usually S-type granites or A-type granites, as described below. Another aspect of granite classification is the ratios of various metals that potentially form feldspars. Most granites have a composition such that almost all their aluminum and alkali metals (sodium and potassium) are combined as feldspar. Such granites are described as normal or metaluminous. Granites in which there is not enough aluminum to combine with all the alkali oxides as feldspar are described as peralkaline. Granitic rocks mainly consist of feldspar, quartz, mica, and amphibole minerals, which form an interlocking, somewhat equigranular matrix of feldspar and quartz with scattered.

GNEISS ROCK

NAME TYPE ALTITUDE FAMILY CONSTITUENT

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GNEISS METAMORPHIC ROCK 3000-8000M LAMELLAR MINERALS BIOTITE-MUSCOVITE

Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. Gneiss is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Orthogneiss is gneiss derived from igneous rock (such as granite). Paragneiss is gneiss derived from sedimentary rock (such as sandstone). Gneiss forms at higher temperatures and pressures than schist. Gneiss nearly always shows a banded texture characterized by alternating darker and lighter colored bands and without a distinct foliation. The word gneiss has been used in English since at least 1757. It is borrowed from the German word Gneis, formerly also spelled Gneiss, which is probably derived from the Middle High German noun gneist “spark” (so called because the rock glitters). Gneiss is formed from sedimentary or igneous rock exposed to temperatures greater than 320 °C and relatively high pressure.

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Metamorphic rocks make up a large part of the Earth’s crust and form 12% of the Earth’s land surface.[2] They are classified by texture and by chemical and mineral assemblage (metamorphic facies). They may be formed simply by being deep beneath the Earth’s surface, subjected to high temperatures and the great pressure of the rock layers above it. They can form from tectonic processes such as continental collisions, which cause horizontal pressure, friction and distortion. They are also formed when rock is heated by the intrusion of hot molten rock called magma from the Earth’s interior. NAME TYPE ALTITUDE FAMILY CONSTITUENT

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INTRUSIVE ROCK METAMORPHIC ROCK 3000-8000M GRAINED MINERAL BIOTITE-MUSCOVITE

Intrusive rock is formed when magma penetrates existing rock, crystallizes, and solidifies underground to form intrusions, such as batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, and volcanic necks. Intrusion is one of the two ways igneous rock can form. The other is extrusion, such as a volcanic eruption or similar event. An intrusion is any body of intrusive igneous rock, formed from magma that cools and solidifies within the crust of the planet. In contrast, an extrusion consists of extrusive rock, formed above the surface of the crust. Some geologists use the term plutonic rock synonymously with intrusive rock, but other geologists subdivide intrusive rock, by crystal size, into coarse-grained plutonic rock.

NAME TYPE ALTITUDE FAMILY CONSTITUENT

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GRAY GRANITE IGNEOUS ROCK 3000-8000M GRAINED MINERAL BIOTITE-MUSCOVITE

SEDIMENTARY ROCK METAMORPHIC ROCK 3000-8000M GRAINED MINERAL BIOTITE-MUSCOVITE

Sedimentary rocks are formed by the accumulation of sediments. There are three basic types of sedimentary rocks. Clastic sedimentary rocks form from the accumulation and lithification of mechanical weathering debris. Examples include: breccia, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Chemical sedimentary rocks form when dissolved materials preciptate from solution. Examples include: chert, some dolomites, flint, iron ore, limestones, and rock salt. Organic sedimentary rocks form from the accumulation of plant or animal debris. Examples include: chalk, coal, diatomite, some dolomites, and some limestones. Photos and brief descriptions of some common sedimentary rock types are shown on this page.

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With the right tools a man knows no limits.

An accurate and extensive analysis of all the necessary gear, equipment and tools required to be able to face up to the specific challenges offered by each geographic area analyzed in this guide book. Sport related techniqeus and other possibly useful informations are also illustrated in this section in order to give to the reader a broad and complete set of notions that will support him/her during his explorations.

The Himalayan range presents harsh and extreme weather conditions. Together with a solid physical preparation, every mountaineer willing to explore this area, must have an extensive familiarity with all the gear required to engage with such an hostile and dangerous. environment in order to succeed in his exploration attempts.

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PETZEL NORTH CARABINER PETZEL CHARLET THERMO REACTIV ORTOVOX AVA BAG MAMMUT SHELL POISK OXYGEN GARMIN XC10 NORTH FACE SHIELD

CARABINER CRAMPONS SKY GOGGLES AVA. BACKPACK HELMET OXYGEN CAN SATELLITE GPS GLOVES

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NORTH FACE TUNDRA

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D. SLEEPING BAG

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LA SCARPA 8K PHANTOM

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ALTITUDE BOOTS

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NORTH FACE HIMALAYAN

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DOWN SUIT

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NORTH FACE GEODOME

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GEODESIC TENT

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TOOLS

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Do not underestimate the Himalayas. Due to the altitude and the terrain, they are some of the toughest mountains in the world to trek. Before even considering a trek in this part of the world you need to be fit, and have been exercising regularly in preparation. If you have not exercised for a long time or are overweight you will need to see a doctor for advice before booking the trip. By going to the Himalayas having not exercised you are potentially putting yourself and others at risk. It is advisable not to walk or trek in the mountains alone, but to join a reputable group or get some recommended guides. There have been reports of trekkers being robbed in the Annapurna Foothills who have been alone, and in some villages there are Maoist influences. If you fall or injure yourself you are vulnerable alone. Make sure you have the right kit. On treks porters carry a lot of the gear, and there are now legal restrictions on the loads. Your kit needs to weigh around 9kg and has to include boots, warm weather clothing, rain gear, a fleece and down jacket, sleeping bag, sun cream, sun hat, basic medical kit and water. You will also need a torch and whistle. If you are flying to Nepal, wear your boots on the way out because if your luggage goes missing most of it can be replaced in Kathmandu, but a pair of well broken in walking boots is essential. A trekking group has the head sherpa or sirdar in charge. He or she sets the pace for the day, organises the other sherpas who are guides, cooks, or porters and their world is final.

Overview

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Ice Axe

बरफ कुलह् ाडी /trans. “ice axe”

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pronounce “Barapha”

An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve frozen conditions with snow or ice. An ice axe can be held and employed in a number of different ways, depending on the terrain encountered. In its simplest role, the ice axe is used like a walking stick in the uphill hand, the mountaineer holding the head in the center. It can also be buried pick down, the rope tied around the shaft to form a secure anchor on which to bring up a second climber, or buried vertically to form a stomp belay. The adze is used to cut footsteps (sometimes known as pigeon holes if used straight on), as well as scoop/bucket seats in the hillside and trenches to bury an ice axe belay.The long-handled alpenstock was a predecessor to the modern ice axe. An ice axe is not only used as an aid to climbing, but also as a means of self-arrest in the event of a downhill slip. Most ice axes meet design and manufacturing standards of organizations such as the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme (UIAA) or European Committee for Standardization (CEN). There are two classifications of ice axe, Basic (B/Type 1) and Technical (T/Type 2). Basic ice axes are designed for use in snow conditions for general mountaineering, and are adequate for basic support and self-arrest. Technical ice axes, which may have curved shafts, are strong enough to be used for steep or vertical ice climbing and belaying on such ground. Ice Axes also differ by their different picks which can be of three different categories: negative, neutral, positive. This theme is discussed in the technical analysis in the next page. Positive picks are precisely designed for dry-tooling climbing.

ADZE

HEAD

Its edge is either circularly convex or curved (non-convex). Convex edge is better for soft snow, non-convex for hard to icy snow. Sometimes adze is fitted with holes, which serve both to clip carabiners to the axe, but sometimes are made by the manufacturer to lower the general weight of the axe.

This component was initially a single block, hot-forged by hand. Subsequently, to reduce production costs, manufacturers offered ice axe heads made from the assembly of several parts, which also meant the picks could be removed.

PICK The shape of the pick (and of its teeth) is critical. For ice climbing, a good pick is one slim enough to penetrate easily without shattering the ice. The teeth are bevelled to facilitate removal from the ice. Newly bought picks are not always optimal. It is up to you to adapt them to your use (see paragraph on preparation). Dry tooling picks often have teeth on the pick, close to the shaft.

SPIKE The spike on a technical ice tool is used much less than one on a basic ice axe. Their small size, curved shaft and pick make technical ice tools unfit for more basic use. Technical ice tools therefore come with range of different extras: a real spike, a small metallic spur with a notch, or nothing at all. A spike is nonetheless useful on mountaineering routes. Technical ice tools therefore come with range of different extras: a real spike, a small metallic spur with a notch, or nothing at all.

SHAFT Ice axe shafts were traditionally made of wood. As minimum standards were set for ice axes used as progression tools and their shaft as a belay tool, manufacturers favoured tubular profiles in aluminium alloy over wood.

SHAFT Technical ice tools come with range of different extras: handles, a real spike, a small metallic spur with a notch, or nothing at all. A spike is nonetheless useful on mountaineering routes. Handles can enter in three different categories as the axes in which they are employed: dry tooling, climbing, regular snow. Dry tooling picks often have teeth on the pick, close to the shaft. s minimum standards were set for ice axes used as progression tools and their shaft as a belay tool.

Adze

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01. Ice Axe Classification There are different typologies of ice axes. In this scheme you will

02. Entheos II, Technical Ice Axe The ENTHEOS II Ice Axe features excellent weight

find listed the main features common to all different ice axe categories regardless of their specific use.

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distribution, handling and stability, ideal for ice climbing and mixed terrain. With its high performance, it won the 2011 Asia Outdoor Industry Award.

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TYPOLOGIES The antecedent of the ice axe was the alpenstock, a long wooden pole with an iron spike tip, used by shepherds for travel on snowfields and glaciers in the Alps since the Middle Ages. On 8 August 1786, Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard made the first ascent of Mont Blanc. Balmat, a chamois hunter and crystal collector, had experience with high mountain travel, and Paccard had made previous attempts to climb the peak. Illustrations show Balmat carrying two separate tools that would later be merged into the ice axe – an alpenstock (or baton) and a small axe that could be used to chop steps on icy slopes. According to the earliest manufacturer of ice axes, Grivel, these two tools were merged to create the first true ice axe around 1840. Early ice axes had a vertical adze, with the cutting edge aligned with the direction of the shaft, as in a conventional axe. This design lasted until at least 1860, but eventually the adze was rotated to the current position, perpendicular to the direction of the shaft. The Italian Alpine Club published a book in 1889 entitled Fiorio e Ratti – The dangers of mountaineering and rules to avoid them, which recommended ice axes as among “the inseparable companions of the mountaineer”. In the late 19th century, the typical ice axe shaft measured 120–130 cm in length. British climber Oscar Eckenstein started the trend toward shorter ice axes with a lighter model measuring 85–86 cm. Initially, this innovation was criticized by well-known climbers of the era, including Martin Conway, a prominent member of the Alpine Club, who was the leader of an early expedition to the Baltoro region near K2 in 1892 of which Eckenstein was a member.

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Early ice axes had picks and adzes of about equal lengths. By the beginning of the 20th century, the pick lengthened to about twice the length of the adze. Improvements in crampon design (pioneered by Eckenstein in 1908) and ice climbing technique led to use of shorter, lighter ice axes appropriate to steeper ice climbs in the period between the world wars.

How an ice axe is prepared depends on its use. Ice climbing requires sharpened picks, while mixed climbing and dry tooling require more durable picks. Picks come in different shapes and thickness and can be manufactured differently cutting, forging. If you regularly ice climb as well as mixed climb or dry tool, it is worth having the two different types of picks and keeping a dedicated set for each climbing style. If the manufacturer offers only one type of pick, it is still preferable to have several pairs of picks according to their use. Tooling, classic and climbing ice axes must be carefully selected depening on objectives. PICK CATEGORIES

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a) The negative tip is dull by its nature, so it is good for summer high altitude hiking, when we use axe for pounding on the rocks and tufts of grass and when we only sometimes and occasionally overcome small snowfields, where there is no danger of longer fall on the snow, and we rather want to use the axe for support and as something to hold unto. If we wanted to use negative tip of the axe for braking on a slope with a very hard, icy surface, we need to realize, that during properly conducted braking with the axe we lift the lower part of the shaft upward, which makes the negative tip diverted from the surface and the tip then basically acts as a skate, it does not sink but slips. Therefore this kind of tip is not suitable for hard snow and ice. b) Neutral tip of the pick is sort of a compromise; it is a universal tip of the pick for every season of the year. In short, this tip is without advantages or disadvantages. c) Positive tip of the pick is thanks to its pointed shape good for a hard icy snow, or even for easy climbing sections on ice. It is good primarily for winter hikes. But this tip dulls very quickly upon impacting of the rock.

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CLIMBING

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03. Ice Axe Categories There are three main different typologies of ice axes varying

a. NEGATIVE

b. NEUTRAL

Good for high altitude hiking

Versatile and useful for mild conditions

depending the type of use the climber will need to perform and on the surface they will engage with.

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c. POSITIVE Perfect for icy snow or easy ice climbs

Geodesic Tent

पहाडी पाल /trans. “tent”

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pronounce “Pahadi Pala”

Previously only available in Japan and Korea, the Geodome 4 Tent is now available worldwide. The innovative construction reflects the first geodesic tent North Face designed in 1975 based on the design principles of noted architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller. More than 40 years later, the signature dome design still holds up. Built to expedition standards with five main poles and a single equator pole, the assembled tent creates a roomy interior that comfortably sleeps four and leaves room to stand. The dual layer water-resistant exterior is crafted to weather the elements and endure winds up to 60 mph. The extremely efficient design has allowed the tent to weigh not much more than 11kg and comprise of 5 main poles and the equator for fast and easy assembly and storage. The outdoor gear company has also considered a water-resistant dual-layered exterior skin for their incredibly strong and sturdy tent to endure whatever mother nature has to throw at it. The 230x210cm interior of the tent offers much more space than its similarly sized competitors, the shelter easily provides room for four people to sleep with copious amounts left over for storage, including internal hangers. The world’s first tensegrity structured tent was supervised by an exceptional inventor, Richard Buckminster Fuller, or otherwise known as “the 20th Century’s Leonardo da Vinci.” The dome is adding a brand new history of the invention after 43 years of continuous evolution. Setting the ceiling higher has enabled a living space spacious enough to work while standing. Along with the newly implemented unique design, which is often associated with a spaceship, the addition of other functions, including but not limited to, the wire reinforcement which ensures wind resistant has been added. With Geodome 4, people will experience a perfect environment to enjoy the landscape like no one has ever experienced before. It is the dawn of a new era of outdoor activity. Built to expedition standards with five main poles and a single equator pole, the assembled tent creates a roomy interior that comfortably sleeps four and leaves room to stand. Built to expedition standards with five main poles and a single equator pole, the assembled tent creates a roomy interior that comfortably sleeps four and leaves room to stand.

04. Geodome 4 - North Face This iconic tent was designed in the 20th century by Richard

05. Geodome 4 - Technical Drawings The tent strenght and resistance to extreme conditions

Buckminster Fuller known as the 20th century Leonardo Da Vinci. The tent is built to withstand extreme conditions and strong winds.

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is defined by its structure, based on rigorous geometric shapes based on the geodesic shape.

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Down Vest

पहाड भेषट्

/trans. “himalaya” pronounce “Pahāda bhēsa”

Once upon a time down suits didn’t exist and now they are considered an essential piece of clothing in the high altitude wardrobe. Don Whillans and Pete Hutchinson designed and tested the first suits way back in the 50s – Don, a plumber by trade, wanted a boiler suit full of feathers and Pete, who used to make his own gear, was the man who knew how to make it. In the great scheme of things, the concept hasn’t changed a great deal since. Materials have become lighter, down warmer, features more functional – but it is still essentially a two layer boiler suit stuffed with feathers. When you are venturing to the coldest extreme environments of the highest altitudes or the lowest latitudes then a down suit, or a down jacket and down salopette combination, is absolutely essential. Suits are not quite as versatile as the jacket/salopettes combination but the single suit weighs less than the combined items and takes up less space. If you envisage always needing to be togged up then you may well want to have a suit, whereas if you envisage sometimes wanting the benefit of a jacket, whilst not necessarily needing the warmth of the salopettes, then the combination may be the choice. It goes without saying that if you are looking at a jacket/salopettes combination, that there needs to be a decent overlap to prevent a draught or any cold spots. These suits are so specialised, and shops tend to only stock one or two brands, that there isn’t anywhere that you can go and try on all of them. To that end you, the consumer, are being given the choice of the two suits that are in store which I believe is called a False Dilemma (Hobson’s Choice is when there is one option, a False Dilemma is when you are given only two options when in actual fact others also exist). If this is your first purchase, and the shop staff don’t have any altitude experience for you to call upon, then you won’t know what questions to ask or, indeed, whether the answers are relevant. When you bear in mind that you are wearing this gear to enable you to live, move and function in a pretty harsh environment then they have got to live up to the highest standards. Yes you want to be warm, but your gear has to be functional and usable whilst in windy, frozen, icy conditions and you need to be able to operate toggles and zippers and access pockets without having to remove your gloves and mitts. ds to be a decent overlap to prevent a draught or any cold spots. These suits are so specialised, and shops tend to only stock one or two brands.

FIT

HOOD

Suits now come with internal braces as standard which improves the fit and means that the top can be stripped off and worn wrapped around the waist when you are too hot. The internal braces should be detachable from their front attachment loops so that, if you have inadvertently step through one of the straps and only discover this as you are pulling the top up, then you don’t have to strip right back down again.

What you definitely needis an easily adjustable hood to accommodate a helmet when wearing one or that can be cinched down when not. It also needs to be easy to adjust and not leave long tails of elastic flying around and popping you in the face. It could be cause of concerne, if detachable, that it could start to come undone in the windiest conditions, particularly if it hadn’t quite been zipped back on fully.

POCKETS

TOILET

You need a decent number of internal and external pockets – enough so that once you set off on summit day you probably won’t be reaching in to your rucksack (which is harder than it sounds when you are all togged up and attached to your oxygen supply). So snacks, water, spare glasses, (non freezing) sun cream, camera etc all need to be stowed and accessible. You can’t have too many pockets but some pockets work better than others. Steer clear velcro pockets because they ice.

Some suits feature a rainbow or drop seat for toilet access and others have a vertical zipper that undoes all the way round to the coccyx. It’s for you to decide which is your favoured method. One of the suits had neither! This relied on opening the thigh zipper and pulling the material across to then allow access. But when you are then trying to extricate yourself from your longjohns the opening keeps shutting and will be a regular pain in the butt (no pun intended).

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06. North Face - Himalayan Suit The Himalayan suit by North Face is one of the most

performing down suit on the market. It easily withstand temperatures dropping to -30°C degress. It represents the pinnacle of fabric engineering.

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Altitude Boots

जुतत् ा /trans. “boots”

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pronounce “Jutta”

When it comes to high altitude climbing warmth is a big factor, given that most B1 or B2 boots all allow for crampons (click here a breakdown of boot categories), but I have found that I can easily maintain the flexibility and comfort of my alpine boot with added warmth by buying a neoprene outer. Forty Below and Berghaus make these and I find them very useful. They fit over any boot, they are waterproof and they add many degrees to the warmth of your feet. Forty Below is an Alaskan company and their products are popular with Denali climbers for obvious reasons. Some people even use them on 8000 metre peaks. Twenty years ago things seemed a bit simpler, climbers chose from a narrow range of leather trekking boots and generally a pair of ‘double mountain’ or plastic mountaineering boots. Nowadays there’s a boot for every type of terrain and altitude, and manufacturers are keen for us to buy more boots obviously. The choice is huge and confusing. There are some obvious criteria to consider when choosing high altitude boots, not least the highest altitude reached; obviously the higher you go, the warmer the boots need to be as the body becomes less able to warm itself. Clearly type of terrain is also important, as is the requirement for using crampons. Boots are expensive so another criteria would be future aspirations for using them on other mountains. Many hybrid boots cover a variety of criteria and can be used on anything from a Scottish winter climb to 7000 metres on Mount Aconcagua. If you are not sure what boot to buy and your aspirations are not to continue high altitude climbing then it’s probably best to rent. Rental boots however can be quite limited in range. It’s most likely the default boot will be a plastic boot like Koflach or Scarpa Vega which are perfectly acceptable but do take some getting used to. Some rental shops will rent out hybrid boots which are single boots, as in there is no inner and outer. It’s vital to make sure you have the right size, so take thick socks when you are trying them on and remember that your feet will swell at altitude and with exercise. For people going on a high altitude trip like Mount Aconcagua, Island Peak, Mount Elbrus and perhaps going to altitude for the first time, a rental option might be a good option to take. With neoprene outers though, you need to use crampons with a strap rather than a clip affair; the neoprene is like a huge sock, and the crampons will not clip in properly.

07. La Scarpa - Altitude Boots Altitude Boots are one the most important asset for every

08. La Scarpa - Altitudee Boots 02 Altitude boots represent only the external layer of different

climber. It is important to purchase the best item on the market because frostbite represents a very common and serious threats for climbers.

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Hybrid double boots like the Mons 8000 are a double boot that is great for 8000m peaks and a lot of people do use them on Denali and Vinson of course, but they are quite specialised boots with a relatively narrow range of uses. For warmth there’s not much in it, except the Scarpa 8000s which are much warmer; plastics use a special alveolite inner (for which you can buy a high altitude version that is worth doing if you plan to go to Denali), while hybrids are more breathable and they have a waterproof liner but slightly cooler in the early/late season. But of course you can add the neoprene outer boot as I said. Both boots allow for slight swelling in your foot at altitude but always buy half a size bigger and then bulk up with socks and thermal beds like Sorbothane make. I have previously put karrimat material in my plastics which has worked really well .

items used in order to avoid frostbite at high altitudes. Within its outer envelope multiple layers of different materials are inserted.

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Down Sleeping Bag

सुतन् े झोला /trans. “sleeping bag”

A basic sleeping bag will be rectangular or ‘envelope’ in shape with a zip around two sides. These are roomier than mummy sleeping bags and can be fully opened and used as a blanket. Rectangular sleeping bags are less effective at retaining heat than mummy bags and are best for indoor use, caravanning and summer camping. A mummy sleeping bag, such as the Microlite 1400, tapers towards the feet and is therefore more fitted than a regular rectangular bag improving heat retention. The hood of a mummy sleeping bag also helps keep in the warmth. A mummy sleeping bag also weighs less than a rectangular bag. Most mummy bags will be single but it is possible to buy left and right handed bags that can be zipped together to create a double bag. Our Microlite and Summit sleeping bags are good MAX. COMFORT TEMP. COMFORT TEMP. LOWER COMFORT EXTREME TEMPERATURE

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pronounce “Sutnē jhōlā”

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examples of this.The packed size and weight of the bag should also be taken into consideration. This is especially important if you plan to fit your sleeping bag into a backpack or will be carrying the bag long distances. The length of your sleeping bag should be taken into consideration when looking for the best one for you, regular sleeping bags from Mountain Warehouse are always 200 x 80 x 50cm and are usually better suited to individuals under 6ft. However, long length sleeping bags measure 220 x 80 x 50cm so may suit you better if you are over 6ft. Long length sleeping bags are available in both regular and mummy style sleeping bags including our Summit Sleeping Bags, Microlite Sleeping Bags and Traveller 50. Each of our sleeping bags has a tag either saying R (regular) or L (long). Extra Long Length Sleeping Bags are even larger measuring 230 x 105x 70cm, such as our Summit 250 XL Sleeping Bag. Double sleeping bags measure 193 x 137cm and are designed to be shared by two people. You can find double sleeping bags in both synthetic and down, such as a the Basecamp Double Sleeping Bag and Lightweight Down Double Sleeping Bag. A basic sleeping bag will be rectangular or ‘envelope’ in shape with a zip around two sides. These are roomier than mummy sleeping bags and can be fully opened and used as a blanket. Rectangular sleeping bags are less effective at retaining heat than mummy bags and are best for indoor use, caravanning and summer camping. A basic sleeping bag will be rectangular or ‘envelope’ in shape with a zip around two sides. Sleeping bag season ratings are designed to make it easier to choose your sleeping bag. Ratings range from season 1, designed for summer camping, to season 4, designed for cold winter nights.

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11. North Face Down Sleeping Bag The North Face’s down sleeping bag adopts some of

BAG + SHELL FROM 00° TO -30° (EXTREME TEMPERATURES)

BAG + SHELL + DOWN SUIT FROM -30° TO -59° (HIGH RISK TEMPERATURES)

that is normally fastened with velcro) covers the zip when the bag is fully zipped up helping to prevent the zip coming undone when asleep.Much of your body heat is lost through your head, a shaped hood will help keep in heat. A draw cord closure allows you to pull the hood tight against your face for added warmth. An insulated draft collar (at the base of the hood) helps to stop body heat escaping from the bag and keeps out the cold around neck and shoulders. Most draft collars will have an adjustable draw-cord to tighten if necessary. Normally found near the top of the bag. Handy for keeping valuables such as wallets and phones safely tucked away. Mummy sleeping bags will come with a stuff sack with a draw string closure. Unlike a rectangular bag that can be folded a mummy bag should simply be stuffed into its bag. Compression straps help reduce the size of the packed bag. Travel pillows are smaller and lighter than standard pillows, making them the ideal companion for any trip where space is limited. Sleeping bag liners are inserted inside your sleeping bag to provide an extra layer of warmth, improve hygiene and extend the life of the sleeping bag.

12. North Face Down Sleeping Bag 02It can withstand extremely low temperatures. If used on

the most advanced technologies developed for this typology of object. It can withstand extremely low temperatures.

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When choosing your sleeping bag, look out for the below features which will improve your comfort. Baffles are the compartments in the sleeping bag that hold the filling so it is evenly distributed. Fine nylon or polyester are the most common materials used for lining sleeping bags. Flannel or cotton are also popular for sleeping bag linings, although lightweight and breathable cotton traps moisture so isn’t recommended for cold conditions. Outer shells are commonly made of nylon-ripstop as it is highly durable. Dryloft is a water resistant, breathable fabric that is often used for sleeping bags. Sleeping bags are available with the zip opening on the right and left hand sides. To make it easier to unzip when you are in it choose a bag where the zip opening is the opposite side to your leading hand. If you are right handed choose a left bag and if you are left handed choose a right bag. A two-way zip is useful for easy opening when ventilation is required. Zips can be full length or just half way. Two-way zips can also be used to create a double sleeping bag if you buy two of the same style and zip both together. Heat can easily be lost through the zipped area of a sleeping bag, an insulated zip baffle (behind the zip) helps reduce heat loss.A zip cover (a piece of fabric

its own it can undergo temperatures down to -30°C degrees. If used with the Down vest it can go down to -60°C.

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Carabiner

आक्रमण

/trans. “carabiner” pronounce “Akramana”

There are a wide variety of carabiners available on the market, and each type has its pros and cons. Some carabiners are built for very specific uses, while others are geared toward general use. For both safety and efficiency, it is worthwhile to understand the subtle differences in order to choose the right carabiners for your climbing objectives. Locking carabiners should be used in any situation during which an open gate could lead to injury or system failure. The main benefit of a locking carabiner is that it can be trusted to keep the rope and other safety equipment safely inside its clutches, regardless of items pressing or banging against the carabiner. In certain circumstances, two locking carabiners facing opposite directions are preferred, especially when a lot of continued movement or usage is expected over time without inspection. For instance, climbers often double up on locking carabiners when walking on a rope team in mountaineering, as the movement of the rope can untwist a single locking carabiner over time. Each carabiner type comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Large carabiners more easily accept clove hitches, large diameter fixed lines, and large amounts of gear, but they are heavier, bulkier, and more difficult to clip into smaller spaces. Meanwhile, small carabiners can be clipped into small spaces, are super light, and take up very little space on a harness gear loop. However, the smallest carabiners don’t have enough space for clipping into with a clove hitch, and they can be hard to manipulate, even with bare hands. These are a little heavier than the other styles, but many come standard with a smooth, keylock nose to keep your carabiner from snagging.

SCREWGATE

AUTOLOCK

These are the gold standard of locking carabiners. Screwgate lockers are simple, lightweight, and easy to use. They are easily manipulated with a single gloved hand. Screwgate carabiners are the best choice for nearly all general climbing needs.**One helpful feature to look out for on some screwgate carabiners is a thick red line on the gate above the threads. This simple feature is intended to alert you that your carabiner is not locked.**

Once you master the opening mechanism, auto locking carabiners are fast and consistent. Most auto locking designs allow carabiners to be opened and closed in a fraction of the time it takes to do the same with a screwgate carabiner. The niche auto locking feature is especially useful when repeatedly clipping in and out of protection, ensuring your carabiner is locked each time it is moved.

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Carabiners are one of the most important pieces of gear when it comes to climbing. They play a large role in the force distribution of the physical system as the climber scales a route. For this reason, carabiners vary in both strength and size depending on the type of climb being done. The most

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ANTICROSS LOADING These locking carabiners have been specially designed for use with belay devices. Each has a normal gate opening with two ‘zones’ inside, separated by a small gate feature. The zonal separation traps the carabiner in place on your belay loop while belaying; this eliminates the possibility of the carabiner turning sideways into its most dangerous configuration, where it could be loaded along the gate at its horizontal axis.

Non-locking carabiners are lightweight and versatile and should be used in tandem with other carabiners when an open gate would not lead to injury or system failure. If locking carabiners are so great, why do we even bother with non-lockers? Non-locking carabiners are more efficient for quickly attaching things to our harness or attaching ourselves to climbing protection. They also have the benefit of generally being lighter-weight and lower volume, which is crucial for stacking lots of equipment onto a few small harness gear loops. Burliest of the non-lockers, solid gate carabiners are versatile and durable. These are a little heavier than the other styles, but many come standard with a smooth, keylock nose to keep your carabiner from snagging when clipping and unclipping. This is a good all around carabiner for general use, but wire gates tend to offer climbers more benefits. This is the gold standard of the non-lockers. Wire gates are lighter than their solid gate cousins, and there are numerous options to choose from. The very lightest of the bunch are plenty strong, but they tend to wear out a little quicker than heavier models. Wire gates are also less prone to freezing shut in cold, snowy conditions than solid gates.

1000 13. 3D locked carabiner render Depening on the typology of climbing and technical necessities the climber can

choose between three different typologies o carabiners: screwgates, autlocking carabiners and non-locking items, useful for their light weight and versatile use.

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क्रम्पन्स

/trans. “crampons” pronounce “Krampansa”

B3 BOOT

Crampons

A crampon is a traction device that is attached to footwear to improve mobility on snow and ice during ice climbing. Besides ice climbing, crampons are also used for secure travel on snow and ice, such as crossing glaciers, snowfields and icefields, ascending snow slopes, and scaling ice-covered rock. There are three main attachment systems for footwear: step-in, hybrid, and strap bindings. The first two require boots with welts, as a tension lever attaches the crampon to the heel. The last type (strap bindings) are more versatile and can adapt to virtually any boot or shoe, but often do not fit as precisely as the other two types. Oscar Eckenstein designed the first 10-point crampon in 1908, dramatically reducing the need for step cutting. This design was then made commercially available by the Italian Henry Grivel. Boots graded B0 are not suitable for use with crampons. The sole is not stiff enough to prevent them moving differently to the crampon with the result that the crampons will move around and may come off altogether. They are also not very stiff in their upper section and may not provide enough support to your ankle or enough rigidity to allow ‘edging’ of the boot in snow when not using crampons. Boots Graded B1 are suitable for use with strap-on C1 crampons for use on moderate snow and ice conditions. They have fairly stiff soles so that the crampon does not loosen or come off as the boot flexes during walking. They are also fairly stiff on the upper part so that they provide good ankle support and allow edging in the snow when not using crampons. They are however not so stiff that they are too uncomfortable to walk in off the snow. Boots Graded B2 are suitable for use with C1 or C2 crampons. C2 crampons have a clip lever at the back and therefore require the boot to have a protruding shelf at the heel for the end of the heel lever to engage with.

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14. Petzel Charlet Crampons Depending on the typology of terrain and boot used each

हिमाली चश्मा

/trans. “glasses” pronounce “Himali Cas”

When skiing or mountaineering, protecting your eyes against sunlight and glare from snow and ice is of paramount importance for the health of your eyes. Levels of ultraviolet radiation can be high even if it is cloudy, and too much UV exposure can lead to painful inflammation, called “snow blindness”, or increase the likelihood of developing cataracts.The terms “snowblind” and “snow blindness” have become popular because snow is highly reflective of ultraviolet radiation. In fact, snow can reflect more than 80 percent of the UV rays that fall upon it. Also, skiing, mountain climbing and snowboarding usually take place at relatively high altitudes, where the sun’s UV rays are stronger. Combined, these factors can double your risk of getting sunburned eyes, compared with being outdoors at lower altitudes in the summertime. Photochromic lenses adjust their colour and level of protection in response to changing UV levels. When it’s bright, they darken. When it’s dark, they get light. They are used in glasses and in goggles, and can be made from glass, plastic or polycarbonate. The lenses adapt to varied light exposure within a short space of time, with the exact duration depending on the make. Molecules embedded within the lens react to the exposure of UV rays. In a chemical reaction their composition changes and they darken. When UV radiation decreases the chemical reaction is reversed. In the mountains, the weather can change rapidly. It can be sunny, cloudy and misty in a short space of time. Instead of having to carry glasses of different specifications and having to change them with changing weather conditions, you wear just the one pair. Outdoor sports like climbing and skiing depend not just on our ability and experience, but also on weather conditions and suitable equipment. Even details such as your sunglasses or goggles matter. Significant doses of ultraviolet not only contributes to sunburn but also destructively affects living organisms. The consequences of excess radiation for a body are horrible. The victims experience sunburns, disruption of the retina and partial loss of vision known as the “snow blindness” among mountaineers and polar explorers. With the height, the intensity of solar radiation effect increases, because the ultraviolet in the mountains is especially harmful to humans. Note that each kilometer upward increases the intensity of radiation by 12%. However, it also depends on the surface, since some surfaces emit much more radiation than others. Let’s figure out which surfaces reflect the most amount of UV-radiation: snow and ice up to 80%; light sand up to 35%; water up to 20%.

15. Prizm Reactive Snowblindess when exposed for long period of times becomes a serious

climber will have to select a different typology of crampon, divded in three different categories: C1, C2, C3.

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Photocromic Lenses

threat for high altitude climber. Quality lenses are required when exploring the Himalayan range, expecially for long expeditions.

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Avalanche Backpack

ब्याकप्याक /trans. “backpack”

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pronounce “Byākapyāka”

There are many statistics showing that avalanche airbag packs have been helpful in many cases of avalanche accidents and burials. What the avalanche airbag does is called the “Brazil Nut Effect”, it creates a light and large mass (object) strapped to your body, which will help you to rise above through smaller and heavier particles during a snow slide. Avalanche airbag packs are only helpful in critical situations of avalanche slides, they in no way guarantee survival and they are not meant to be used as the only mean of protection, so you should always have all your avalanche safety equipment with you + helmet and protectors. Avalanche airbag cannot substitute extensive knowledge of terrain, snow and weather conditions or the help of your well-trained friends, who you actually should take with you on your powder day. If you are not sure about the equipment you should have with you, read our Avalanche Safety Equipment Guide to see if you have all you need in case of emergency. One can use avalanche airbag backpacks during various arts of skiing, ski touring, snowboarding, splitboarding or snowmobiling – freeride, backcountry, side-country, high alpine, heli or cat accessed riding, single or multiple-day touring. According to the applied use, you should decide on which kind, size and system is the best suitable for you. Arva avalanche packs are equipped with the Reactorsystem, Arva’s own inflation system. This system consists of an airbag with a total of 150 L capacity and a dual inflation system. The inflation system alone is very small and compact and weighs only 790g and can be taken out of the backpack and put into another which is compatible with the Reactor’s system. The inflation bag has two identical sides which are filled separately in case one side is damaged, there is still a possibility to inflate the non-damaged half of the airbag. The cylinders are made of steel or carbon and can hold up to 300 bars of internal pressure, these can also only be refilled by Arva, therefore they belong to the category of non-refillable cylinders. For the winter season of 2018, Arva offers backpacks with the reactor system in the following sizes: 18, 24 and 32 . Arva avalanche backpacks with reactor systems offer diagonal ski adjustment on the front side of the backpack. Additional equipment such as ice axes can be attached via multiple loops. JetForce is used by the outdoor brand Black Diamond. This system is special since the airbag is not filled through a deployment or a one-use cylinder. The trigger body is a battery powered fan which can inflate the 200 L bag in 3,5 seconds. Once the fan inflates the bag, it keeps on refilling it for about three minutes – which might be crucial if your airbag tears or punctures during an accident. After three minutes the fan switches off and deflates the airbag, which can create an airpocket in case of a burial or help with the packing of the airbag. This system is one of the more expensive ones, but you can train deployments or make sure your avalanche backpack works before going out in the powder every single time. Plus, thanks to the battery-powered fan, costs are minimal. The JetForce has a lithium-ion battery and can be very easily rechargeable, and is also very travel-friendly. One fully charged battery can deploy multiple times and is safe while used in down to -30 degrees Celsius. Mammut offers the airbag technology 3.0. This technology is lighter and more comfortable to wear and includes narrower straps for some of the backpacks and optimized hip belts. The 3.0 technology cannot be combined with older backpacks. Both systems have a 3 second inflation time and are safe to operate in temperatures up to -30 degrees

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16. Ortovox Compressed Air Can Many mountain air-bag systems work through the

In short, yes, they are very effective in increasing your chance of survival in an avalanche. But you have to pull the cord, so practice is a good idea. You want pulling the handle to be instinctive in an emergency.It’s tough to pin down exactly how effective they are in terms of reduced risk. This is one study that will give you some numbers. Here is an excellent write up by BCA on the subject. The bottom line: the number one risk factor when caught in an avalanche is asphyxiation (suffocation). Airbags are proven to help you stay on top of sliding debris and prevent you from getting trapped below. So, the risk of suffocation is minimized. Avalanche airbags also provide some head protection during an avalanche. Naturally, having a giant balloon up and around your head will provide a bit of collision prevention. Bonus.

17. Ortovox Compressed Air Can Most mountain backpack security system work through

implementation of re-usable compressed air can that in situation of necessity quickly inflate the backpack air-bag.

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Airbag

Trigger

the use of an inflation system, that when actived pumps a large quantity of air within the backpack’s air-bag.

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Airbags are proven to help you stay on top of sliding debris and prevent you from getting trapped below. So, the risk of suffocation is minimized.

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BCA Packs (like the BCA Float 32 in the photo above) and Ortovox (among others) packs use compressed air. When you pull the trigger, the compressed air is released and the airbag inflates rapidly. Canisters are usually good for one deployment and then have to be refilled. This can be done at a filling station or, depending on the model, by hand with a high pressure pump. Another downside to compressed air canisters is that flying with them on commercial airlines is a bit difficult. As of right now, you have to completely decompress the cylinder and detach the head. Check with your airline before flying, as this is subject to change. Fan-powered systems don’t have this limitation.

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STEP ONE INFLATE BACKPACK BY PULLING TRIGGER

STEP TWO SUFFOCATION RISK IS MINIMIZED

Both JetForce and Arc’teryx Voltaire avalanche packs use rechargeable high powered fan systems. JetForce is arguably the more popular of the two, possibly due to its slightly lower price point. Developed by Black Diamond, the battery-powered fan can inflate a 200 liter bag in 3.5 seconds. In the event that the bag tears, the fan is smart enough to enter maintenance mode. It activates periodically to ensure that the bag stays inflated. This is true for both JetForce and Voltair systems. Obviously if the bag gets ripped in half, the fan won’t be able to keep up. The same problem exists with compressed air systems. That’s why they make the bags super tough.The Voltair system claims to inflate to a higher pressure than other systems, but I haven’t seen any data to back this up. Fans use a rechargeable battery, and most are good for 2-3 deployments before needing a charge. This is an advantage in that it’s less of a pain if you want to practice deployments.

18. Activation sysyem The backpack can be inflated by pulling a trigger that activates the

हेलमेट /trans. “helmet”

pronounce “Hēlamēta”

Mountaineering and multi-pitch trad climbing: When you’re hauling a lot of gear and wearing a helmet for long periods of time, low weight and ample ventilation are important. So consider a shelled foam helmet. Also, choose a bright helmet color for mountaineering. Whiteout conditions are always a possibility and you want your team members to be able to spot you. Ice climbing: Because you’ll be vulnerable to a lot of falling debris, look for a shelled-foam model with minimal ventilation area. You don’t need much cooling, or want a lot of openings to let in whatever might rain down on you. Warm-weather sport climbing: Look at shelled foam models with the greatest number of vents.Cool-weather and single-pitch sport climbing: Because you can take the helmet off while waiting your turn to climb or belay, you can choose to trade the comfort of a shelled foam model for the durability and affordability of a hardshell. Belaying: Protection from rockfall and dropped gear is a concern, so it’s importanthat you also wear a helmet while belaying. No special helmet is required: Simply wear the lid you brought for climbing. Indoor climbing: Gym rules and liability waivers will dictate whether a helmet is required. Because rockfall isn’t a concern, though, a cool, lightweight shelled foam helmet is the logical choice if you’re required to wear one. Almost all helmets have headlamp clips now, so it’s less of a consideration. If you plan on long climbs with predawn starts or post-sundown finishes, these clips are essential. Even when friends or reviewers suggest that one helmet is the best, it won’t be right for you if it doesn’t fit correctly. If you can’t get a good fit with your chosen helmet, you need to try another model. The best way to assess fit is to try on different helmets in a climbing specialty store. Check for a secure fit: Start by placing the helmet squarely on your head, with the front rim straight across your forehead. After you adjust the fit, but before you buckle the chin strap, shake your head from side to side and tilt your head slightly back. The helmet should remain snug. Check the ease of adjustment: Play with the adjustment system to see how intuitive you find it and how easy it is to fine-tune the fit. Ease of adjustability is key for cold conditions because you need to readjust fit to accommodate a skullcap underneath the helmet.

19. Mammuth Helmet Every climber knows that rock-falling is one of the main risk,

air-pumping mechanism. In such way suffocating risk is minimzed and also the risk of impact-injuries is reduced.

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Helmet

especially when talking about the Karakorum range. Quality helmets are a key asset for every adventurer in those terrains.

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Oxygen cans represents a fundamental asset when it comes to supporting climbers’ performances at high altitudes. One of the most important decisions climbers make when planning an Everest climb is the use supplemental oxygen. This is harder than it seems. For some climbers they will never use bottled oxygen since it creates a dependency on a system that could fail thus increasing your risks above 8000m. Others feel it is cheating - if you cannot climb without it you should not be there. This debate has gone on since the practice started with the Swiss Everest climbs in the early 1920’s and continues today. In any event, the vast majority of climbers today use some form of supplemental oxygen. But note that it makes an effective difference of about 3,000’ on how your body feels. So at 26,000’ you still feel like you are at 23,000 feet. The air we breath has a mixture of gases including oxygen and nitrogen. The atmosphere contains about 21% oxygen at all altitudes. What changes as we go higher is the air pressure. Gravity pulls on gas molecules in the air. The closer to the Earth’s surface, the more pressure. At the summit of Everest, the pressure was measured in 1981 by a Nova team at 253 mmHG. At sea level it is 760 mmHG. The reason for the lower pressure is that there is less atmosphere pushing down from above. This reduced pressure allows the air molecules to scatter. This means that on Everest the air is not as dense or “thick”. In other words there is the same amount of oxygen but the molecules are scattered thus the term “thin air”. So in each breath there is less oxygen. To be precise about 66% less. The critical benefit of using bottled oxygen is warmth. By reducing the work the heart and lungs have to do to keep your core warm, blood continues to flow to toes and fingers thus reducing the risk of frostbite. Climbers have a few choices of systems. The first is the traditional approach using a pilot’s face mask and the Russian POISK system. The POISK system use bottles filled at the factory in St-Petersburg, Russia (be careful of fraud with claims that bottles are new but are refilled in non-certified facilities). The oxygen is delivered through a regulator to a tube to a face mask that provides a constant flow of oxygen. They hold about 720 liters of oxygen and weigh about 5.6 lbs. Climbers usually run their flow at 2 liters per minute and count on getting about 6 hours out a bottle. If they use more flow - 3lpm the bottle only last 4 hours. Most expeditions will use POSIX cylinders. I used the Poisk system on Cho Oyu in 1998 and Everest in 2002 and 2003.POISK has updated their mask design but the old models leaked.

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CYLINDER BK-2-31,4, BK-3-31,4 STOPPING VALVE REGULATION BLOCK OXYGEN MASK PRESSURE INDICATOR

6. SEALING WASHER 7. SEALING RING 8. PACKING WASHER 9. SHAFT OF THE REGULATION BLOCK 10. FLOW INDICATOR.

On the peak of Everest, it can take minutes just to catch your breath. That’s because, at an elevation of 8,848 meters (29,029 feet), each breath contains one-third of the oxygen found at sea level. But time on top of Everest is short-lived, as the body is rapidly deteriorating, and you’re more exposed than ever to the elements. If luck is on your side, you might get about 20 minutes to take it all in before it becomes intolerable, explains high-altitude medical expert Sundeep Dhillon. Most people don’t realize that a two- or three-month Everest trip only involves 15 to 20 days of actual climbing, he says. “The rest of the time, you’re waiting for your body to acclimatize to the ever-decreasing levels of oxygen.” This is when acute mountain sickness kicks in, a result of the slight swelling of the brain. Much like a hangover, acute mountain sickness manifests in the form of headache, dizziness, nausea, trouble sleeping and loss of appetite, according to the Institute for Altitude Medicine. If untreated, it can morph into high-altitude cerebral edema once you reach extreme altitude. “Your brain is now swelling because of the hypoxia, and it has nowhere to go because it’s constrained by your skull,” Dhillon said. “The only exit out of your skull is where your spinal cord comes down, so your brain is being squeezed out of your skull.” A person with high-altitude cerebral edema resembles a drunkard: confused, hallucinating and vomiting, with impaired judgment. Another severe form of altitude sickness is high-altitude pulmonary edema, the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, chest congestion and severe weakness.

1000 20. 3D Render of a POISK Oxygen Can The Poisk bottles are filled at the factory in St.

21. Poisk Technical Scheme Each oxygen can system present almost the same main technical

Petersburg. POISK oxygen can are used in the classical high altitude ventilation system through the use of a pilot mask.

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features that allow the control of the quantity of oxygen inflated by the system over a given period of time.

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8000 Many have thought of climbing Everest 2 without supplemental oxygen mainly 7 to set records, save dollars or weight. 3 Many try but very few actually do. Even the sherpas use oxygen above 26,000 4 feet. Babu sherpa did it without oxy8 gen and holds the record of 7 summi6 ts without oxygen and 22 hours on the summit. Keep in mind he trained for one 5 full year prior to his first attempt and had an entire team of support people 1 waiting to rescue him. We don’t recommend anyone trying it without at least one 8000m attempt without O’s under your belt. Please for your mother’s sake, don’t consider this as an option. In 1994 we were part of a team attempting to be the first Canadian team to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen. We went with the theory that if we stayed longer than normal at altitude our bodies would become super acclimatized offering us better chances. We stayed on for 4 months compared to the normal duration of an Everest climb of 60 days. We became ran down and lost far too much weight and muscle tissue. Some of us were doing okay however, very thin but did attempt the summit until we were turned back when climbing partner John McIsaac from Canmore Alberta developed Pulmonary edema. This was the final crunch that ended the expedition using all our energy to save his life. On Everest, it’s the getting back that counts, and if you can get back having been to the top then you are a winner. To win you have to have the best: the best attitude, the best gear and most importantly the best oxygen. TopOut is the difference between winning and 1. CYLINDER BK-2-31,4, BK-3-31,4 simply taking part and will turn pain 2. STOPPING VALVE to pleasure; well it could! TopOut will 3. REGULATION BLOCK enable you to enjoy Everest instead of 4. OXYGEN MASK feeling as if every breath is your last. 5. PRESSURE INDICATOR Many have thought of climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen mainly to set records, save dollars or weight. Many try but very few actually do. Even the sherpas use oxygen above 26,000 feet. Babu sherpa did it without oxygen and holds the record of 7 summits without oxygen and 22 hours on the summit. Keep in mind he trained for one full year prior to his first attempt and had an entire team of support people waiting to rescue him. We don’t recommend anyone trying it without at least one 8000m attempt without O’s under your belt. Please for your mother’s sake, don’t consider this as an option. In 1994 we were part of a team attempting to be the first Canadian team to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen. We went with the theory that if we stayed longer than normal at altitude our bodies would become super acclimatized offering us better chances. We stayed on for 4 months compared to the normal duration of an Everest climb of 60 days. We became ran down and lost far too much weight and muscle tissue. Some of us were doing okay however, very thin but did attempt the summit until we were turned back when climbing partner John McIsaac from Canmore Alberta developed Pulmonary edema. This was the final crunch that ended the expedition using all our energy to save his life. On Everest, it’s the getting back that counts, and if you can get back having been to the top then you are a winner. To win you have to have the best: the best attitude, the best gear and most importantly the best oxygen. TopOut is the difference between winning and simply taking part and will turn pain to pleasure; well it could! TopOut will enable you to enjoy Everest instead of feeling as if every breath is your last.

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21.1 Poisk Technical Scheme Each oxygen can system present almost the same main

जीपीएस उपग्रह /trans. “satellite gps”

pronounce “Jīpī’ēsa upagraha”

To get a two dimensional fix, aka a grid reference or position on a map, you need to have at least three satellites available. This is important information to know, as you need to have a clear view of the sky with as broad an horizon as possible. So, you may be able to look up and see the sky, but the satellites may be located closer to the horizon than you can see. Position yourself appropriately.The positional fix from satellites should be accurate to within a few metres 95% of the time. Always bear in mind that the position shown on your GPS receiver could be within that 5% that is less accurate. If your life depends on the GPS position, wait a few minutes, maybe even switch it off and on, and see if the position is still the same. To get a positional and height fix, you need to have at least four satellites in view, all with good signal strength. Height measures are suppose to be approx within 20m 95% of the time GPS units also have limitations, which you will have noticed if you powered one up and it took an age to acquire a signal and even longer to provide a position. There are reasons for this. GPS satellites transmit two types of data, being ephemeris and almanac data. Almanac data describes to the GPS receiver the approximate position of the orbiting satellites, and such information is updated regularly by the USAF. Receivers need that kick-start to know where in the sky to look for satellites, which is in part based on your geographical position at the time. For this reason, if you’ve not used your receiver for a few days, or have travelled approx 600 km, the initial satellite acquisition will be what’s known as a ‘cold start’. Almanac data is valid for a maximum of 60 days, and most be downloaded if required. On older units, that download could take up to an hour. Ephemeris data consists of two types of data; time and position. Basically, the satellites send a message every few seconds, which consists of the time that the message was sent, and position of the satellite at the time sent. From this information, the GPS receiver can calculate its distance from the satellite by subtracting the time sent from time received, as the speed travelled by the signals is a constant speed. Combine that calculation messages from at least two other satellites, and the receiver calculates its position by triangulation. Ephemeris data is updated about every 2 hours and remains valid about 4 hours, so if you have your GPS receiver switched off for more than that time, it will typically take a little longer to get a satellite fix. This is referred to as a warm start, and may take a couple of minutes to get a positional fix. If you travelled 600 miles or more, or your GPS unit no longer has an accurate time, a new almanac will be downloaded so that your unit knows where to look in the sky for satellites, hence taking longer to obtain a positional fix. This is a cold start. You can sometimes kick-start a cold start by manually entering a grid reference to the unit.

22. Garmin GPS Satellite Garmin represents one of the most performing and accountable

technical features that allow the control of the quantity of oxygen inflated by the system over a given period of time.

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Satellite GPS

brands when it comes to GPS tracking. The purchase of a high-standards device may define the different between life and death.

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Careful planning lies at the base of succesful outcomes.

LOGISTICS An overview of the tecnical, operational and practical elements that every climber must carefully consider when organizing a structured expedition in the interested geographical region. A solid display of

schedules, documents and itineraries that will serve the traveler by helping him/ her developing a solid travel itinterary specifically designed for his/hers needs and requirements.

High altitude expeditions are complex and delicate ventures. Many factors are at play in the organization of those typology of challenges. Schedules and stages must be planned considering many elements: climbers’ expertise and training, altitude acclimatization and rotations and the team’s knowledge of the territory in which the expedition is being performed. 192

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Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC) DISTANCE.......................................................................... 120 KM/75 MI DAYS REQUIRED.......................................................................... 8 DAYS TOTAL ASCENT.................................................................. 6015 M/19K FT TOTAL DESCENT................................................................. 5821 M/19KFT HIGH POINT........................................ 5640 M/18 500 FT KALA PATTHAR DIFFICULTY............................................................................. DIFFICULT PERMITS.......................................................... LOCAL GOVERNMENT FEE/ SAGARMATHA NATIONAL PARK PERMIT COST PER DAY .......................................................................... 6000NPR GUIDE ......................................................................... NOT COMPULSORY ACCOMODATION ............................................................... GUEST HOUSE

The Everest Base Camp trek can be dangerous, even fatal, if you don’t plan it out correctly. Before we laced up our hiking boots and began our hike to Everest Base Camp, we did some planning. A lot of planning. We read blogs, compared itineraries, and looked at maps. We downloaded the Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya travel guide and memorized their suggested route. We scoured TripAdvisor forums and read long-winded explanations of the best villages to stay in along the way. And after all that research, we narrowed our findings down to a route that was perfect for us. This 16-day itinerary will bring you to Everest Base Camp, across the infamous Cho La Pass, and to the beautiful Gokyo Lakes. It has buffer days built in, so you have plenty of time to acclimatize. This itinerary will give you an idea of what each day looks like, its difficulty level, and the name of the teahouse we stayed at (and if we’d recommend it). We trekked at a slow to average pace (some may say a “turtle pace”), and we carried our own packs (without a porter). Take a look at our EBC packing list. To learn more about what life is like on the trail and how to do it yourself, check out our Ultimate Guide to Trekking Everest Base Camp. Finding the time to take a trip can be challenging for most people today. Having enough time off work, help with family responsibilities or even just finding the money to go on holidays can all be very difficult in this day and age. However, if you are going to make the effort to do a trip like this, then you have to make sure you do it right. Time is needed to acclimatize correctly so you can be safe and enjoy your Everest Base Camp Trek. This is truly an amazing journey through the Himalaya’s, therefore, you want to give yourself the chance to see all of it. All the research over the past decade suggests more time is needed in the acclimatization process at 3,500m/ 11,500ft. You will need to have excellent physical conditioning when coming on a trek like this. We are here to help you build your fitness, conditioning and fully prepare for your journey to Everest Base Camp. The key is getting the acclimatization schedule correct. We have done the trek to Everest Base Camp over a wide range of number of days. It is very clear that the more time you spend at critical points on the acclimatization schedule, the better we feel. Not only are you giving yourself the best chance at successfully reaching Base Camp, but you are also giving yourself the time to fully enjoy the experience. There is no reason to rush from village to village on this journey. You will need to have excellent physical conditioning when coming on a trek like this. If you sign up to one of our treks we will help you prepare. Ian and our team will be available to you 5 days a week when not on trips. We are here to help you build your fitness, conditioning and fully prepare for your journey to Everest Base Camp. The key is getting the acclimatization schedule correct. We have done the trek to Everest Base Camp over a wide range of number of days. It is very clear that the more time you spend at critical points on the acclimatization schedule, the better we feel. Not only are you giving yourself the best chance at successfully reaching Base Camp, but you are also giving yourself the time to fully enjoy the experience. There is no reason to rush from village to village on this journey.

00. Everest Base Camp Trek Information The Everest Base Camp Trek is divided in 8 days

covering nine main locations that range from the city of Lukla up to che base of Mount Everest, at the Everest Base Camp.

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Visa and permits If you will arrive by air, either apply for a visa at a Nepalese embassy or consulate before traveling, or purchase a tourist visa upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. For an online visa application form, see https://online. nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa. Note that obtaining a visa on arrival may take several hours. If you will arrive by land, you are responsible both for obtaining a visa and going through the necessary immigration formalities. When crossing by land into Nepal, U.S. citizens should carry U.S dollar bills to pay their Nepali visa fee. U.S. citizens travelling from India to Nepal from the Belahia, Bhairahawa check point should be aware that Nepali visa fees must be paid in cash in U.S. dollars. Credit cards or other currencies will not be accepted. All U.S. bills must be new (no older than 2003) and in good condition (no tears, excessive wear, creases, visible repairs, etc.) Individuals crossing the border by foot are provided 24 hours service. If you do not have a visa and do not receive an entry stamp from an immigration officer, you will not be allowed to depart Nepal and may face additional consequences.

NEPALESE VISA

CLIMBING PERMIT

For regular tourist visa provided upon arrival by the Nepali Department of Immigration, tourists may stay no more than 150 days in any given calendar year. Visa fees are payable in U.S. dollars. While money-changing and ATM services are available at the airport, credit card payment is not a reliable option, and ATM machines occasionally malfunction. Five year, multiple entry tourist visas to American citizens. Nepal now provides 5 years multiple entry tourist visas to American citizens. Prior to arrival, American citizens must apply for a 5

All trekkers will be required to obtain a TIMS card (Trekker’s Information Management System), and there are two types, depending on your travel plans. These cards are mandatory and are used to ensure the safety of trekkers. Green cards are issued for independent trekkers and a blue card will be issued for travellers who are trekking with a group tour. A TIMS card can be obtained in Nepal in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or via a registered travel agency. Trekkers will be required to pay a Sagarmatha National Park entrance fee which can be paid during the trek at the entrance of the national park. The fee can be paid locally in rupees. The adventurous activity permit scheme is designed to ensure that only people with the relevant skills and experience lead adventurous activities for the young people in Scouting. Therefore all activities classed as adventurous can only be led by someone holding the appropriate permit. Additionally young people (under 18) can take part in adventurous activities for themselves with personal activity permits. f you have a leadership permit for top rope climbing you can lead up to two top rope climbing systems at a time, unless a restriction is in place reducing the number of ropes to one. If you have a leadership permit for lead climbing, you can lead one climbing rope system at a time. If you have a leadership permit to lead multi-pitch climbing you can lead one rope system at a time. If you hold a permit to supervise climbing then you can supervise up to three rope systems at a time. You should remain in a position to be able to effectively supervise and assist all rope systems. Note: No supervisory permit is available for multi-pitch climbing.

15 DAY VISA

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30 DAY VISA

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90 DAY VISA

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year multiple entry tourist visa at the Embassy of Nepal in Washington, D.C. or the Consulate General of Nepal in New York City. Unlike a tourist visa issued upon arrival, tourists possessing a 5 year multiple entry tourist visa can stay no more than 180 days in any given calendar year. The visa fee for 5 years visa is US$ 160. Please note: Foreigners may generally obtain a regular tourist visa upon arrival and then visit the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu to change to another visa type. You must have a valid visa before you will be allowed to depart Nepal. If your visa has expired, you must extend your visa before you will be allowed to depart. The Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport is not authorized to extend visas.Some U.S. citizens who have tried to extend their visa at the airport have been sent to the Immigration Office in Kathmandu to pay the extension fee and, as a result, have missed their flights.

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1000 01. Nepalese Trekking Agency Permit Each traveler must obtain a trekking permit which is

01.1 Nepalese Trekking Agency Permit The process to obtain a trekking permit has been simplified over the years and local trekking agencies concur to offer the best service to climbers in this process.

granted by local authorities supported by a local trekking agency which on the other hand must be allowed by the governament to support such activities.

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Everest Base Camp Trek - Phase One

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

Lukla - Monjo Distance: 27KM Time: 9H Total Ascent: 200M

Monjo-Namche Bazar Distance: 22KM Time: 6.30H Total Ascent: 500M

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Namche Bazar-Laushyasa Distance: 22KM Time: 3.30H Total Ascent: 150M

Laushyasa-Tengboche Distance: 15KM Time: 10H Total Ascent: 1000M

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Everest Base Camp Trek - Phase Two

DAY FOUR

DAY FIVE

DAY SIX

Namche - Dingboche Distance: 11.5KM Time: 4H Total Ascent: 700M

Dingboche - Tengboche Distance: 10.5KM Time: 3.50H Total Ascent: 660M

Tengboche - Lobuche Distance: 6KM Time: 2H Total Ascent: 240M

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DAY SEVEN

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Lobuche - Base Camp Distance: 15KM Time: 10H Total Ascent: 450M

Base Camp - Camp 1 Distance: 10KM Time: 10H Total Ascent: 1000M

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Everest Base Camp Trek - Phase Two

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Base Camp - Camp One Distance: 3KM Time: 9H Total Ascent: 600M

Camp One - Camp Two Distance: 2.3KM Time: 6.30H Total Ascent: 800M

Camp Two - Camp Three Distance: 3.2KM Time: 12H Total Ascent: 800M

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Everest Summit Push Phase Three

DAY EIGHT-FIFTY

Camp Three - Assault Camp Distance: 1.5 Time: 11H Total Ascent: 900M

Assault Camp - Summit Distance: 800M Time: 7H Total Ascent: 800M

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615M THERMO THERMO THERMO REACTIV THERMO REACTIV DAY EIGHT

696M 5H 12KM EVEREST BASE CAMP LOBUCHE DAY SEVEN

------------DINGBOCHE DAY SIX

660M 3.50H 10.5KM DINGOBOCHE TENGBOCHE DAY FIVE

873M 3.50H 11KM TENGBOCHE NAMCHE BAZAR DAY FOUR

------------NAMCHE BAZAR DAY THREE

662M 2H 6.5KM NAMCHE BAZAR MONJU DAY TWO

530M 3.45H 13KM MONJU LUKLA DAY ONE

ASCENT TIME DISTANCE END START DAY

The Everest Base Camp trek can be dangerous, even fatal, if you don’t plan it out correctly. Before we laced up our hiking boots and began our hike to Everest Base Camp, we did some planning. A lot of planning. We read blogs, compared itineraries, and looked at maps. We downloaded the Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya travel guide and memorized their suggested route. We scoured TripAdvisor forums and read long-winded explanations of the best villages to stay in along the way. And after all that research, we narrowed our findings down to a route that was perfect for us.This 16-day itinerary will bring you to Everest Base Camp, across the infamous Cho La Pass, and to the beautiful Gokyo Lakes. It has buffer days built in, so you have plenty of time to acclimatize. This itinerary will give you an idea of what each day looks like, its difficulty level, and the name of the teahouse we stayed at (and if we’d recommend it). We trekked at a slow to average pace (some may say a “turtle pace”), and we carried our own packs (without a porter). Take a look at our EBC packing list. To learn more about what life is like on the trail and how to do it yourself, check out our Ultimate Guide to Trekking Everest Base Camp. This 16-day itinerary will bring you to Everest Base Camp, across the infamous Cho La Pass, and to the beautiful Gokyo Lakes. It has buffer days built in, so you have plenty of time to acclimatize. This itinerary will give you an idea of what each day looks like, its difficulty level, and the name of the teahouse we stayed at (and if we’d recommend it). We trekked at a slow to average pace (some may say a “turtle pace”), and we carried our own packs (without a porter). Take a look at our EBC packing list. To learn more about what life is like on the trail and how to do it yourself, check out our Ultimate Guide to Trekking Everest Base Camp. This 16-day itinerary will bring you to Everest Base Camp, across the infamous Cho La Pass, and to the beautiful Gokyo Lakes. It has buffer days built in, so you have plenty of time to acclimatize. This itinerary will give you an idea of what each day looks like, its difficulty level, and the name of the teahouse we stayed at (and if we’d recommend it). We trekked at a slow to average pace (some may say a “turtle pace”), and we carried our own packs (without a porter). Take a look at our EBC packing list.

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Like any other first day on a trek, it was tough getting used to the altitude, to carry our backpacks, to the cold, etc. The trail is easy to follow, it starts at the exit from Lukla. There are a couple of ATMs, pharmacies and gear shops in Lukla. The ATMs give max NPR 15 000/US$130 per withdrawal. Next places with ATMs is Namche Bazar but there you can get only NPR 10 000/US$85 at once. At Lukla (just before the exit gate), there is a ticket office where you get your first permits for the trek (local government permit), NPR 2000/US$17 per person. There are two checkpoints for the day, the first one right next to the ticket office, the second at about 9km, both check the permit that you buy in Lukla. Keep the permit till the end of the trek you’ll have to check out several times on the way back. It was a typical walking day in the Himalayas you start and finish at the same altitude, 2800m but to get from point A to point B you go about 500m up and down. Depending on your arrival time in Lukla, tiredness level, etc. you can stop earlier. Phakding is a good place to stop on the first day. It’s about 8km from Lukla mostly downhill. There are many guesthouses, restaurants and cafes here. The main drawback of staying in Phakding instead of Monjo is that your second-day walk to Namche will be tougher and longer, 11km instead of 6,5km, and 900m up instead of 662m from Monjo. 2800M 2750M 2700M 2650M 2600M

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00. Everest Base Camp Trek Schedule The Everest Base Camp Trek is divided in 8 days

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The trail is easy to follow, it starts at the exit from Lukla. There are a couple of ATMs, pharmacies and gear shops in Lukla. The ATMs give max per withdrawal. Next places with ATMs is Namche Bazar but there you can get only at once. At Lukla (just before the exit gate), there is a ticket office where you get your first permits for the trek (local government permit), NPR per person. There are two checkpoints for the day, the first one right next to the ticket office, the second at about 9km, both check the permit that you buy in Lukla. Keep the permit till the end of the trek you’ll have to check out several times on the way back. It was a typical walking day in the Himalayas you start and finish at the same altitude, 2800m but to get from point A to point B you go about 500m up and down. Depending on your arrival time in Lukla, tiredness level, etc. you can stop earlier. Phakding is a good place to stop on the first day. It’s about 8km from Lukla mostly downhill. There are many guesthouses, restaurants and cafes here. The main drawback of staying in Phakding instead of Monjo is that your second-day walk to Namche will be tougher and longer, 11km instead of 6,5km, and 900m up instead of 662m from Monjo. Like any other first day on a trek, it was tough getting used to the altitude, to carry our backpacks, to the cold, etc. The trail is easy to follow, it starts at the exit from Lukla. There are a couple of ATMs, pharmacies and gear shops in Lukla. The ATMs give max NPR 15 000/US$130 per withdrawal. Next places with ATMs is Namche Bazar but there you can get only NPR 10 000/US$85 at once. At Lukla (just before the exit gate), there is a ticket office where

00. Day One - Lukla Monjo The first day of trekking covers a 13km trek starting from Lukla

covering nine main locations that range from the city of Lukla up to che base of Mount Everest, at the Everest Base Camp.

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Day One: Lukla-Monju

where each climber will arrive through air transit from Kathmandu. The trek takes almost 3.45h and a 530m elevation gain.

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you get your first permits for the trek (local government permit), NPR 2000/US$17 per person. There are two checkpoints for the day, the first one right next to the ticket office, the second at about 9km, both check the permit that you buy in Lukla. Keep the permit till the end of the trek you’ll have to check out several times on the way back. It was a typical walking day in the Himalayas you start and finish at the same altitude, 2800m but to get from point A to point B you go about 500m up and down. Depending on your arrival time in Lukla, tiredness level, etc. you can stop earlier. Phakding is a good place to stop on the first day. It’s about 8km from Lukla mostly downhill. There are many guesthouses, restaurants and cafes here. The main drawback of staying in Phakding instead of Monjo is that your second-day walk to Namche will be tougher and longer, 11km instead of 6,5km, and 900m up instead of 662m from Monjo. Monjo is a nice village with many guesthouses, shops and restaurants. It’s located on the slope and offers nice views. We paid NPR 500/US$4 for a double room with attached toilet and hot shower (solar), ask for a room inside the main house, these rooms are bigger and warmer. The place is very nice, the owner speaks good English and is quite knowledgable about the area. They run a coffee shop with a real Espresso machine, you can get a proper coffee in the morning. They use local beans and roast them themselves. There are many travel insurance companies out there we’d recommend using one that has experience in covering outdoor activities and working in the region. World Nomads is a reputable insurance company. Nepal is one of their top hiking destinations with thousands of people buying World Nomads insurance policies for trekking. Their insurance is very flexible you can buy one that covers the whole trip or just the period of the trek. You can purchase insurance just a day before the planned activity, it takes just a couple of minutes, quick and easy. There are many travel insurance companies out there we’d recommend using one that has experience in covering outdoor activities and working in the region. World Nomads is a reputable insurance company. Nepal is one of their top hiking destinations with thousands of people buying World Nomads insurance policies for trekking. Their insurance is very flexible you can buy one that covers the whole trip or just the period of the trek. You can purchase insurance just a day before the planned activity, it takes just a couple of minutes, quick and easy. They use local beans and roast them themselves. There are many travel insurance companies out there we’d recommend using one that has experience in covering outdoor activities and working in the region. World Nomads is a reputable insurance company. Nepal is one of their top hiking destinations with thousands of people buying World Nomads insurance.

NAMCHE

Basically the whole day is one steep and long ascent, about 600m that starts at about 2km from Monju. It’s a very short walking day but with a long ascent and no places to stop on the way, except one village at about 1km. It’s important to make sure that you carry enough water after you start the ascent there will be no place on the route to refill it. Don’t walk up fast, make rest stops on the way, drink enough water it’ll help to prevent AMS (acute mountain sickness). At about 2km, right after the second suspension bridge, there is a split, take the left route that goes along the river, it’s a new trail for trekkers. The upper route is quite muddy it’s used by donkeys and yaks that carry stuff up in the mountains. There are two checkpoints on the route, the first one is at the exit from Monjo, where you pay NPR 3000/US$25 for the Sagarmatha National Park permit. The second is at 6km, just before Namche where they check both permits the Sagarmatha National park and the permit that you bought in Lukla. Keep both permits until the end of the trek. Namche Bazar is the biggest town on Everest Base Camp trek. There are many hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, shops and cafes. If you realised that you need some extra gear, clothes or more cash it’s your last chance to get it. The guesthouse is nice, quite pricey, NPR 500/US$4 per person (we were told it’s a standard price in Namche) compared to what we used to pay on other treks in Nepal but the price included wi-fi and unlimited charging which was great we stayed here for two days and could fully charge all our electronics. Namche is the last place where you can do it for free, make sure to use the opportunity. 3400M 3350M 3300M

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00. Day One - Lukla Monjo This section of the trek presents many intermediary stops

It’s a very short walking day but with a long ascent and no places to stop on the way, except one village at about 1km. It’s important to make sure that you carry enough water after you start the ascent there will be no place on the route to refill it. Don’t walk up fast, make rest stops on the way, drink enough water it’ll help to prevent AMS (acute mountain sickness). At about 2km, right after the second suspension bridge, there is a split, take the left route that goes along the river, it’s a new trail for trekkers. The upper route is quite muddy it’s used by donkeys and yaks that carry stuff up in the mountains. There are two checkpoints on the route, the first one is at the exit from Monjo, where you pay NPR 3000/US$25 for the Sagarmatha National Park permit. The second is at 6km, just before Namche where they check both permits the Sagarmatha National park and the permit that you bought in Lukla. Keep both permits until the end of the trek. Namche Bazar is the biggest town on Everest Base Camp trek. There are many hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, shops and cafes. If you realised that you need some extra gear, clothes or more cash it’s your last chance to get it. The guesthouse is nice, quite pricey, per person (we were told it’s a standard price included wi-fi and unlimited charging which was great we stayed here for two.could fully charge all our electronics.

00. Day Two - Monjo Namche Bazar The first day of trekking covers a 6.5 trek starting from

almost all equipped with quality services. Benkhar represents with Gaht the only stop without electricity and internet connection.

206

JORSALE

Monju where each climber will arrive through the first section from Lukla. The trek takes almost 2h and a 662m elevation gain.

207

NAME

JORSALE

NAMCHE

DISTANCE

1.5KM

6.5KM

ELEVATION

2.740M

3440m

HOSTEL

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

Namche Bazar

RESTAURANT SHOP ELECTRICITY WATER WIFI

Day Three: Namche Bazar It’s very important to do an acclimatisation day in Namche even if you feel good and strong stay for two nights here. I learnt from my own experience the first time when we did Everest Base Camp trek we didn’t stay in Namche for the second night and went to Tengboche where I got AMS. We stayed for two nights at Tengboche but I didn’t get any better. In the end, we had to walk from Tengboche 600m down to Phundi and stay one night there it helped I was fine and had no problem after that but we wasted 2 days. On the acclimatization day, you can do a short hike to one of the Everest viewpoints, it’s called acclimatization hike. The most popular hike is to Hotel Everest View, about 1 hour uphill from Namche or to Sagarmatha National Park Museum, about 20min. walk uphill. It’s not compulsory to do the hike if you don’t feel like it, rather stay in your room and rest. We usually don’t do acclimatization hikes we prefer just resting, drinking a lot of tea and reading. There are many coffee shops and bakeries in Namche you can just wander around, drink tea, eat and take photos. Take it easy, you should rest, drink enough water or tea and enjoy your free day. We didn’t do any hiking on our day in Namche just walked around and caught up with some work. It was one of our most expensive days on the trek we had a couple of cup of coffee, a cake, tons of teas and several big meals. Make sure to charge full all your electronic devices in Namche from there on you’ll have to pay extra for charging. Don’t walk up fast, make rest stops on the way, drink enough water it’ll help to prevent AMS (acute mountain sickness). At about 2km, right after the second suspension bridge, there is a split, take the left route that goes along the river, it’s a new trail for trekkers. The upper route is quite muddy it’s used by donkeys and yaks that carry stuff up in the mountains. There are two checkpoints on the route, the first one is at the exit from Monjo, where you pay NPR 3000/US$25 for the Sagarmatha National Park permit. The second is at 6km, just before Namche where they check both permits the Sagarmatha National park and the permit that you bought in Lukla. Keep both permits until the end of the trek. Namche Bazar is the biggest town on Everest Base Camp trek. There are many hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, shops and cafes. If you realised that you need some extra gear, clothes or more cash it’s your last chance to get it. The guesthouse is nice, quite pricey, NPR 500/US$4 per person (we were told it’s a standard price in Namche) compared to what we used to pay on other treks in Nepal but the price included wi-fi and unlimited charging which was great we stayed here for two days and could fully charge all our electronics. Namche is the last place where you can do it for free, make sure to use the opportunity.

00. Day Two - Monjo Namche Bazar This section of the trek presents just one intermediary

stop with no eletrcitiy. For this reason for necessities regarding internet connection refer to the initial and final part of this sectio (Monju or Namche Bazar).

208

209

Day Four: Namche-Tengboche NAMCHE

KYANGJUMA

LEUSHYASA

PHUNGI

THANGA

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

Leushyasa

TENGBOCHE

At the beginning of the day, there is a small detour (500m) and went to the Everest viewpoint, we were quite lucky with the weather in the morning and could see several snowy peaks around. As you start going higher up it’s important to stay hydrated and not to go too fast, make stops, rest, drink water and don’t push yourself too hard. There is one checkpoint for the day after the suspension bridge just before the ascent to Tengboche. Alternative option if you’re not feeling great tired, headache, nausea, tiredness, etc. don’t go all the way to Tengboche rather stops at one of the places on the way at a lower elevation, e.g. Phudgi Thanga and the next day continue the walk. It’s better to progress slowly but make it all the way to the Base Camp than to go fast and get sick somewhere on the way. People acclimatize differently, even the same person but in different circumstances might react in a different way to the same altitude. Tengboche is not even a village, it’s a group of guesthouses around the monastery. The monastery is a very important place, many climbers stop here on the way to Everest. There is a ceremony at the monastery that takes place in the evening, tourists can attend it but you’re not allowed to take photos or videos. Hotel Himalayan was the only open place in Tengboche, due to off-season other places were still closed. The place was nice, small rooms, big dining area. 4000M 3900M 3800M 3700M 3600M 3500M 3400M

NAME

3300M 00:00

00:45

1:30:00

At the beginning of the day, we did a small detour (500m) and went to the Everest viewpoint, we were quite lucky with the weather in the morning and could see several snowy peaks around. As you start going higher up it’s important to stay hydrated and not to go too fast, make stops, rest, drink water and don’t push yourself too hard. There is one checkpoint for the day after the suspension bridge just before the ascent to Tengboche.If you’re not feeling great tired, headache, nausea, tiredness, etc. don’t go all the way to Tengboche rather stops at one of the places on the way at a lower elevation, e.g. Phudgi Thanga and the next day continue the walk. It’s better to progress slowly but make it all the way to the Base Camp than to go fast and get sick somewhere on the way. People acclimatize differently, even the same person but in different

2:15:00

3:00:00

circumstances might react in a different way to the same altitude. As you start going higher up it’s important to stay hydrated and not to go too fast, make stops, rest, drink water and don’t push yourself too hard. There is one checkpoint for the day after the suspension bridge just before the ascent to Tengboche.If you’re not feeling great tired, headache, nausea, tiredness, etc. don’t go all the way to Tengboche rather stops at one of the places on the way at a lower elevation, e.g. Phudgi Thanga and the next day continue the walk. It’s better to progress slowly but make it all the way to the Base Camp than to go fast and get sick somewhere on the way. People acclimatize differently, even the same person but in different circumstances might react in a different way to the same altitude.

3000

KYANGJU.

PHUNGI

THANGA

TENGBOCH.

2KM

5KM

8KM

11KM

13KM

ELEVATION

3300M

3500M

3600M

4000M

HOSTEL RESTAURANT SHOP

2000

ELECTRICITY WATER WIFI

1000

02. Namche Bazar Namche Bazaar is popular with trekkers in the Khumbu region, especially

03. Leushyasa Leushyasa represents an intermediary stop during this section of the trek.

for altitude acclimatization, and is the gateway to the high Himalaya. The town has a number of lodgings and stores catering to the needs of visitors.

210

LEUSHYA.

DISTANCE

There is no electricity nor internet connection in this location. For this reason refer to the initial and final part of this trekking section (Namche or Tengboche).

211

212

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

Tengboche Temple

213

PANGBOCHE

SHOMARE

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

DINGBOCHE

A muddy/icy path down from Tengboche to Pangboche/Multiple ups and downs on the way. A steep ascent at the end from the river to Dingboche, about 200m up. It was another tough day on the route, you start getting over 4000m and the altitude makes you tired, even a slight ascent leaves you out of breath. If you don’t feel well it’s better to stop earlier in Pangboche or Shomare, both places are only about 100200m higher than Tengboche. Dingboche is over 500m higher it’s not recommended to gain that much elevation if you’re not 100% acclimatized for the lower altitude. Many guesthouses and restaurants along the route were still closed for off-season we walked it at the beginning of March. The map of the trekking routes from Tengboche to Dughla. The split at 8km, the right route goes through Dingboche, the left route goes through Pheriche. Both routes join at Dughla. There is a split at 8km. The upper route (the left trail) goes over Pheriche Pass to Pheriche. The lower route (the right trail) goes down to the river and then up to Dingboche. Both routes merge again at Thokla (Dughla). You can go either way most trekkers walk through Dingboche on the way up and through Pheriche on the way down. Pheriche is about 150m lower than Dingboche. Dingboche has better views and is a bit warmer Pheriche is located in the 4600M 4500M 4400M 4300M

4500M

MILINGGO

13KM

DEBOCHE

It is another tough day on the route, you start getting over 4000m and the altitude makes you tired, even a slight ascent leaves you out of breath. If you don’t feel well it’s better to stop earlier in Pangboche or Shomare, both places are only about 100-200m higher than Tengboche. Dingboche is over 500m higher it’s not recommended to gain that much elevation if you’re not 100% acclimatized for the lower altitude. Many guesthouses and restaurants along the route were still closed for off-season we walked it at the beginning of March. The map of the trekking routes from Tengboche to Dughla. The split at 8km, the right route goes through Dingboche, the left route goes through Pheriche. Both routes join at Dughla. There is a split at 8km. The upper route (the left trail) goes over Pheriche Pass to Pheriche. The lower route (the right trail) goes down to the river and then up to Dingboche. Both routes merge again at Thokla (Dughla). You can go either way most trekkers walk through Dingboche on the way up and through Pheriche on the way down. Pheriche is about 150m lower than Dingboche. Dingboche has better views and is a bit warmer Pheriche is located in the narrow valley with very little sunshine. You can go either way most trekkers walk through Dingboche on the way up and through Pheriche on the way down. Pheriche is about 150m lower than Ddown. Pheriche is about 150m lower than.

NAMCHE

8000

DINGBOCH.

Day Five: Tengboche-Dingboche

8000

214

WATER

ELECTRICITY

SHOP

RESTAURANT

HOSTEL

4500M 4400M

5KM

ELEVATION

Khumbu subregion of Province No. 1 in Nepal, located at 3,867 metres. In the village is an important Buddhist monastery, Tengboche Monastery.

2KM

04. Tengbotche Tengboche is a village in Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality in the

DISTANCE

It is another tough day on the route, you start getting over 4000m and the altitude makes you tired, even a slight ascent leaves you out of breath. If you don’t feel well it’s better to stop earlier in Pangboche or Shomare, both places are only about 100200m higher than Tengboche. Dingboche is over 500m higher it’s not recommended to gain that much elevation if you’re not 100% acclimatized for the lower altitude. Many guesthouses and restaurants along the route were still closed for off-season we walked it at the beginning of March. The map of the trekking routes from Tengboche to Dughla. The split at 8km, the right route goes through Dingboche, the left route goes through Pheriche. Both routes join at Dughla. There is a split at 8km. The upper route (the left trail) goes over Pheriche Pass to Pheriche. The lower route (the right trail) goes down to the river and then up to Dingboche. Both routes merge again at Thokla (Dughla). You can go either way most trekkers walk through Dingboche on the way up and through Pheriche on the way down. Pheriche is about 150m lower than Dingboche. Dingboche has better views and is a bit warmer Pheriche is located in the narrow valley with very little sunshine. You can go either way most trekkers walk through Dingboche on the way up and through Pheriche on the way down. Pheriche is about 150m lower than Dingboche. Dingboche has better views and is a bit warmer Pheriche is located in the narrow valley with very little sunshine. Pheriche is located in the narrow valley with very little sunshine. You can go either way most trekkers walk through Dingboche on the

4600M