Everest Begins

As the last post alluded to, I am currently in Kathmandu, Nepal. Kathmandu is the main hub for hiking, rafting, camping and climbing for the entire Himalaya Mountain region, and has therefore become a world-renown mecca of outdoors adventuring. There are outdoors stores every ten feet, adventure booking agencies on each corner, hotels, cafes and restaurants stacked above the stores below and the streets are filled with backpackers.

Tomorrow, however, I am flying to Lukla, Nepal. Lukla is the starting point for all Mount Everest climbing expeditions and is not accessible by road. The only way to reach Lukla is to trek (4-6 days) in from a town outside of Kathmandu or fly in by a small plane or helicopter. Time constraints have forced me to fly. From Lukla, I will trek for aproximately 19 days. During this time I plan to reach Everest Base Camp I, climb a neighboring mountain peak and then return to Lukla. The peak climbing and trekking season has just ended and it is now the middle of winter. While this means at times I may have whole panoramic views of Everest and the Himalayas completely to myself, it also means that current weather conditions are severe. Temperatures will reach far below zero and snowfall will be moderate to heavy. I am very well prepared and have all the required food, clothing, shelter and safety/rescue equipment needed.

I will not have internet access until I return so there will be no new posts or emails until then. It should be a true adventure, and I look forward to telling everyone all about it when I return!