health & safety – Page 69

December 24, 2009November 17, 2014

Everest trek – day 11

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Over the Kongma La 5535m (18,159ft)

I heard plenty of warnings about the 9hr crossing. But in perfect weather … if you are already acclimatized to altitude, it’s only moderately difficult.

One of two access trails climbs quickly up and away from the Nuptse Glacier. And away from “teahouse trekking”. There are no facilities along the way. This is true high altitude wilderness.

I loved it.

It starts with an easy grassy valley walk. And ends in “… a lunar landscape of icy lakes and frozen ridges …”

I scrambled part way up a ridge of Pokalde Peak 5806m (19,048ft). As you can see, it’s not difficult.

This is not the route used by most trekking peak groups, however. (I didn’t want to get in trouble for not having a “trekking peak permit”.)

What a view from on high!

I lingered long at the pass 5535m (18,159ft), so late that I was the last trekker to cross that day.

The descent from the pass is the most difficult part of Kongma La … scrambling frozen loose scree for 2hrs Yuck.

I could have just barely made it down to the village of Lobuche before dark … but I’d heard bad things about those guest houses. Lobuche is a messy, littered place, the least appealing of any accommodation I saw in the Khumbu region.

Instead I set up the tent above 5000m.

Wish me luck. It’s going to be COLD.

see all photos from day 11

… on to days 12-13

days: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12-13|14|15|16|17| info page

December 21, 2009November 17, 2014

Everest trek – day 8

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

It might have been a mistake to tent at 4800m (15,750ft). I was 12hrs huddling, full clothed, in the sleeping bag with my electronics. (Freezing the batteries would kill them.)

Next morning neither of my lighters wanted to function. My boots and stove were frozen solid.

After much fussing, I finally managed to light the stove … to unthaw my boots enough to get my feet into them. Yeesh!

Fact is, I’m one of the only independent hikers carrying a tent. (People thought I was crazy to carry the weight when rooms cost less than $3 and restaurants are available every hour along the main trails.)

But I enjoy sleeping in a tent. You feel much more connected with the mountains.

Happily the morning dawned sunny, cold and clear.

Everyone had the same idea … RUSH to Everest to see the summit in good weather. The world’s highest mountain’s notoriously hostile microclimate oft has the peak in cloud. It had been shrouded for at least the past week.

But for me that would mean over 800m elevation gain in one day. Risky.

hmmm … I decided to go for it.

Gorak Shep 5164m (translation Dead Ravens) is the last village before Mt Everest.

I’d heard some bad things about these remote guest houses. But I loved the outpost. One of my favourite stops on the entire trek.

After lunch I psyched up for the 2hr climb up this deceptively easy looking “hill”, Kala Patthar. 5643m (18,513ft). It has a couple of false summits.

The intimidating mountain in the background is Pumori 7161m (23,494 ft).

Most agree that the best viewpoint of Mt Everest from the south is from the brown top of that lump. That said, there truly are no great hiking trail vistas of Everest from the south. All it’s neighbours look higher and more impressive.

As usual, it was very windy at the top of Kala Patthar.

But I was thrilled to have made it here with such good visibility.

Everyone was thankful we had been so “lucky” with the weather.

At this point I felt my trek had already been a “success”. The rest would be bonus.

all photos from day 8

… on to day 9

days: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12-13|14|15|16|17| info page

December 17, 2009November 17, 2014

Everest trek – day 4

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Acclimatization day trekking around Namche Bazaar.

Gorgeous.

I was there for the famed Saturday Market. Cheap goods from China were being hawked by colourful Tibetan traders in the main market ground.

… But it seemed to me that there was no difference between Saturday and every other day of the week. The Tibetans were camped out semi-permanently while I was there. (They did a lot of drinking on the Friday night.)

A secondary local market was open Saturday morning, mainly Nepalis selling food stuffs.

I toured fascinating Namche town first. The small Buddhist gompa is lovely.

Next I did an acclimatization hike called Sherpa Villages of Khumbu. (4hrs)

It started with an off-trail scramble up to the quarries of Zarok. Weird and beautiful.

I was keen to see the seldom used airfield above town built specifically for the ill-fated Everest View Hotel. This Japanese project proposed to fly guests into this airstrip at 3800m directly from Kathmandu, using pressurised rooms and piped oxygen to combat altitude sickness. The Hotel was open, but I didn’t see many guests.

Surprisingly, a plane flew in to the Shyangboche airstrip. It unloaded everything, even the wings.

Climbing over a ridge I came upon one of the cleanest, best organized villages in the Khumbu.

Khunde and neighbouring Khumjung were by far the least littered towns I saw. Perhaps it’s the influence of Sir Edmund’s school.

All-in-all this rest day was one of the very best of the entire trip.

all photos from day 4

… on to day 5

days: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12-13|14|15|16|17| info page

December 14, 2009April 18, 2018

Everest trek – day 1

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

I’ll post a photo trip report of my superb 17 day trek in the Everest region of Nepal, over the next 17 days.

The highlight of the day was flying in to Lukla Airport 9,380ft (2,860m), officially named Tenzing-Hillary Airport since 2008.

That landing is enough to get your heart rate up above 200.

The safety statistics are comparatively good for a short takeoff runway. Comparatively good means planes have only crashed 3 times recently, 1991, 2004 and 2008. Everyone was killed except for the pilot in 2008.

(Actually, the taxi ride from Kathmandu to the Airport is likely statistically more dangerous.)

Immediately the mountain views are stunning. Is that Everest?

The mantra out of Lukla is SLOWLY, SLOWLY. It takes some time to acclimatize to the 2800m elevation. We did not walk far day 1.

This elevation is still surprisingly warm and lush considering the date, Nov. 11th, 2009.

A group of us hiking independently (no guide, no porters) stayed together until the village of Phakding. I checked into a room (less than $1 / night) and crashed for the evening without dinner.

I was altitude sick … complicating my KathmanFlu.

more photos from Everest trek – day 1

… on to day 2

days: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12-13|14|15|16|17| info page

December 11, 2009

hiking the mountains of Iran

When flying over the country recently I studied for almost an hour the impressive mountains of Iran. Big and mostly empty of people.

Alborz Mountain Range and Mt Damavand by Views of the Earth_5 — Alborz Mountain Range, Caspian Sea

That image by Views of the Earth is posted on an excellent website called Iran Nature.

All useful information you need to visit Iran natural and historical attractions and landscapes. Hiking & trekking Iran nature and ecosystem, Iran mountain, valley, and cave, Iran forest and garden, Iran plain and desert, Iran lake, river, spring, and waterfall, Iran protected and wildlife zone, Iran island.

The most popular adventure in Iran is climbing Mount Damavand, the highest peak 5671m (18,605ft). It’s near Tehran.

Personally I’m more interested in hiking opportunities. But I cannot find much information on the web. Leave a comment if you have any advice about trekking in Iran.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has many problems these days. Too many problems to think much about the 3 American hikers who entered Iran illegally, accidentally, from Iraq.

He did say that he hopes the punishment dealt out by the Iranian judge is not too severe.

December 1, 2009November 29, 2009

pack it out? … to where?

So said Sir Edmund Hillary in Nepal.

Any hiker carrying their trash back from the Himalaya to Kathmandu is making a mistake. The capital of Nepal has a worse trash disposal system than either Namche Bazaar or Lukla, in the mountains.

Should we carry trash all the back to our home nation? … Think of the carbon footprint.

As far as I’m concerned, in Nepal it’s best to burn paper in the mountains. Shatter glass into a remote waterfall. Bury metal under a pile of stones.

I did the same in the Andes.

This all contradicts the dictates of the Nepali National Parks.

Leave a comment if you have a contrary opinion.

November 8, 2009November 10, 2009

Three Passes of Everest

by site editor Rick McCharles

I’ll try for the most difficult of the “established” treks in the Everest region.

To the seekers of adventure and authenticicity, this is an ultimate trek, that will take you throught the famous three passes of Everest , namely the Renjo La pass, the Cho La pass and the Kongma La pass. It is a trek with unparalled alpine beauty and without doubt the grandest mountain scenery on the world.The highlights of the trek include the Sherpa village of Khumjung, the pristine Gokyo lake, the breathtaking scenery fron the all these passes and the vist to Everest base camp. Unlike other treks in Everest region , this trek makes a loop , hence no tracing back of the route. The good thing about this trek is despite having to cross three passes , you do not require any technical climbing and any person with good fitness and previous trekking experience can complete the trek successfully. …

details of a guided trek

3-passes

I’ll be hiking independently, looking for other independents to hike with en route.

Tea houses are available everywhere, aside from long sections over the 3 passes.

Very few internet cafes are available up that high.

November 2, 2009May 15, 2013

Waimoku Falls / Pipiwai Trail, Maui

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Most tourists in Maui drive a rent-a-car to Kipahulu Visitors Center in Haleakala National Park, the end of the famed Road to Hana.

The main attraction are the so called “Seven Sacred Pools“, a name invented by some overzealous tourism marketer. In reality, the ʻOheʻo Gulch has dozens of pools and a number of waterfalls, a few very welcoming of swimmers.

Welcoming if you’re not scared off the warning signs posted everywhere.

warning-sign

I spent only a few minutes at the pools, instead quickly beginning the climb up Pipiwai Trail. I knew it would be fantastic as Trailspotting calls it their “favorite hike on Maui”:

Distance: 4 miles
Type: Out & Back
Difficulty: Medium
Elevation gain: 900ft (from 200 – 1,200ft)

Beginning at the rugged and remote eastern Maui coastline follow the Pipiwai stream inland and you’ll soon be surrounded by dense jungle, heading towards a series of waterfalls each increasingly more impressive than the last. En route you’ll cross bridges and streams, and negotiate an unforgettable boardwalk journey through a dense bamboo forest that towers so far above your head that daylight struggles to reach you. And since the Hawaiian islands are some of the wettest places on earth, you’re sure to be impressed with the towering 400 foot wall of water at the end of the trail that is Waimoku Falls. …

Pipiwai Waterfalls & Bamboo Trail

The bamboo was the highlight for me, too.

Actually, this kind of bamboo is one of those dread invasive species. But it’s an invasive species I love. I’m an invasive species, myself.

You’ll be warned about mosquitos. I never saw even one during 2wks on Maui in October.

Pipiwai gets better and better the closer you get to Waimoku Falls.

Click that last photo to see a larger version of a true Hawaiian paradise.

The other highlight of this hike for me was tenting at Kipahulu Campground right at the trailhead.

Waimoku Falls Pipiwai Trail map

I spent two nights. It’s free after you pay for your National Parks pass. Authorities are frantically improving the visitor center right now. I expect the primitive campground will be improved, as well.

Walking the shoreline here is highly recommended. A half mile stretch is called the KAHAKAI TRAIL.

See all my photos from Pipiwai, one of the very best hikes in the world.

Or, better, check out Stuart’s photos – Trailspotting: Hawaii, Maui: Pipiwai Waterfalls. Click on his trail map for a larger view.

Leave a comment if you’ve done Pipiwai and have something to add.

October 28, 2009

19yr-old killed by coyotes

What?

I’d never before heard of an attack on humans by coyotes, never mind a death.

This tragedy in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

… Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Taylor Mitchell was “an old soul” despite her young age …

… Mitchell, hiking alone on the Skyline Trail, was attacked by coyotes Tuesday afternoon. According to park officials, other hikers nearby managed to scare off the animals and call 911. The singer was hospitalized in Cheticamp and later airlifted to Halifax, where she died at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. …

CBC – Coyote attack silences emerging Toronto talent

taylormitchell-consideration

One article stated that the “eastern coyote that lives in the Cape Breton park has interbred with wolves and is somewhat larger than its western ancestors”.

Our sympathies to friends and family.

October 22, 2009October 8, 2009

where to hike Summer 2010

Hmm. …

I’m leaning towards the U.S.A.

Possibilities:

→ Sierra High Route, California

→ Continental Divide Trail – Indian Peaks Wilderness to the South San Juan Wilderness, Colorado

→ Lake Tahoe Rim Trail, California

→ Wonderland Trail, Washington

→ Enchantment Traverse, Washington (friends loved this area, hiking it this past summer)

→ Chinese Wall, Montana

→ Maroon Bells Loop, Colorado