Indian children say very excited to reach Mt Everest base camp

Indian children say very excited to reach Mt Everest base camp

The two Indian siblings who successfully reached the base camp of the world’s highest peak Mount Everest, becoming the youngest climbers to reach the destination, on Saturday said the experience was “very exciting”.Five-year-old Kandarp Sharma and 8-year-old Ritwika successfully reached the base camp situated at an altitude of 5,380 metres in northeast Nepal on Monday. “It was very exciting experience for me to reach the base camp,” Ritwika told reporters here. “We saw snow falling from the mountain there and also saw the Everest which was very close from us.” The siblings reached the base camp of the 8,848-metre peak accompanied by their parents. After reaching Kalapatthar, the children had chanted ‘Bharat Maata Ki Jay’ and hoisted the tri-colour.

india children reach everest base camp

First-grader Kandarp and fourth-grader Ritvika are students of Little Angels High School in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Both of them are national adventure sports players and are the world’s youngest siblings to scale such height. “It was a challenge for us and we have accepted it, without hesitation,” said Bhupendra Sharma, father of the two. Sharma, an adventure coach with 20 years of experience as international mountaineer, said: “Along with breaking the world record in mountaineering, the siblings also excelled in other sports including horse riding, swimming, parasailing, river crossing, jumaring, parallel rope traverse, flying fox, rock climbing and rippling where they have won many awards.”

Sharad Pradhan, media consultant of the Nepal Tourism Board, said the two Indian children have not only shown their love for mountains, but have also helped in promoting tourism in Nepal at a time when the country suffers in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in April. The Kalapatthar peak is higher than the highest peaks in the US, Europe and Antarctica. By reaching the base camp, Kandarp broke the record previously held by Harshit who had reached the base camp in 2014 at the age of 5 years and 11 months.

The successful expedition has send a message to world climbers that the Everest trekking circuit was not damaged by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated other parts of the country and claimed nearly 9,000 lives. Felicitations and greetings have poured in for the children from many countries. Despite the difficulty, the two kids showed courage as big as the mountains themselves and by climbing the mountain in this challenging time for Nepal they helped in promoting tourism.

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Source: zeenews.india.com

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Everest Base Camp Trek among National Geographic’s World’s Best Hikes: 20 Dream Trails

Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal

Mt-Everest Base Camp

Hiker: Jim Whittaker, mountaineer

In His Words

I would recommend the trek to Everest Base Camp to anybody. The people are incredible, the scenery can’t be beat, and you get to take a look at Everest or Chomolungma, meaning the “Goddess Mother of the World.” It’s spectacular just to see the highest point on planet Earth. In 1963, it was a 185-mile trip. These days you can start by flying into to Lukla, a village at 9,000 feet with a slanted airstrip that makes for a hell of a takeoff and landing. In May, the rhododendrons are in bloom with orchids growing in them. There are guest houses on the way up. You can get a beer. There are waste baskets on the trail. They have done a nice job of cleaning it up. I made the trek to Everest Base Camp last year but had to turn back near the camp due to intestinal difficulties. I went ten years ago for the 40th anniversary of the climb with Gombu [Nawang Gombu Sherpa who summited with Whittaker in 1963] and our families. That is when my son Leif decided he wanted to climb it. Who knows, I might wander up there again. —Jim Whittaker

Length: About 40 miles

The Details: The two-week trek to Everest Base Camp and back has become increasingly popular—REI even runs a trip—but no less spectacular, if you don’t mind how much the route and the now-bottlenecked climb to the summit have changed since 1963. And why not? It’s a bucket list trip available to people who don’t have the ability (or money, a guided trip to the top of the world runs around $50,000) to actually climb Everest. Simply viewing the peak is a must. And while so many books and films have focused on the trip from Base Camp to the summit, the journey to Base Camp is no less miraculous.

Beyond the chance to come face to face with the mountain from the spot where climbers begin their ascent, the route passes through the heart of the Khumbu region and wanders into its bustling, little capital, Namche Bazaar. Perched at 11,286 feet, this is where most trekkers spend a few days getting acclimatized and immersing themselves in the local culture—as well as returning to their own by checking email at an Internet cafe. From here, the trek heads up past smaller villages, like at 13,074-foot Pangboche, with its famed Buddhist monastery, before topping out at 17,650 feet at base camp, with the summit towering over 11,000 feet above.

Don’t feel bad if climbers who are acclimatizing at Everest Base Camp seem to keep at a distance from you—they don’t want to be exposed to germs from trekkers before making an attempt at the highest spot on planet Earth. And while many trekkers are quite content just looking at that summit, some others, like Leif Whittaker, feel the urge to return.

When to Go: Spring from March until the monsoons move in in May is best but September–November after the monsoon season can be beautiful as well, and a bit less crowded.

 About Whittaker: Jim Whittaker became the first American to stand on the summit of Mount Everest on May 1, 1963, for which he and the members of his team were awarded National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal and invited to the White House by President John F. Kennedy. Before he climbed to the top of the world, Whittaker was already a proficient mountaineer in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and like many climbing bums he worked in outdoor retail—he was the first full-time employee at Seattle’s Recreation Equipment, Inc. (REI), and later its CEO. He also led the first successful American summit of 18,151-foot K2—the world’s second highest mountain and a more difficult climb than Everest—in 1978 and the 1990 Everest Peace Climb, which included American, Soviet, and Chinese mountaineers and helped remove two tons of trash from the mountain. His son Leif followed in his father’s footsteps, reaching the top of the world in 2010 and again in 2012 when Jim set out on the Base Camp trek with him.

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Source: National Geographic

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Nepal trekking routes condition – update

Nepal trekking routes condition – update

Here’s the latest from our team in Nepal on the current state of many of the trekking routes and climbing areas. Overall, it’s a very positive message.

Nepal-trekking-updates

Dolpo – All the trails are intact. This area didn’t even feel the tremor of the earthquake. Just a few days ago a group flew to Phoksundo and walked back down to Juphal. Some private groups are still trekking from Juphal to Jomsom. Tarak Shahi, our contact in Juphal, says he has bookings at his lodge for this monsoon. All the locals are busy in Yarsa Gumpa harvest and traveling to high mountains to collect Yarchagumba (an aphrodisiac herb which earn them a fortune).

Dhaulagiri Circuit – No damage to the trekking trails, Karma Gyalze (one of our senior Sirdars) contacted the Tea house owner at Italian base camp and the Trans Himalaya lodge in Marpha. Similarly, Sirdar, Lhakpa ‘Tomato’ has checked on the trail from Beni-Darbang-Italian base camp, where there is no evidence of damage or changes to the trail. The locals who run little tea shops at Italian BC have just came down to villages for their off-season break.

Phu Naar – No damage to the trekking trails, but there is a section in-between Koto and Metha through the woods which is prone to rock fall. This appeared after the second earthquake, with locals warning of precaution moving across this section. BB Rai through local contacts confirmed that trail to Phu – upper route – Kangla pass – Manang are fine.

Annapurna Circuit – Mingma collected information through a lodge owner, Amrit Gurung, of the Thorong La lodge at Besisahar. The trails in this area are fine, though some sections are prone to landslides when descending to Jomsom via Tilicho Lake.

Annapurna Sanctuary – Mingma collected information through lodge owners at Chomrong, Bamboo, Himalaya, Deurali and Machhupuchare Base Camp. The trails are fine, with lodges running as normal. The owner of the Mountain View lodge reported that at least 2 to 3 groups were heading towards Machhupuchare BC every day.

Annapurna foothill trek – The owner of the Green View lodge in Ghorepani told us that the Annapurna foothill trek was accessible, the trails from Demuwa-Thulo Chaur-Jogikuti-Ghorepani-Tada Pani–Ghandruk and Nayapul are fine, with locals travelling from Ghorpani, Ullare to Jaljale to collect grasses for cattle, wild mushroom and dry wood almost everyday.

Mustang – Trails in this region are fine but most of the monasteries were damaged in the quake and a few collapsed. As per Ram Bista, a lodge owner at Lo-Mathang, the King’s Palace in Chharang and Lo-Mathang also suffered some damage.

Everest Base Camp – Local guide, Chogba, reported that the trail from Jiri –Shivalaya-Junbesi-Thaksindo–Kharikhola–Paiya- ukla or Phakding is fine, with the locals travelling along this every day. The trail near Phakding was blocked by a landslide about 20 metres wide, but the locals have already made a new trail which avoids it. The trail from Monjo to Namche is fine. Tenzing, the previous monk of Tyangbuche Gompa and the owner of Rivendale and Gomba lodge, said that a few lodges are damaged in Phakding, Monjo, Namche, Tyangbuche, Debuche, Pheruche, Dingbuche and Lobuche, but most of them have been rebuilt and are ready to business.

Mera Peak – Gyalzen TT and Dawa Tamang have contacted the locals in Khare. They said that there is no damage to trails but a few tea houses suffered damage. Rebuilding is in progress and all affected lodges are expected to be in working condition for the autumn season.

Island Peak – Conditions are fine, with a few people having climbed the mountain since the earthquake.

Kangchenjunga – Karma (Chinese) has contacted the locals in Yamphudin. The trail from Gopetar to Yamphudin and across the Sele La to Ghunsa is fine. Mingma also talked with Chungdak Sherpa, a lodge owner at the Kangchenjunga Guest house in Ghunsa. He said that the route above Ghunsa to Pangpema was fine, as was the route down to Taplejung and Suketar. The locals have been travelling back and forth along this as usual.

Rolwaling – no update as yet.

Manaslu – no update as yet, though reports are that much of the trail has been affected by the earthquake.

Langtang – as has been widely reported, the Langtang Valley was devastated by the earthquake. It is difficult to imagine trekking being possible here for some time to come.

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Source: www.jagged-globe.co.uk

Over 70% of glacier volume in Everest region could be lost by 2100

Over 70% of glacier volume in Everest region could be lost by 2100

A team of researchers in Nepal, France and the Netherlands have found Everest glaciers could be very sensitive to future warming, and that sustained ice loss through the 21st century is likely. If greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise, glaciers in the Everest region of the Himalayas could experience dramatic change in the decades to come according to a research published in The Cryosphere, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

 Instruments used to study the Mera Glacier region of the Dudh Kosi basin Credit: Patrick Wagnon

Instruments used to study the Mera Glacier region of the Dudh Kosi basin Credit: Patrick Wagnon

“The signal of future glacier change in the region is clear: continued and possibly accelerated mass loss from glaciers is likely given the projected increase in temperatures,” says Joseph Shea, a glacier hydrologist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal, and leader of the study.

The glacier model used by Shea and his team shows that glacier volume could be reduced between 70% and 99% by 2100. The results depend on how much greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise, and on how this will affect temperature, snowfall and rainfall in the area.

“Our results indicate that these glaciers may be highly sensitive to changes in temperature, and that increases in precipitation are not enough to offset the increased melt,” says Shea. Increased temperatures will not only increase the rates of snow and ice melt, but can also result in a change of precipitation from snow to rain at critical elevations, where glaciers are concentrated. Together, these act to reduce glacier growth and increase the area exposed to melt.

Glaciers in High Mountain Asia, a region that includes the Himalayas, contain the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions. The team studied glaciers in the Dudh Kosi basin in the Nepal Himalaya, which is home to some of the world’s highest mountain peaks, including Mt Everest, and to over 400 square kilometres of glacier area. “Apart from the significance of the region, glaciers in the Dudh Kosi basin contribute meltwater to the Kosi River, and glacier changes will affect river flows downstream,” says Shea.

Changes in glacier volume can impact the availability of water, with consequences for agriculture and hydropower generation. While increased glacier melt initially increases water flows, ongoing retreat leads to reduced meltwater from the glaciers during the warmer months, with greatest impact for the local populations before the monsoon when rainfall is scarce. Glacier retreat can also result in the formation and growth of lakes dammed by glacial debris. Avalanches and earthquakes can breach the dams, causing catastrophic floods that can result in river flows 100 times greater than normal in the Kosi basin.

To find out how glaciers in the region will evolve in the future, the team started by using field observations and data from local weather stations to calibrate and test a model of glacier change over the past 50 years. “To examine the sensitivity of modelled glaciers to future climate change, we then applied eight temperature and precipitation scenarios to the historical temperature and precipitation data and tracked how glacier areas and volumes responded,” says study co-author Walter Immerzeel of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Part of the glacier response is due to changes in the freezing level, the elevation where mean monthly temperatures are 0°C. “The freezing level currently varies between 3200 m in January and 5500 m in August. Based on historical temperature measurements and projected warming to the year 2100, this could increase by 800–1200m,” says Immerzeel. “Such an increase would not only reduce snow accumulations over the glaciers, but would also expose over 90% of the current glacierized area to melt in the warmer months.”

The researchers caution, however, that the results published in The Cryosphere should be seen as a first approximation to how Himalayan glaciers will react to increasing temperatures in the region. Patrick Wagnon, a visiting scientist at ICIMOD and glaciologist at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in Grenoble, France, says: “Our estimates need to be taken very cautiously, as considerable uncertainties remain.” For example, the model simplifies glacier movements, which impact how glaciers respond to increases in temperature and precipitation.

But the researchers stress in the paper that “the signal of future glacier change in the region is clear and compelling” and that decreases in ice thickness and extent are expected for “even the most conservative climate change scenario.”

The research team is composed of J.M. Shea (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development [ICIMOD], Kathmandu, Nepal), W.W. Immerzeel (ICIMOD and Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, the Netherlands), P. Wagnon (ICIMOD and Laboratoire d’étude des transferts en hydrologie, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Grenoble, France), C. Vincent (Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France) and S. Bajracharya (ICIMOD). – ICIMOD

For more info : www.the-cryosphere.net