Nepal - Page 48

This is Dusharin Ivan, a guide of the 7 Summits Club. I am now on 4900. Today we climbed the Mera Peak. And tomorrow we will try to fly to Kathmandu and then toMoscow... In the group all is okay. Climbing today was made in bad weather, but with success. No Problem. All okay. I was Ivan Dusharin. All the best!

Ivan Dusharin, vice-president of Russian Mountaineering Federation, went to Nepal on Meru Peak, as the guide of 7 Summits Club. Members of a new expedition - a close-knit team, whose members are preparing for serious climbing - storming the Himalayan peaks of Cho Oyu (8201 m). In preparation for the expedition to this eight-thouthander, they made two ascents of Elbrus with the 7 Summits Club this season. Now the team is going to Mera Peak, and in spring they are going to Cho Oyu.
Today, arriving in Kathmandu, the group has already been at afternoon in Lukla and began a program of acclimatization.

Ivan Dusharin: We are in Lukla, the flight went normally. We are staying in the loggia "Everest". But here we were not satisfied with the catering. So we had dinner in the lodge "Himalaya". Tomorrow we plan to go up the valley, according to the plan. No more problems. Today we walked around Lukla, bought some stuff. Bye! Ivan Dusharin.

Solemn meeting to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Everest held inKathmandu.Russiawas represented by 7 people.

Meeting friends: Lena Trishankova (7 Summits Adventures), Alex Abramov (Everest five times summiter), Leila Albogachiev (twice Everest summiter), Marianne Surunchal, Vladimir Shataev (summiter ofMount Everest), Maadyr Khovalyg.

Seventh – Slava Skripko, he stands on the right.

This morning, Leila Albogachieva climbed Mount Everest from the south side - from Nepal! Two of our high-altitude guides Nurbi Maila Sherpa and Dorchi Sherpa accompanied her. Last year, for the first time Leila ascended the Mount of Everest from the Tibetan side, and at the same time she decided to return and climb to the Roof of the World again.

Leila is the first Russian woman climbed both Everest side. She is from the republic of Ingushetia(the North Caucasus).

Maila – Leila – Alex Abramov in Kathmandu

With the flag of the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2013!

Leila Albogachieva brought with flag Olympics inSochi, which she was given in the Olympic Committee inMoscowwith a request to place it on the summit of Everest. Russian Ambassador to Nepal Sergey Velichkin received a delegation of 7 Summits Club

See some pictures from the climb

Denis Saveliev sent pictures from the latest climb.

Hi, Club ! This is Denis Saveliev from Nepal. Yesterday we successfully climbed Island Peak. We were six, one guide and 5 members. Marina was waiting for us in the assault camp. Now we are in Chukung and we are starting to the way back to home. Best regards !

This Mayday holidays the 7 Summits Club sent a big group for Mera Peak program. Our guide Olga Rumiantseva spent two days meeting members arrived separately. Standard program in Kathmandu includes some sightseeing and some briefings. Today with big problem they managed to reach Lukla. The trip begin..

Photos from Kathmandu

Lyubov Pershina - from Nepal. Today two groups of the 7 Summits Club passed  from Phading to Namche-Bazar. We go together. It is Denis Savelyev's group which goes according to the program Island Peak climb. And Lyubov Pershina's group, that travelling according to the program Trek to the base camp of Everest. Th weather was good, we reached Namche in five and a half hours. Now we have a rest. Tomorrow we will go on sightseng. And most important: hike on an observation point - to see Everest...

Thank you Nepal. We had busy days and wonderful evenings, we had fun in our beloved Kathmandu. But now we are landed in the capital of Tibet, at a new altitude. The journey to Everest begins.

Photos of Denis Provalov

In the airport.

for the beginning of a briefing.

A speech of Alex.

 General  and official photo: 31 members and guides.

Dinner in the Royal Palace

Alex with employees of the Russian Embassy in Nepal

KATHMANDU: An “icefall doctor” has died after falling into a crevasse in Mount Everest on Sunday, the Annapurna Post reported.

Mingmar Sherpa (45) who died after a fatal fall while returning from Camp 2 was one of the six icefall doctors assigned to set and maintain the safest path in the world’s highest peak for this season.

They were returning to Camp 1 after laying down a series of ladders across the crevasses yesterday. The site is said to be 200 metres away from the Camp 1.

According to Captain Siddhartha Gurung of Simrik Air, who was involved in the rescue operation, five others in the group are safe.

Sherpas who maintain the safest path in the mountains for other climbers are regarded as icefall doctors.

The deceased hailed from Goratapting of Solukhumbu and was currently residing in Dingboche of the district. He was into the profession for nine years and was regarded as an experience icefall doctor.

He is survived by his wife and a son.

Captain Gurung informed that Sherpa’s body could not be lifted from the incident site due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Due to bad weather we forced to stay over in Febiche today, he told the Annapurna Post, “We will head to the site tomorrow morning (Monday) along with a team of experts for the rescue operation.”

Mountaineers are heading to the Everest base camp for the upcoming climbing season.

www.thehimalayantimes.com

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As the border with China was open we sent a first track to the base camp

On Sunday in Nepal there is a general strike. The strike almost paralyzed the country's life. Maoists so begin preparation for the general elections to the constituent assembly of the country.

Meanwhile, we need to work. In Kathmandu, all expedition guides arrived: Sergei Larin, Denis Provalov and Noel Hanna. Preparation enters on the final stage.

Leila Albogachieva from Ingushetia last year climbedMount Everestin the expedition of 7 Summits Club under the leadership of Alexander Abramov. This year, she decided to try to climb a different route - from the south. 7 Summits-adventure Co has been organizing this climb.

Leila Albogachieva brought with flag Olympics in Sochi, which she was given in the Olympic Committee in Moscow with a request to place it on the summit of Everest. Russian Ambassador to Nepal Sergey Velichkin received a delegation of 7 Summits Club …

In the airport Leila was met by Alex and  Mayla, her partner from last year expedition

Alex was met by our Nepal chief Mingma (7 Summits Adventure Co) and his friends Nima and Pemba.

This will be the 10th in a row, that is, the jubilee expedition, it will join a record number of participants. 27 clients and 5 guides will be at the base camp at Rongbuk Glacier. Our subsidiary 7 Summits Adventure Co has been involved in the preparation of the season.

In the expedition of 7 Summits Club 13 members will climb with permits for the summit of Everest, 4 guides will work with them, 7 pax have permits for Changtse, 2 – for North Col (1 guide), 6 persons have the right to go up to camp ABC.

Besides the main ascent, Alexander Abramov plans to re-try a new route: traverse Changtse - Everest.

In two days Alexander Abramov will fly to Nepal to Kathmandu to do on-site preparation for the great expedition of 7 Summits Club on Everest. This will be the 10th in a row, that is, the jubilee expedition, it will join a record number of participants. 27 clients and 5 guides will be at the base camp at Rongbuk Glacier. Our subsidiary 7 Summits Adventure Co has been involved in the preparation of the season.

In the expedition of 7 Summits Club 13 members will climb with permits for the summit of Everest, 4 guides will work with them, 7 pax have permits for Changtse, 2 – for North Col (1 guide), 6 persons have the right to go up to camp ABC.

Besides the main ascent, Alexander Abramov plans to re-try a new route: traverse Changtse - Everest.

Generally 7 Summits Club sends toNepalthree large groups: forIslandPeak, for MeruPeakand for the classic trekking to Everest base camp.

THE NOMINATED ASCENTS

Kamet (7,756m), India

Kamet is the highest mountain inIndiafor which it is currently possible to gain a permit, and the ca 2,000m southwest face was previously unattempted. After establishing an advanced base in the glacier bowl below this steep mixed wall, Sebastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sebastien Moatti and Sebastien Ratel (France) climbed it, alpine-style, in five days. They found conditions excellent and connected a succession of steep snow fields linked by often vertical ice pitches to reach a bivouac on the south ridge at 7,500m. The summit day presented unexpected difficulties, after which the team descended to the bivouac and next day went down the previously untouched south face.

Shiva (6,142m),India

Elegance summarizes the traverse of this mountain east of Kishtwar, effected via the arrow-like northeast ridge, dubbed the Prow of Shiva, followed by a descent of the south ridge. It was the fifth known ascent of the mountain. Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden (UK), 2003 recipients of a Piolet d'Or, completed a traverse in a nine-day round trip from base camp, finding sustained climbing on the Prow, which ranged from numerous pitches up icy cracks in Chamonix-style granite to long, protectionless leads on thinly-iced slabs reminiscent of winter climbing on Ben Nevis.

Muztagh Tower(7,284m),Pakistan.

Much discussed, though never previously attempted, the 2,000m northeast spur of this iconic Karakoram peak took Russians Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange and Sergey Nilov (Russia) 17 days to complete. The three climbed alpine-style but took a large haul bag of food and fuel, a strategy which allowed them to sit out, or persevere slowly through bad weather. The technical crux proved to be the very steep rock barrier between 6,600m and 6,900m. Supplies ran out shortly before they gained the main (east) summit, and in bad weather they were unable to reach the northwest ridge, their planned descent. Instead, they came straight down the north face.

Baintha Brakk (a.k.a The Ogre, 7,285m),Pakistan

The Ogre is one of the most celebrated of the world's mountains yet until last year had been summited only twice, and never from the south, despite many attempts. Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, and Josh Wharton (USA) chose a cunning line up the southeast ridge to southeast face to south face. Gaining the upper south face involved a steep traverse across complete rubble and, higher, they overcame hard sections of mixed ground. From a bivouac at 6,900m, Dempster and Kennedy reached the summit but then had to make a difficult descent with an unwell Wharton.

Nanga Parbat (8,125m), WesternHimalaya,Pakistan

The complete Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat was undoubtedly one of the most famous unclimbed lines on the great peaks of the Karakoram/Himalaya, having been attempted many times, and by some of the world's greatest mountaineers. It is arguably the longest ridge on any of the 8,000m peaks, variously quoted as 10-13km. Veteran Himalayan activists Sandy Allan and Rick Allen (UK), accompanied for much of the way by Cathy O'Dowd (S Africa), Lhakpa Rangdu Sherpa, Lhakpa Zarok Sherpa and Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa (Nepal), took a pragmatic approach to this huge undertaking by acclimatizing on the first section of the ridge, before setting off alpine-style from base camp. They crossed all eight Mazeno summits, and from a bivouac at 7,200m made an unsuccessful attempt on the unclimbed continuation of the ridge direct to the top. At this point all but Allan and Allen gave up and made a difficult descent to the south. The British pair eventually traversed the north flank to the summit and made a difficult descent of theNormal Routeon the north flank, reaching the bottom after a traverse lasting 18 days.

Kyashar (6,770m), Nepal

A coveted line, having been the goal of at least seven previous expeditions, the first ascent of the 2,200m south pillar of Kyashar was one of the finest technical alpine-style climbs inNepallast autumn. Tatsuya Aoki, Yasuhiro Hanatani and Hiroyoshi Manome (Japan) took six days to climb this elegant line to the summit, making only the second known ascent of the mountain. A crux section of ridge on the fifth day was deemed irreversible, adding to the commitment. The three descended the west ridge with one further bivouac.

JURY 2013

Stephen Venables

Stephan Venables is a 58-year-old British alpinist who is considered a theorist of alpine-style climbing, which he helped popularize through his book “Himalaya Alpine-Style” (Arthaud, 1996, with Andy Fanshawe), and which in turn inspired numerous alpinists. In 1988, together with Robert Anderson, Ed Webster and Paul Teare, he completed his most famous ascent, the Kangshung face to the south col of Everest, which is considered difficult and dangerous. After reaching the south col at 8,000m, Stephen went on to reach the summit of Everest on his own after an incredible ascent and without bottled oxygen, which was a rare thing at that time and still remains exceptional. Stephan has been on numerous expeditions: Hindu Kush (Afghanistan/Pakistan, 1977), Kishtwar Shivling (India, 1983), SoluTower (Pakistan, 1987), Kusum Kanguru (Nepal, 1991), Panch Chuli V (India, 1992). He also climbed in Peru, Bolivia, Patagonia and South Georgia. He authored books and documentaries and was the President of the Alpine Club. He is the President of the jury of the 21st Piolets d’Or, seven years after having endorsed this same role, which honoured American alpinists Steve House and Vince Anderson for their remarkable ascent of the Rupal face onNanga Parbat.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

Gerline Kaltenbrunner is the first woman to have climbed all the 14 8,000m peaks in the Himalayas without oxygen, sometimes by ascending difficult routes, but mostly with small teams. She climbed the north ridge of K2 in august 2011 to complete this challenge, together with Pole Darek Zaluski and Kazakhs Maxut Zumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov. This 41-year-old Austrian alpinist recently did an alpine-style ascent of Nuptse (7861m,Nepal), where she repeated, over the course of four days, the Bettembourg-Hall-Rouse-Scott route with German alpinist David Gottler. After focusing on climbing the 14 highest summits on the planet for the past 12 years, Kaltenbrunner is now applying her alpine-style ethic to lesser-known summits in theHimalayas.

Silvo Karo

52 years old, is one of the best Slovenian alpinists. He has solved some of the great alpine “problems”, such as Bhagirathi III (India, Garhwal, 1990). In 1986, together with his Slovenian friends, he opened a new route on the East face of Cerro Torre inPatagonia, called The Directissima to Hell. He has been very active in this south part of theAndes, where he did a first ascent on Torre Egger and on Fitz Roy. With Rolando Garibotti, he experimented with the non-stop style of climbing by doing a 30hour push up the Slovak route on the southwest face of Fitz Roy. In 2005, he climbed the southeast ridge of Cerro Torre, which starts by ascending the Aguje Medialuna: 1700m of climbing. In Pakistanin 2006, he climbed Eternal Flame on Trango (Pakistan) in a day. Silvo is a particularly fast climber with a long and prolific career. He is also an activist for the mountains through Mountain Wilderness. He was a member of the jury of the Piolets d’Or in 2006, under Stephen Venables’ presidency.

Katsutaka Yokoyama

Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama is a 31-year-old Japanese alpinist who has distinguished himself on many occasions on mountains all over the world:Bolivia,Alaska,Canadaand most recently,Patagonia. Several of his ascents, notably with his compatriots Yasushi Okada – 1st of the southeast face of mount Logan (5900m, Canada), I-To route, 2010 – or with Fumitaka Ichimura and Yusuke Sato – link up on Denali (6,194m, Alaska) of the Isis Face, Ramp on the descent and Slovak route, 2008 – were praised by their peers. They were awarded a Piolet d’Or from Greg Child who was the president of the Jury that year. Katsutaka is a keen supporter of alpine-style ascents; together with his friends listed above, he personifies this ethic, where commitment and the sparing use of resources are rules.

 1. History. Alpinist Magazine about 1962 adventure Everest expedition....

This is the true, almost unbelievable story of a daring attempt by four amateur mountaineers—a college professor, a school teacher, a lawyer and a geology student — to climb the highest peak in the world—Everest.

Without Sherpas or other porters, and with a bare minimum of money, food and equipment, this small band of adventurers, led by Woodrow Wilson Sayre, set out to climb Everest's North Face, which to date has never been conquered.

Not even bottled oxygen, considered by most professional climbers as a necessity, was taken. To make the journey even more hazardous, the expedition had to make a secret dash throughTibetto reach the North Face, risking capture, imprisonment, or even execution by the Chinese Communists, who reputedly patrol the Tibet-Nepal border.

The type of terrain the party crossed is some of the roughest in the world. Sayre recalls that the trek fromKathmandu,Nepalto base camp at the foot of Gyachung Kang was 'like walking up and down ladders fromBostontoAlbany.' Immediately beyond base camp the glacier 'rises 3,000 feet in a tumble of crevasses and ice blocks, and it includes two nearly vertical cliffs of around 1,000 feet.' The route then crosses some 25 miles of untracked glaciers averaging 20,000 feet in altitude. Never before in a Himalayan climb has base camp been at such a distance from the mountain to be climbed. The North Face route begins with the ascent of theNorth Col, which itself is a 1,500-foot-high wall of ice and snow.

The task was grueling and torturous. Carrying every ounce of their supplies for 40 days on their own backs, they had to struggle towards the mountain day after day, gasping for oxygen in the extremely rarified air. At one point a huge ice block overturned and obliterated their intended route. Without medical aid, and three weeks from help of any kind as they were, the slightest accident or misjudgment could have brought immediate disaster. Sayre himself, in three falls, slipped an incredible 1,000 feet down the North Face of Everest—and still walked out.

Each man was driven close to the breaking point. Exhaustion became a constant companion. Food rations ran logs. Before the end of the brutal journey, there was nothing left to eat, and they faced starvation

But there are those treasured, never-to-be-forgotten moments during the expedition when Sayre tells of his feelings of pure exhilaration—'of being close to the top of the world, of taking in at a glimpse thousands of square miles of untouched country, of walking where only a handful of men have walked in the history of the world.'

2001. Last time together....

2. Alan Arnette about new season:

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/everest-2013-coverage/

 Dawes Eddy:

Q: Dawes, you are 70 and have already summited Everest. Why again?

I love adventure and a challenge and my Everest climb in 2009 provided me with both. The 45 minutes I spent on the summit watching the sunrise was a very moving experience, which I would like to repeat. Chronologically, I’ll be four years older, but my definition of aging is defined as loss of function. My loss of conditioning and aerobic capacity the past 4 years has been minimal and I want to demonstrate that with the proper lifestyle choices, all things are possible into a person’s 70?s and beyond.

David Tait

  Q: Your 2013 effort will require extraordinary stamina. Can you share with us your plan?

Yes, my plan does demand exceptional stamina. i have it physically, but do i have it mentally is the question – i will take it slow, realise that this visit is a gift, and try to extract the most from it. I’m not going to set public targets….. I have one in my head [an extreme one], but we shall have to see.

David Liano

He will be attempting in 2013 something no climber has ever done on Everest – climb both sides separately in one season. David is no stranger to Everest with three summits on five different climbs, so he knows what he is getting into.

Q: Now you are looking at a double summit of Everest meaning you hope to summit from Nepal, climbing from the South, then move to Tibet to climb from the North. This has never been done in one season. What is your motivation?

My goals on Everest have evolved mostly due to permit, political and health issues. But my motivation has stayed the same through the years: to live unique and challenging adventures and never to settle for the ordinary.

 North-East India Everest expedition. More than 20 climbers

3. Sherpa woman overcomes prejudice for Everest record

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/02/28/nepal-everest-woman-chhurim-sherpa-idINDEE91R09O20130228

KATHMANDU | Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:50pm IST

(Reuters) - When Chhurim Sherpa was a child she was inspired to dream of scaling Mount Everest by the mountaineers heading to the Himalayan peaks which tower over her village in eastern Nepal.

But economic and social pressures stood in her way, including people saying she did not have the right to set foot on the sacred peak because she was a mere female.

Now the slender 29-year-old is celebrating her world record status as the first woman to climb Everest twice in one week.

"I am lucky to get sponsors and very happy that I have been able to earn a place of pride for our country," she told Reuters as she sat cross-legged in her second-floor Kathmandu apartment, wearing tight jeans and with a bowl of toffees in front of her.

Chhurim, who like many sherpas is called by her first name, climbed Everest, the world's highest peak at 8,850 metres (29,035 feet) on May 12 and 19, 2011. On February 25, Guinness World Records officially recognised her feat as a world first, making her an instant international celebrity.

The sixth of eight children, Chhurim was born in Ghunsa, a tiny village in the shadow of the world's third highest peak, Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m (28,169 ft) tall, in northeast Nepal.

As a child she was fascinated by tales of the historic climbs of Japan's Junko Tabei, who became the first woman to climb Everest in 1975, and Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, who was the first Nepali woman to summit in 1993 but died on the descent.

Actually climbing it herself seemed only a distant dream. While some 4,000 climbers have ascended Everest since it was first scaled by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa nearly 60 years ago, fewer than 400 have been women.

In addition, sherpas consider Mount Everest - known as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Qomolangma, or Holy Mother, in Tibetan - to be a deity.

"It was not easy," she said, recalling when she first said she wanted to climb Everest. "They were disapproving and said it is a god and why should a woman like you try to climb."

There were numerous hurdles to overcome. Maya Sherpa, another sherpa woman who has summited Everest, said expenses kept many women from the peak.

But Chhurim persevered, leaving school as a grade eight student and joining a climbing training course run by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Sponsorship by a Nepali hiking group paid her fees for this and later climbing ventures.

After climbing two smaller mountains in the Everest region she began setting her sights seriously on Everest in 2010.

"Initially my parents were against the idea. They thought I might die," she said. "But I told them that other women had climbed as well and that I am well trained. Then they agreed."

Like other sherpa climbers, Chhurim performed Hindu and Buddhist religious rites before beginning the ascent, asking forgiveness for setting foot on the mountain.

"I bowed my head to touch the ground three times, offered khada (Buddhist prayer scarves) and planted prayer flags as soon as I reached the top," she said.

Chhurim now has a new goal - she wants to summit the highest mountains on all seven continents.

Attitudes are changing in the majority Hindu nation, and male climbers - including Pemba Tshering, who made headlines when he climbed the peak at 16 in 2001 - spoke with pride about her achievement.

"Nowhere has it been written that women should not climb mountains," he said. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma, editing by Elaine Lies and Paul Casciato)

4. Denis Urubko.

5. Valentin Bozhukov

 "At my age, to climb to such heights is dangerous - he says. - And especially dangerous - go down from such a height. Therefore, because of age, I'm going to use for the descent from Everest  a glider. The main thing - not to be mistaken with the weather. "

6. Cinema.

Film based on 1953 Mt Everest climb to begin shooting

Shooting begins tomorrow at Aoraki Mount Cook for the film depicting Sir Edmund Hillary's conquest of Mount Everest.

The 3D film Beyond the Edge tells the story of the monumental 1953 ascent.

Interest is already building following the announcement last week that actors Chad Moffitt and Sonam Sherpa have been cast as Sir Ed and Tensing Norgay.

New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Graeme Mason is wishing everyone working on the film the best as they embark on the ambitious mountain shoot to recapture one of the country's most historic moments.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbent/513169675-film-based-on-1953-mt-everest-climb-to-begin-shooting

A Canada-born hypnotherapist with only a few minor acting credits willl play Sir Edmund Hillary in a 3D film recreating his 1953 conquest of Mt Everest.

Wellington-based Chad Moffitt, whose previous roles included playing a flesh-eating zombie, won film-makers over with a simple approach - he sent in a photo of himself holding a $5 note bearing Hillary's face.

His resemblance to the mountaineer has delighted Hillary's son, Peter, and family.

Hillary's granddaughter, Anna Boyer, said photos of the actor in the movie bore a striking likeness to her grandfather even though Moffitt is five years older than when Hillary topped the world.

"The photos look fantastic," she said.

"He's got the perfect craggy face, it's terrific.

"Peter met Moffitt last year and he was really happy with him."

Beyond The Edge producer Matthew Metcalfe said they deliberately did not want a famous face in the role.

"He's pretty much our most well-known icon, and everyone in New Zealand feels like they have a vested interest and connection with Ed.

"So we made a decision early on that we didn't want to use a ‘movie star'.

"There were various people floating around, but we made a point of saying the movie is bigger than the star, the story is bigger than the man."

Moffitt, who at 192cm is just 3cm shorter than Hillary, grew up in Nelson and is a keen mountaineer.

He says he is used to people telling him how much he looks like the late knight.

Moffitt has worked for Sir Peter Jackson's Weta Digital - but trained last year in hypnotherapy and works part-time for a Wellington clinic.

Moffitt will be joined on screen by Sonam Sherpa, who will portray Tenzing Norgay. Sherpa is from Nepal but is a New Zealand resident living in the Mt Cook region.

"Tenzing was described by everyone who met him as the most charming, charismatic man, with an amazing smile," director Leanne Pooley said.

"Sonam is exactly the same and while relatively new to acting he is completely relaxed in front of the camera. It just seems incredible I found my Tenzing in New Zealand."

Filming for Beyond The Edge is scheduled to start on March 3 on and around Aoraki/Mt Cook, which will double as the Himalayas.

The film, which will use footage from 1953, is scheduled to be released later this year.

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7

. Everest book celebrates climbing, publishing firsts "Coffee tablet" book, available now on itunes

Two skilled climbers and talented writers, two distinctly different expeditions and one very big mountain comprise the key ingredients of the innovative "coffee tablet" book, Everest: High Expectations.

Written by Pat Morrow, who summitted Everest as a member of Canada's 1982 expedition two days after teammate Laurie Skreslet became the first Canadian to reach that pinnacle, and Sharon Wood, who became the first North American woman to reach that same point in 1986 with teammate Dwayne Congdon via a difficult new and never repeated route, the book itself represents several firsts.

In a narrative sense, it's the first publication to tell the story of how the preparation, unfolding tragedies and successes of the 1982 expedition spurred the particular planning, execution and triumph of the 1986 expedition.

But its production as an electronic book designed specifically to take advantage of the iPad's unique technological capabilities sets a new standard for illustrated books by combining the tradition of splendid coffee table books with multi-media innovation.

With 142 full-colour photographs illustrating its 140 pages, the book contains chapters by both authors. Each describes their personal histories and apprenticeships that led to their inclusion on their respective teams in an era when the only people climbing Everest were highly skilled climbers invited by their peers.

Subsequent chapters detail their respective climbs, and the book concludes with afterwards by each of them, in which Wood and Morrow share insightful comments on the mostly lamentable state of Everest as overcrowded and disrespected, with Morrow writing, "Adventure tourism has turned one of the world's great mountains into a crowded playground. Admission is costly, and sometimes fatal."

Both Morrow and Wood's writing styles are engaging and captivating as they describe the adventures and experiences that defined and celebrated that particular chapter of each of their life stories.

At the same time, the book's equal triumph is in its multi-media 3D presentation facilitated by the iPad's technology.

A flick of the finger on any photo expands the image to fill the screen. Numerous photos have two, three or as many as 10-full colour and sharply textured images accessed as interactive slide shows, each bearing captions that share additional details about the climbs' events, personalities and state of the mountain.

Not stopping at still photos, the hybrid book also incorporates video and audio footage from both the '82 and '86 expeditions, which literally bring the story to life — including breathless commentary by Skreslet as he films an avalanche thundering down a not-very-distant slope, adding an extra dimension of drama and depth to the story.

You can feel the cold in Skreslet's voice.

--

The book also includes links to external resources including a one-hour documentary, as well as electronic footnotes providing valuable information about key people and story elements that can be accessed later without interrupting the text.

Beyond the high-tech bells and whistles though, Everest: High Expectations masterfully shares a story from a perspective that's never before been recorded — how the circumstances of the 1982 expedition, during which a large team intent on making a uniquely Canadian stamp on Everest by climbing a new, technically challenging route, fractured after the tragic deaths of three Sherpas and a cameraman. The team regrouped and ultimately succeeded in its goal of placing the first Canadian on the summit — which inspired and guided the planning and execution of the self-sufficient, smaller Everest Light 1986 expedition.

To produce the publication to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the '82 climb, Morrow teamed up with publisher Frank Edwards, with whom he first worked in 1975 when Edwards was editor of Canadian Geographic magazine.

For her part, Wood said she valued the opportunity to write about the '86 expedition from her perspective as one member of the team and to express how the '82 expedition influenced and inspired her.

"I really enjoyed writing about how I was very moved to witness my peers facing such hardship and rising to it, and also by how different individuals rose to those challenges in very different ways," Wood said. "The '82 trip was very much an inspiration for me, and I wanted a chance to rise to a challenge the way they did."

With both the '82 and '86 climbs being ground-breaking Canadian mountaineering accomplishments, it's only fitting that the book that links their connection should be too.

More than just a book, Everest: High Expectations is a well-written, introspective and thoughtful story artfully told in a 3D multi-media experience. As such, Morrow said he feels confident that while many fans of mountain literature may not own or use iPads, with 600 million current iPad users projected to rise to 100 million, he expected the book's captivating stories of adventure combined with its high production values have the potential to reach a large audience, including those who might discover mountaineering as literary genre. At the same time, he added, the book could potentially be made suitable for other electronic readers.

"Mountaineering is a natural fit for electronic books, so many expeditions have video and audio components," Morrow said. "Keep in mind; this is only version two of this software. We're just at the dawn of iBook publishing. The iPad itself is underutilized. Our book stands a chance of opening eyes to what's possible."

Everest: High Expectations is downloadable on the iPad by searching for the title, authors' names or at the iTunes book store for $9.99.

8. Tom Whittaker visited Kyrgyzstan

Valentin Bozhukov is 80 years old. And he wants to continue his mountaineering career and fulfill his cherished dream: to climb Mount Everest. Valentin has high physical condition, strong will, a great experience and he is able to reach the summit of Everest. Sponsors have already collected an initial payment, but the money is still missing. Please help the veteran.

Valentin Bozhukov started climbing a 50-s. He holds a record for the number of gold medals in the championships of the USSR. He climbed many times all five Soviet Union summits above 7000 meters. Valentin is an aeronautical engineer who has worked all his life in the design office. In the 80-s years Bozhukov became one of the first in Russia, who have mastered the paraglider. In recent years, he was worked on upgrading the oxygen equipment, repeatedly visited Nepal and Everest Base Camps.

Videopresentation:

Support group: "Andrey Krylov" and Valery Bagov

E-mail: bagovval@mail.ru

E-mail: vamibo@hotmail.ru Valentin Bozhukov

rrgrv@yandex.ru - Olesya Vodinskaya, manager

On Facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Expedition-Everest-Fly/291551754229291

Dear friends,

I wish you a Healthy, Prosperous and Happy New Year 2013!!!!

Asian Trekking's Celebration of 30th Anniversary:

Completing the year 2012, was a landmark for Asian Trekking. It marked the completion of our 30 year journey since being established in 1982.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Asian Trekking in adventure tourism, we organised a tree plantation programme followed by a picnic on 30th Dec 2012 at Lakhuri Bhanjyang, above Kathmandu Valley. Among our 122 staffs (office and permanent field staff) most of them were present on the occasion.

On the occasion we felicitated, with certificates and rewards, our staffs who have been with us since the beginning in 1982. I feel proud to mention that these loyal and hard working staff are Suk Bahadur Ale (Sukre), Kali Bahadur Basnet (Kalu), Mingmar Tamang, Bhai Kaji Tamang (Maila Tamang) and Bala Bahadur Magar (Maila Magar). And, to my great surprise and honour, the field staff presented me with a mini stupa as a "token of love." It is because of our staffs' hard work, honesty, passion and dedication that Asian Trekking is where it is today.

An interaction program between office staff and field staffs were also held on that day. Various topics were discussed such as improvement in Asian Trekking’s services, welfare of the staffs, upgrading equipment to meet the existing requirement, required training for the climbing guide as well as trekking guides, cooks, kitchen boy etc. Though we completed 30 years, we are excitedly looking forward to the next 30 years.

Joint Tourism Coordination Meeting Between Nepal and China

On 17th and 18th December I attended the Sixth Meeting of the Joint Tourism Coordination Committee between the Government of Nepal and the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) which was held in Lhasa. I was a member of the Nepalese delegation, in the capacity Mountain and Adventure Tourism Expert.

The meeting was held in a very cordial and friendly atmosphere. The 17 member Nepalese delegation was headed by Mr. Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Government of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region delegation was led by Mr. Yu Yun Gui, Director of Tibet Tourism Administration of the People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The purpose of the meeting was to promote and expand cooperation in the areas of tourism and trade to the mutual benefits of both Nepal and Tibet Autonomous Region.

Meeting with China Tibet Mountaineering Association

Also, on 19th December 2012 I had a meeting with China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA) general secretary including other authorities of CTMA over the Tibet Expedition.

We discussed about the cooperation of future expeditions and how to run the expeditions smoothly without disruptions, visa issues and border closures. We also discussed over the issues of rope fixing, route making and permit fees on Mt. Everest, Mt. Ch-oyu, Mt.. Shishapangma and other mountains inTibet. CTMA assured me that the future expedition will run smoothly. I firmly believe that our mutual cooperation and our frequent dialogue will bring fruitful results in the development of mountain tourism both in Nepal and Tibet Autonomous Region. I will continue to voice our concerns with the authorities for the betterment of mountaineering and tourism in the Himalayas.

First Aid and Medical Training:

Continuing our committment of safety in the mountains, this year again Asian Trekking organized first aid and medical training for the staff. A total of 40 staff participated in a two day training program.

The course focused on First Aid, Patient Stabilization, CPR, High Altitude Sickness and Response, etc.

Our sincere gratitude goes to Dr. Pranav Koirala, Dr. Kamal Thapa and Dr. Simant Thapa of the Mountain Medicine Society for conducting the training.

Maurice Herzog, French mountain climber, dies at 93:

I also have sad news to share. Legendary French mountaineer and author Maurice Herzog, died at the age of 93 on 13th the December 2012. Maurice and his climbing partner, Louis Lachenal ascended Annapurna I, the 10th-highest mountain in the world, on June 3, 1950. Doing so, they became the first person in history to successfully climb to the top of an eight thousand m peak.

Following this feat, Maurice wrote the hugely popular book, Annapurna, which has been translated into dozens of languages and estimated to have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. First published in 1951, Maurice's book put Nepal on the world map ‘for the first time’ and greatly promoted Nepal as a mountaineering and tourism destination.

I am very proud to have known him as a close friend. His passing is a great loss, though his legacy survives in all the mountaineers and adventurers he inspired.

Asian Trekking and I express our heartfelt condolences to his family and pray for his peaceful eternal journey.

Thank you for your support:

Lastly, it is my pleasure to keep you all up to date as to our activities here in the Himalaya. If you have any questions please do let me know. I thank you for your support in the past and look forward to our cooperation in the future.

Ang Tshering Sherpa

Asian Trekking (P) Ltd

www.asian-trekking.com