Kathmandu
is the capital of Nepal and thus its political and
commercial hub. It's also the cultural centre of the
country. Kathmandu is home not only to the Sherpa
people, who are Buddhists, but to many other ethnic
and religious groups - predominantly Hindus, but also
Muslims, and people who practice a mixture of faiths.
The result is a colourful and vibrant city that’s
both medieval and modern.
Everest
The tip of Mount Everest is the highest point on the
entire planet, soaring 8,850 m above the border of
Nepal and Tibet. That height is enough to thrust the
mountain up into the powerful winds of the jet stream.
At the peak, wind speeds sometimes exceed 400 km/h.
In Nepal, Everest is called Sagarmatha, 'goddess of
the sky', while in Tibet, its known as Chomolungma,
'goddess mother of the world'. Westerners, however,
originally gave Everest the rather uninspired name
Peak XV. It was only after a carefully undertaken
1852 survey established it as the highest mountain
on Earth, that it was renamed in honor of British
surveyor Sir George Everest.
Since then Everest has become a Mecca for mountaineers
of all stripes and nationalities. Sir Edmond Hillary
and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach
the top in 1953. Now, more than fourteen hundred people
from sixty-three nations have reached the summit.
Besides the weather and the constant walking and hauling
gear, one of the most difficult aspects of the trek
to Everest is the altitude. It even affects the length
of the trip - you have to go slowly to acclimatize
to the increase in elevation.
The hike is roughly 80 km (about 50 miles), but the
climb covers about 2,500 m (or 8,200 feet) of elevation.
At Base Camp, an altitude of about 5300 m, the air
is significantly thinner than it is at sea level -
thin enough to make flying in by helicopter both difficult
and dangerous. By starting low then walking up slowly,
climbers give their bodies time to adapt to the low
oxygen conditions.
One of the first changes that occur as you begin to
climb, is that you start to breathe more quickly.
Rapid breathing allows your lungs to take up as much
oxygen as possible from the thin air. Over a number
of days and weeks your body also starts to produce
more red blood cells. They help your body store and
transport oxygen more efficiently to all your vital
organs.
At the peak of Mount Everest, the air is very thin
- there's only one third as much oxygen as there is
at sea level. This simple fact, more than any other,
explains why climbing Mt. Everest is such a challenge,
because without air, the human body begins to shut
down. As you climb higher, the slightest physical
exertion takes enormous effort
The window of opportunity to climb for summit attempts
is best in May; therefore, the team will:
- Depart on March 31st;
- Trek to basecamp, April 4–23;
- Summit attempt in mid-May;
- Return approximately June 1st
Sherpas
Sherpas have been the backbone of nearly every Everest
attempt, since the beginning. When Sir Edmond Hillary
reached the summit in 1953, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay
was by his side. Today, most expeditions still rely
on Sherpa knowledge and endurance for their success
- there's no group in the world as well adapted to
high altitude conditions as the Sherpa.
Due to centuries of adaptation at these high altitudes,
Sherpas have a body uniquely adapted for life at the
top of the world.
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