Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
The Khumbu is starting to fill up with climbers. With now over 138 Everest permits issued, they have left Kathmandu and most flew to Lukla, the traditional start of the week-long walk to Everest Base Camp. For some, the flight to Lukla will be a highlight of their trip.
Arriving in Kathmandu is when many people feel their adventure begins. A city with a long history dating to 185 AD, the capital of Nepal has grown to over 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu Valley. Sadly the streets are congested and the city has one of the worse air quality indexes in the world. However, it remains a city rich in culture and deserving of a day or two for tourism.
On the last day of March 2021 climbers are streaming into Kathmandu. Some have already flown to Lukla and have started their trek to Everest Base Camp. Still, others are climbing lesser peaks like Lobuche East or Island Peak for acclimatization hoping to reduce their trips through the Khumbu Icefall by at least one rotation. #everest2021
Leaving home to climb Mt. Everest is no simple task. It’s not a business trip; it’s not a vacation; it’s something entirely different. While it may be your dream, for those left behind, it can be something altogether different. As we approach the end of March, scores of climbers are going through this process for Everest 2021 and this is the time for “nothing left unsaid”
Talking about the Volcanic Seven Summits and the High Point on the Moon in a Tesla with Dave Roskelley is the only American to have climbed the Seven Summits (Messner list) AND the Volcanic Seven Summits. We talk about the why, when, where, and how plus his next big project – to take a Tesla to the high point on the Moon!!!
The Everest 2021 season is about to get started in earnest. Climber after climber and team after team are leaving home and in many cases, scores of Sherpas are on their way to Everest Base Camp to being the arduous process of establishing a home for over 700 people this spring season.
As I’ve noted, the vast majority of the climbing will be on the Nepal side as China has closed Tibet to all foreigners and only a couple of Chinese national teams are anticipated to climb from that side in 2021. We’ll see if they open up for autumn climbs.
Who else can you discuss summiting Mt. Everest and dodging polar bears with other than Ryan Waters, of Mountain Professionals? I grabbed Ryan just before he left for Everest 2021. We talked about Everest, of course, and COVID, quarantine, and the confusion around photographs taking and sharing. But we also went into his polar trips to the North and South Poles and his encounters with Polar Bears!!! Scary stuff!!
Spring in the Himalayas doesn’t just mean Everest, there are 13 others in the mix and each Spring a few also see significant traffic. Let’s take a look.
It’s rare to catch Maya Sherpa for an interview but I did as she was leaving for a double 8000-meter climb of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. She holds the record for most 8000ers for a Nepali female at 6 with Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, Cho Oyu, and K2. We talked about how a girl from rural Nepal broke into the male-dominated world of mountaineering, not only as a climber but also as a guide. She talked about her now 11-year-old daughter and how she wants to use their climbing to inspire others, especially this next generation of young ladies. An informative and inspirational interview with something for everyone. Enjoy!
If I were climbing Everest in 2021, I hope that there was nothing left to be done except spend quality time with my friends and family and hope the virus doesn’t take more lives than the mountain does. But for the moment, let’s pretend the virus is not a factor.
Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
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