BHUTÁN DRUK YUL TOUR: 04 DÍAS - SAT 44:

BHUTÁN - Una morada celestial en el corazón del inmenso Himalaya, pero poco conocido para los habitantes exteriores, acunado entre inmensos vecinos y recluido por algunas de las cordilleras más altas.
En este viaje uno se puede explorar la riqueza del país en pocos días sobre la cultura, historia, geografía, la tradición de la gente alrededor de la capital con sus famosos Dzong y Chorten.
Al final a concluir el viaje se vuelve a Kathmandu o una extensión a Pokhara y Chitwon para completar el viaje de Nepal.

Grupo Mínima   : 02 Pax
Altitud Máxima   : 3120Mt
Estación   : Abril - Octubre
Región    : Paro y Thimpu valle
Grado    : 1

Día Itinerario
1:  Llegada a Kathmandú, recibimiento y traslado a su hotel. Tarde libre para actividades independiente, Alojamiento.
2: Visita de la ciudad de Katmandú con su plaza Durbar, Swoyambhunath y ciudad medieval Patan, Alojamiento.
3:  Visita de la ciudad de Bhaktapur, capital medieval de Nepal, Bouddhanath y Pasupatinath en la ribera del río Bagamati, Alojamiento.
4: Salida, Katmandú – PARO: Llegada a Paro y traslado al hotel. Alojamiento.
5: PARO - THIMPU: visita al DZONG DRUKGYAL - Ta Dzong – Museo Nacional de Bhután –Traslado a THIMPU, visita de Chorten memorial, centro de artesania, biblioteca nacional, escuela de pintura y medicina. Alojamiento.
6: Thimpu - Paro: visita a DZONG TASHICHO y Kyichu Lhakhang, monasterio mas antiguo de bhutan, por la tarde regreso a PARO, Alojamiento.
7: PARO a Katmandú, Salida, A la hora prevista traslado al aeropuerto para vuelo de regreso a correspondiente destino, fin de viaje.

COSTE DEL TOUR NETO POR PERSONA EN U.S. DOLLARS: 945.00
Hotel en Bhután   Deluxe  
Supplement individual U.S. $ 250.
Coste extra por persona: 
Vuelo: Ktm. / Kbp. / Ktm. (Paro)  U.S. $ 424.
Visado: de Bhután U.S. $ 20.
Impuesto de turismo en Bhután:  U.S. $ 10.

SERVICIO INCLUIDO:

- Habitación doble compartida con Pensión completa en categoría de hoteles mencionado en Bhután.

- En kathmandu: 5 star hotel o similar con desayuno,

- Visitas mencionados con guía de habla espanol en kathmandu y ingles en bhutan.

- Todo Traslado y visitas en coche según el grupo,

- Entradas a los lugares de visita especificados,

- Permiso especial de viaje al Bhután

SERVICIO NO INCLUIDO:

- Seguros de asistencia

- Vuelos internacionales

- Tasas de aeropuerto en general
- Visado de Nepal y Bhután
- Permiso de sacar foto y película en la zona restringida
- Gastos de índole personales como: lavandería, teléfono, bebidas, propinas etc.

VIGENTE: 2008

SAMPURNA AVENTURA TRAVEL & TOURS
SAMPURNA TREKKING
G.P.O.BOX: 19960, KATHMANDU
NEPAL  

HEAD OFFICE:
SUNGAVA MARG, DHOLAHITI, 9 KA.
LALITPUR
TEL:     +9 771 5573 373, FAX:     977-1-5573 379  
MOBIL: +977 98510 22615        
EMAIL:  info@viajesnepal.com

But 2 days later I was still there, recovering slowly from my illness at the compassion of a local man who clearly wished me to hire him as a guide. Every night I'd have dinner with his family, me sitting at a separate table of course, being casteless. This man himself was a self professed christian, which he quickly made known by supplying me with numerous evangelical handouts. On attempting any discussion of philosophy it quickly became evident he hadn't the slightest, remotest idea what any of his own ideology meant – but nonetheless, Jesus saves.

I have to say, living in a tight knit Nepali village is a profound experience. Your world shrinks and shrinks and shrinks. Everything is in its hierarchical place, women – notably low on this ladder. Then the communists would come, and hand out their propaganda, themselves, victims and propagators of precisely the mindsets their ideology supposedly seeks to overthrow. But then again, the Maoists have never really been revolutionary. They dont even seem to know who Mao Zedong was. On that note, they didn't seem to understand anything much about the outside world, just their place in this, their world, the only world they ever will or will ever need to know.

Kali loved this place, sprinting around the fields and chasing the hens. I loved this place, though I enjoyed it from my spacecraft, out in the fields. By my tent I played guitar and wrote, visited frequently by children who would chase and be chased by my dog. Under the radar I spent my days smoking joint after joint, watching the wind sweep up leaves, the cows pull the equipment, the women cut the corn. Now and then the monkeys would come down and attempt a raid on a store of food, a welcome addition to the otherwise calm, cyclic rhythm of life. The children all seemed to be wearing drug culture T-shirts, not to the knowledge of their oblivious parents of course. "Sticks and seeds may make me cough but weed will never hurt me" said one such shirt. I wish I hadn't lost that photo.

But I had to leave that place. Along the way I encountered one man, collapsed on the side of the road. I bent over to check him, felt his pulse, ensured he was breathing. Was he sick? No, it would seem, after a great deal of effort in slapping and shaking a corpse, there was a sudden resurrection. A disoriented face, the blindingly strong exhale of whisky, and a big Nepali smile. I'm ok, his face seemed to say, and we kept walking.

I landed in a middle of nowhere Nepali town made almost entirely irrelevant to trekkers due to its lack of.. well.. anything. In some towns you feel like your in the wild west. Shanty towns with dusty roads, children running wild and the river running strong. Revolutionaries chalking sickles and hammers, each house proclaiming a new Nepal.

You'd hardly gauge from the overtly vague and starkly corrupt manner of politicians that anything was going to change in Nepal. But in a place like this you feel it in your bones. One man whispered to me that he himself had become a "victim of the Maoists". His land, confiscated. A landlord no more, sitting at the chai stall, smoking a cheap cigarette, staring at the ground. And then the youth came in. Bamboo lathis in hand they loomed over him. It's just then they took his cigarette to boot.

I guess a lot of westerners would never expect that from Nepalis. The good, spiritual, passive Nepali of folklore takes not from his masters! But Nepalis do, and they are – the leaders are just overlooking the process. What I saw in this place was not a passive changing land, directed by a party. What I saw were people that, from all conversations, were fucking fed up with bending down. They wanted a piece of what had been denied. And they were taking it, leaders approving or not.

My walking led me many places on the road, but never with significant obstacle until Khongma. Its here I was jammed, snow simply so high that you couldnt walk for the fear of falling into a big fucking hole, a hole that sometimes (much to the dismay of one Nepali porter) contained a thorn bush. I had to wait, wait in my tent until the arrival of a virtual army of low paid Nepali workers and their overmonied Australian overlords.

And here I am, in my tent, awash with liberatory value, and simultaneously agitated, some may even go as far to say, fucking shitted off. Theres a bunch of armchair Australian tourists, and now they are pitched all around me. My now imminent neighbours. If I may also place in addition it was almost instantly apparent that these were a bunch of exploitative, capitalistic fuckwits. Their porter staff (which numbered about 20-30, averaging 5 each) on average carried 50 kilograms each (with some exceptional workers carrying 60). They are paid fucking nothing. These Australians do absolutely fucking nothing. I just sat through a massive rant about how they found their beds unmade, and were put through the utterly unacceptable activity of carrying their own stuff outside and unpacking their bags themselves. "Is this fun!? Are you having fun guys!?" one mused in a condescending tone.

I dont know where to start. Fucking pathetic, chauvinistic, superior bunch of self-obsessed cunts. With big fucking cameras may I add. I came out to these mountains to escape this culture. It followed me. Shit.

Anyway, let us move to "higher ground", a process which henceforth to this writing, I was slowly inhaling my way toward. On the very topic of my tent, I have to admit a passionate and abnormally attached form of love for it. It litterally is the closest thing I have had to a home in a long time, and will have for a fucking long time. It is an unchanging environmental chambre, a thin but effective wall for a dreamers mind. It is however, fucking cold, tent or no tent. I'm unusually hungry as usual. This experience had sewn an appreciation for the base elemental requirements of my existence. Especially when encouraged by a tent full of hash smoke.

And then the Australians turn back. Its too dangerous they mused. Then the germans turned back, its too dangerous they mused. Behind us, a million dollar british military expedition to climb Mt Makalu, with over 200 porters, and more than 30 actual members. Ahead of us, potential profit for the Sherpa teahouse proprietors, and my only shot of solitude in the great himalayan range of Nepal. No brainer, fuck the storms, lets walk on.

Fucking christ I had no idea what I was getting into when I set out with those 5 odd Sherpa people from Khongma to Dobato. These 4000+ metre passes were not only perilous, they are practically fucking vertical. Countless times I fell backwards, snow collapsing under my feet with only my meagre bamboo stick to save me from a violent fall to the bottom of a valley.

As the day drew on the weather grew aggressive and bitter. Visibility was reduced to less than a metre, a blinding white. The wind lashed with unrelenting cruelty, and my front dreadlocks froze solid. The altitude robbed me of oxygen and the cold robbed me of opportunity to stop and take a break. Alone, (far behind the superhuman Sherpas) my time was spent desperately pursuing footprints, psychologically holding myself together and pushing on, drew forward by the terrifying sight of those prints covering up in the new snow from the storm. Alone, countless times I almost fell to tumble hundreds of metres into nowhere – a prospect with no subtlty. It would of meant my death, and each time I lost balance something higher kicked in, a sharp and violent energy – the base survival pulse, the electric feeling of the human body really fighting to survive. It was as if my entire body was enveloped in a surge, and all my effort and concentration were focused and driven like a blade into the moment.

I eventually decided my best chance now was to catch up with the Sherpas. I sprinted and sprinted, tumbling down the hills searching for them. I eventually caught up with one girl, Dike Sherpa. She patiently waited for me as I frequently paused, utterly exhausted. And then, a moment I'd never expect. At the stones she suddenly forgot the way. Panic permeated rapidly as the terrifying chill of the wind started to leek through the cracks in my calm. Non-movement in these storms brings you back to the cold. While Dike kept her calm, my psyche began to collapse. My body was struggling, shivering and exhausted. My hands were numb and on the verge of frostbite. My feet, I have later discovered, were frostbitten by this point. And I must say, a body under stress quickly tears whatever remenants of a reasonable mind can indeed persist under such conditions.

I tried to focus on finding footprints, but too much time had passed, and this was getting bad. The moment came. Tears started to well up in my eyes, as another frantic, frenzied search again yielded nothing. Death was starting to run its current in the marrow of my bones. I was freaking out. My mind started to, for the first time, really come to face the question. Maybe this is it. Mother nature had me by the throat, and the fear, the primordal fear, was so shaking, so strong. I was an ant glaring up at the peaks, lost in the himalaya, on the roof of the world, in the unforgiving land, the abode of Shiva, the destroyer, the unmercifully powerful.

Its true at moments like these you dream of the good times. Its also true you experience an ecstasy beyond your wildest dreams when the gut wrenching reality of the past begins to fade. Fuck me I cant describe the relief that rushed down my spine and through every last inch of my flesh as that porter came up behind us from the distance. I dont know how long we were stuck there, in that place. The psychological "place" jammed a vast expanse into every fleeting, agitated moment of fear.

These are the moments I remember. Bent over, wretching in pain as I held my hands in my armpits. If you've ever had to warm up frostbitten hands, I can only describe it as running your skin along heated blades. Its deep, sharp and relentless pain – profoundly difficult to persist with. But the thought of never playing guitar again just kept welling in my mind, it made it all seem meaningless. Dike took my cold gloves, held my things and lifted my bag back onto my back. Its times like these you realise the essential and humble beauty of human compassion.

But I'm here, 1 Yak cheese dal bhat later and ready to continue the journey. Behind me a massive, organised, sponsored expedition, and I intend to see base camp FIRST.

Maybe its the altitude, or the excitement, or both – but last night sleeping was remarkably difficult, even in the face of complete bodily exhaustion. These mountains have set my mind on fire, their image etched with such vividity into the nether regions of my mind.

How idle indeed I have been in a world so magnificant as this!? How long have I sought to avert the world, how long have I squandered the myriad opportunities which relentlessly and elegantly present themselves in each and every moment of my existence. In the night I saw visions, visions of definition unparallel. In my visions I saw bodies and landscapes, luminous and stark. I saw them transfigured and condensced, swirled into a raindrop, in one massive and synchronous dance. I felt that raindrop in the palm of my hand, to be blown like a dandeline in a breeze. What astounding grace with which this vision presented itself! I felt spellbound, cast in mystic rapture. I lied out in a field today, the sun rearing itself for the first time in so long. I felt the blades of grass prickling at my skin and drifted – it was as If I lied upon the peaks themselves, like the grass they appeared to sway, like the grass they grew and massaged the mortality which had so before been strained.

Of loves great and mighty forgery,

First comes the beast,

Then comes the cheese,

Then comes a red face,

And begs of "please"

Of all the creatures,

Spare the yaks,

They belong in the mountains,

And not in my dacks.

I arose in the morning not to a mountain but to a looming golden throne, utterly illuminated, alive with the energy of a world not yet known to this all to human mind. The sheer magnitutde, the sheer, raw, mystic experience of something enchanted and other worldly.

I stood in awe, and now I cower in my tent, still utterly wrapt in awe. I scarsely wished to ever leave that majestic hallway, or move my eyes from the seering light which so electrically possessed those clouds, whose meditative drift danced in glory to a myriad of the most splendid rainbow apparitions. This, the alluvial plane, the higher place.

The marihuana smoke turns me like a feather, a drifting being in what now I understand is where god himself would come to meditate. After waiting so patiently for everest to reveal itself from the horizon, behind me another mountain loomed, and in its heart I saw a most spectacular cave. That mountain seemed to glare with humanity, that cave truly the dwelling of some higher being, a bodhisattva, the contemplative devas of lore.

Today was truly a day of magnificant accomplishment. My whole day of descent was spent passing member after member of the British military, and watching their eyes widen as my dreadlocked, stoned caricature entered their vision.

Here I was, listening to the debates and jokings of military officers. Heres a good one. "What do you feel when you shoot a terrorist?". "Just the recoil really".They took particular ridicule out of my sleeping bag and jeans, and were truly bemused in the morning when I set to sealing my thin leather boots with duct tape. It just didn't seem right to them, that for them was a planned expedition was for me, a spontaneous stroll out into the unknown. "You carry everything you need on your own back!?!?"

Discussing the Iraq war I discovered much, many of these officers having served actively. They seemed adamant of an extreme rift between the philosophy and practice of their own military and that of the United States. They reeled off story after story of gun toting American marines with a disturbing lack of respect for human life. There were stories of civilians gunned down like dogs amidst great scores of laughter. These stories were, understandably left rather vague.

Furthermore, the use of the weapon, white phosphorous. A post Vietnam-era napalm replacement (remember that photo of the Vietnamese children running down the road with their skin burning off?) - invented after napalm itself got an understandably bad name. Now theres increasingly strong evidence to show that the American's have been using a variant called white phosphorous, in many cases indiscriminately on built up civilian areas, namely in Fallujah. To give you an idea of what this stuff does, imagine a gas that will burn right through bone whilst leaving all infrastructure intact. If you inhale it, it burns you from the inside, and no, theres no way to stop the burning.

Although I could scarcely coax a word about white phosphorous out of those guys, it turns out the brits use the mildly less disturbing "red" phosphorous, which can apparently be treated (in rather immediate circumstance), and then, only as a smoke screen. Praise the lord for the gentlemanly conduct of the honorable British killing apparatus, lord knows, after a long history of anything but restraint – they seem to have "cleaned" up their act now.

But nonetheless I had neither the time nor the interest to stick around discussing different methodologies of murder - I had to get back. A steadily worsening cough coaxed me on to boot. The descent. The easy part..... right?

No. Fucking no. Hiking like a madman, and recently reunited with my dog, I lost track of the sun and its sapping rays. I also ran out of water. Shit started to get bad. I felt ill, but I was hours from the town behind me, I had to push on. Suddenly my field of vision started to sway, the energy seemed to flee from my body as if leaving mere crumbs for fuel and my stomach tightened, I was sick. I kept pushing uphill, for hours, and hours, and no water, no water, no fucking water. I collapsed by a group of nepalis begging for that prized liquid, in Nepali may I add, but what I got was neither sympathy nor help, just instruction to keep on a walking. Just keep on walking. Just keep on walking.

This was a bad moment for me. The hiking seemed to go on forever before I collapsed by a group of porters. Thankfully, THEY gave me water, seeing that now my eyes were trailing around wildly in my field of vision and I was clearly confused and ill. From above the camp came a 40-50 year old trekker, who instantly recognized my heat stroke and saw to it that my tent be set up, and I would be supplied with some re hydration salts. At this point, not only was I vomiting, but my ability to walk had denigrated to a bare stumble. To be quite frank, that old man saved my fucking ass.

During the night I got struck down by a brain splitting ear infection (to add to the sinus and the lungs). 2 strong codeine and a valium, down like candy. In the morning I stumbled uphill, aided by two porters given to me by the old man. It took hours to hike what should have been an hour, but I arrived.

The days proceeding this were spent holed up inside a room unable to eat, trying to hold down water and going through extreme fevers and chills. I was ill, really fucking ill, unable to walk, and seemingly getting worse. I needed food.

The first food I managed to get into my system was a poorly cooked and handled Dal Bhat courtesy of the Jyotsi lodge (locatable in Num, for all those concerned). I have had bad cases of bacterial diahorrea, but this Dal Bhat wreaked a biological assault on my body that I could scarcely comprehend. All night I ran backwards and forwards between the toilet and the bed, vomiting, shitting and coming in and out of consciousness. Kali usually got up to cause a ruckus when I returned to the room, but this time she just sat there pensively. I, curled in a ball and shivering, and my dog, staring with unusual fixed attention. Maybe it was the delirium, but Kali seemed to be telling me to remember. I was back in Colcutta. Haze blanket, crystal concrete.

That morning, now being completely unable to walk, more or less stand, I decided the time was now to get evacuated, I hadn't held anything resembling nutrition for 4 or more days, and I was getting rapidly worse. Without clean food, I had no hope of recovery. I asked for a helicopter, now in an utterly devestated state. The people at my lodge meanwhile didn't seem to give a shit. There was a range of people laughing at me, for reasons I still cant understand. A vast array gathered to stare, and I quickly became the talk of the town.

The alien. I was the alien. That travel dream scape I had in the past thoughtlessly traversed. My mind would rove landscapes in rapture. The traveler, the bird, with eyes as sharp as blades, yet somehow the inability to pierce the fabric, the ubiquitous illuminated dreamers veil. Something rooted in human biology tore into the fabric of not only thought, but the very texture, light and weight of reality. There is a defining, split road in the face of what seems hopeless. There is for me, the instinctive and primal shutdown of thought and the laserpoint focus of survival need. Then, an inkling feeling of being in a dream, creeping in as the minutes and hours tick by. I felt it out there in the mountains. It felt as if some other part of me was surviving, but another did not seem concerned. This consciousness, the transcendental feeling of unconcern and liberation from the world of "signs" or alternatively, of what you define "reality". In this state of consciousness you are witnessing life in pure, unutterable definition. Its the near death experience, the profound and sudden influx of new perception, the breaking down of the conceptual world of "signs" and the precious opportunity to look upon life without plans, or pasts, or for that matter, anything but the impermeably complex and breathtaking lifeform which you now feel yourself to be departing.

Luckily, as always, Sherpa people came to my rescue. Out of a desire for no money whatsoever they put me on the back of a donkey, and began to evacuate me to the next town. The sheer flood of hope and elation as those donkeys took off, holding up my now limp body - I cannot describe it. After all the challenges of this, my adventure, I had been reduced to little more than a corpse, teetering on the edge of complete physical and mental collapse.

Those people saved my life, and they did it out of the goodness of their heart. They didn't ask a thing, they saw human need and they responded. They ended up getting me all the way to the airport, letting me stay in their home, giving me tea, caring for me, helping me get my tickets. It was along the way here that I met a man and his mute and mentally challenged 18 year old son. He joined to carry my things all day, for nothing, for absolutely nothing. He had two daughters, one only a little child, adopted when their parents died of sickness. It was with this man I left Kali.

Kali was a lot like those kids, left out on her own in an unforgiving surround. I still have a wrenching feeling in my chest from when I left her. I was sitting out in front of this house, hours from having to fly back to Kathmandu. I started to feel my mind drift toward new frontiers. She seemed happy. I hope shes happy out there, out there on that farm. At the end of my journey I will return to that, my hound. 3 months I'd had that dog, we'd seen so much together on the road. But a Colcutta hound in the mountains, in the fresh air, in the fields? It was truly a sight to behold.

Kanchenjunga and Singalila Ridge as seen from Sandakphu. Photo by Anirban Biswas

Trekking into Sandakphu starts off from an altitude of 1, 524 metres (5,000 ft) and gradually climbs up through forests of rhododendron, giant magnolias, spruce and other trees of sub-alpine region and not to mention, more than 600 varieties of orchids – the largest to be found in one geographical area in the world. For flora worshippers, the months of April and May are the best time of the year for the trek while for those who have an insatiable thirst for a view of the mountains, the best months are in autumn. The view from Sandakphu is unsurpassed by any other view anywhere. Where else can be seen 180 degrees of snowcapped mountains which includes Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Kumbhakarna, Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari in one single stretch of snows – an ethereal beauty. It is easy to understand why people leave hearth and home, traveling, some times, thousands of miles to walk through ripples of terraced fields of maize, rice, millet and barley, leaving the last traces of civilization far behind.

Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. It usually takes place on trails in rural or wilderness areas. [Photo (above): Sun rays striking the peaks of Mount Everest and Makalu as seen from Sandakphu]

The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are differences in usage. In some places, off-trail hiking is called 'cross-country hiking', 'bushwalking', or 'bushbashing'. In the United Kingdom, hiking is a slightly old-fashioned word, with a flavor more of heartiness and exercise than of enjoying the outdoors. Australians use the term 'bushwalking' for both on- and off-trail hiking. New Zealanders use 'tramping' (particularly for overnight and longer trips), 'walking' or 'bushwalking'. Hiking in the mountainous regions of India and Nepal is called 'trekking'. Overnight hiking is called 'backpacking' in some parts of the world. Hiking a long-distance trail from end to end is referred to as 'thru-hiking' in some places. Since we are based in Darjeeling Hills and offer Hiking Packages in Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim henceforth, we will only used the word Trekking.

Trekking is one of the fundamental outdoor activities on which many others are based. Many beautiful places can only be reached overland by trekking, and enthusiasts regard treking as the best way to see nature. It is seen as better than a tour in a vehicle of any kind (or on an animal; see horseback riding) because the trekker's senses are not intruded upon by distractions such as windows, engine noise, airborne dust and fellow passengers. Trekking over long distances or over difficult terrain does require some degree of physical ability and knowledge. [Inset: Trekkers making their way through the Mist]

Trekkers often seek beautiful natural environments in which to trek. Ironically, these environments are often fragile: trekkers may accidentally destroy the environment that they enjoy. The action of an individual may not strongly affect the environment. However, the mass effect of a large number of trekkers can degrade the environment. For example, gathering wood in an Himalayan Ecological Area to start a fire may be harmless once (except for wildfire risk). Years of gathering wood, however, can strip a Himalayan area of valuable nutrients.

Generally, protected areas such as parks (Singalila Park) have regulations in place to protect the environment. If trekkers follow such regulations, their impact can be minimized. Such regulations include forbidding wood fires, restricting camping to established camp sites, disposing or packing out faecal matter, imposing a quota on the number of trekkers per day.

Chorten in the storm - Tonglu

Many trekkers espouse the philosophy of Leave No Trace: trekkking in a way such that future trekkers cannot detect the presence of previous trekkers. Practitioners of this philosophy obey its strictures, even in the absence of area regulations. Followers of this practice follow strict practices on dealing with food waste, food packaging, and alterations to the surrounding environment.

Human waste is often a major source of environmental impact from trekking. These wastes can contaminate the watershed and make other trekkers ill. Bacterial contamination can be avoided by digging 'catholes' 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) deep, depending on local soil composition and covering after use. If these catholes are dug at least 60 m (200 feet) away from water sources and trails, the risk of contamination is minimized. Many trekkers warn other trekkers about the location of their catholes by marking them with sticks stuck into the ground.

Sometimes, trekkers enjoy viewing rare or endangered species. However, some species (such as martens or bighorn sheep) are very sensitive to the presence of humans, especially around mating season. Trekkers should learn the habits and habitats of the endangered species, in order to avoid adverse impact.

There is one situation where an individual trekker can make a large impact on an ecosystem: inadvertently starting a wildfire. For example, in 2005, a Czech backpacker burned 7% of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile by knocking over an illegal gas portable stove. Obeying area regulations and setting up cooking devices on bare ground will reduce the risk of wildfire.

Etiquette of Trekking

Because Trekking is a recreational experience, Trekkers expect it to be pleasant. Sometimes trekkers can interfere with each others' enjoyment, or that of other users of the land, but they can minimize this interference by following good etiquette. For example:

• When two groups of trekkers meet on a steep trail, there may be contention for use of the trail. To avoid conflict, a custom has developed in some areas whereby the group moving uphill has the right-of-way. In other situations, the larger of the two groups will usually yield to the smaller.
• Being forced to trek much faster or slower than one's natural pace can be annoying, and difficult to maintain consistently. More seriously, walking unnaturally fast dramatically increases fatigue and exhaustion, and may cause injury. If a group splits between fast and slow trekkers, the slow trekkers may be left behind or become lost. A common custom is to encourage the slowest trekker to trek in the lead and have everyone match that speed. Another custom is to have an experienced trekker sweep up the rear, to ensure that everyone in the group is safe and nobody straggles.
• Trekkers often enjoy the silence and solitude of their surroundings. Loud sounds, such as shouting or loud conversation, disrupt this enjoyment. Some trekkers purposely avoid loud sounds, out of deference to other trekkers. Staying quiet will also increase the likelihood of encountering wildlife. (This is a hazard if dangerous animals are present; see "Personal safety hazards".)
• Trekkers sometimes trespass onto private property from public land or rights of way (easements). Such trespass can alienate the property owners and (in countries where rights of way are not protected by law) close down trekking rights-of-way. To maximize trekking opportunities for everyone, most trekkers will either stay on public land and easements, or solicit permission from property owners. Staying on well-marked trails avoids the possibility of trespass.
• Tree branches or other vegetation often hang low across trails. A passing trekker may cause a tree branch to snap back in the face of a trekker behind. While it is courteous to warn following trekkers if a branch is likely to snap back, it is every trekker's responsibility to allow enough space between himself and the trekker ahead to avoid the hazard.
• When two groups of trekkers meet, it is considered a common courtesy to exchange greetings (either verbal or physical (e.g. smiles and friendly nods)). To pass another group without such acknowledgement is seen as rude.

Personal Safety Hazards

Trekking may produce threats to personal safety. These threats can be dangerous circumstances while trekking and/or specific accidents or ailments. Dangerous treing circumstances include losing the way, inclement weather, hazardous terrain, or exacerbation of pre-existing medical conditions. Specific accidents include metabolic imbalances (such as dehydration or hypothermia), topical injuries (such as frostbite or sunburn), attacks by animals, or internal injuries (such as ankle sprain).

Trekkers often propose a set of behavioral prescriptions to minimize these threats. A well-known example of such a set of prescription is the Ten Essentials.

On Annapurna, rescuers have been airlifted to Kathmandu. following a tense weekend descending the demanding south wall.

On Makalu, Australian Andrew Lock has summited his 13th 8000er while on Everest, Norbert Joos could be done with the 14x8000ers list by now.

Everest summit reports: ”Tim, this guy is a dead man”

“There is so much to say about this year on Everest,” reported Peak Freaks team member Scott Mortensen from Dingboche. “There will be a whole new batch of controversy, blame, and negativity. Before it all hits though, I would like to say that there are also shining stars in the darkness," said Scott and offered a few examples from his own summit day:

”On our way down from the summit, Tim and I came across a disoriented man from the Korean team. He was out of oxygen and still trying to push for the summit.’Tim, this guy is a dead man’ I said after inspecting his pressure gage."

" ’So am I if I don't get out of here soon.’ Tim replied. I checked the medicine in his bottle. He was at lower liters than me, but still took the time wrangle two Sherpas to help the man out by providing more oxygen. Meanwhile, I tried to convince the Korean that the summit was in the opposite direction---DOWN--to no avail. He staggered and stretched for a summit that was still an hour away. A radio call interrupted my ineffective ruse."

“’Tim, this is Sultan. I am at the South Summit. I am very dehydrated. I need help.’ ‘Okay, borrow some water from someone we're on our way down.’ Tim assured him. Later we passed Faruq who was still heading towards the summit with his personal Sherpa, Mingma. I thought someone would turn him around. It was way too late to push forward....or maybe not???? Though I didn't trust it, the weather was absolutely perfect.

’Tim, I want to get the hell off this mountain.’ I said after another lengthy delay waiting for a man ahead of us to take ten minutes to swing his leg over a rock. My sense of unease was now an absolute feeling of impending doom. ’Me too.’ Tim said.”

”The harrowing events that followed may change my life forever,” ended up Scott, who ensures he will write a complete report in upcoming days.

James Balfour: "Martins pupils had completely dilated covering his iris's"

“On 23rd May at 5.30am, I completed a life long ambition of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest,” reported James Balfour. “I was the third person to reach the summit that day behind David (expedition leader) and Pasang Tenzing Sherpa. It was only when I was back in Camp 4 that we heard that two Koreans had died on the way up, and three others had perished on the day before.” (Ed note: Today, May 26, only one casualty has been confirmed.)

Recounting the summit day, James also describes how a few steps beyond the South Summit, “Martin went totally blind.”

“He didn't know what to do and in searching for help he began to climb over the cornice to a 12,000ft drop. Ian screamed at him to stop. When he caught him he noticed Martins pupils has completely dilated covering his iris's, making his eyes appear black. Ian and Tschering together placed each of Martin's feet until he was back onto the South Summit. Tschering then led him down where 30 mins later Martin regained partial sight. He was so close to reaching the top, but the altitude stole his vision and almost his life.”

The climber was Martin Mcgarvey, who some time after posted his own report.

“I started along the ridge but part way along my vision went and I was only able to make out shapes,” he reported. “Tshering, at only 19 years old, was brilliant and got me back along the ridge to the South Summit and down a few hundred meters where my vision started to return. He made sure I clipped in properly to the fixed line and got my feet placements verified as we negotiated some steep and very exposed terrain, he truly was a hero. Half way between the South Summit and the Balcony my vision returned and I could make own way down.”

Back in BC, Martin reports: “Despite losing 10kg I physically felt pretty good and am happy to be safe, however I am gutted to have got so close," he wrote. "I have to realize that without the support of my team mates and Sherpas I could have been like one of the 5 climbers that didn't make it down on the day before and the day after our summit day.”

Norbert Joos on his 14th 8000er!

Swiss Norbert Joos is currently on Everest. He launched a summit push on the 21st, hoping to reach the top yesterday. While news is still expected on the attempt’s outcome, should Joos succeed, he would become the next climber to complete the 14x8000ers list.

Shortly before leaving BC, Norbert also mentioned Kari Kobler’s group had summited that day at about 8:00 am. Kobler’s team suffered the death of Manny Golz, a seasoned 8000+ climber and mountain guide who passed away shortly after reaching C4 on descent, after climbing on Everest without supplementary oxygen.

Summit log

“This morning at 8:00 a.m. local time, Dan, Alan, and Adam Mallory summited Everest,” reported SummitClimb guide Arnold Coster earlier today from C2. “Today Michael left for camp 3 and he’s going for his summit attempt too,” he added. “The weather is good and it’s getting warmer with spring coming. People are still leaving camp 2 to go for the summit. So let’s see what happens.”

Adventure Consultants team summited on at 6:53am. Summiteers were Robyn Faike, Ang Dorjee Sherpa, Cheryl Bart and daughter Nikki Bart, Victor Saunders, Philip Drowley, Steven Novick, Hedd-wynn Williams, Carol Masheter, Michael Roberts, Lydia Bradey, Lhakpa Dorjee Sherpa, Phu Tashi Sherpa, Dawa Zangbu Sherpa, Sangay Dorjee Sherpa, Ang Sona Sherpa, Temba Sherpa, Pemba Choti Sherpa, Tendi Sherpa, Namgyal Sherpa, Passang Bhote #1, Passang Bhote #2, and Nima Tenzing Sherpa.

Canadians from Quebec François-Guy Thivierge and Sébastien Audy also summited on May 22 at 9:00 am.

A group of Vancouver climbers, led by owner of Canada West Mountain School and Certified ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide Brian Jones and John Furneaux (Canada West Mountain School instructor), reached the top of Mount Everest on Sunday, May 25th. It was their first attempt at climbing the mountain. Brian Jones, John Furneaux, Then Dorje Sherpa, Minga Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, and Chedden Sherpa, reached the top of Mount Everest at approximately 9:30 a.m. Nepal time, some 13 hours after setting off from Camp 4.

Sebastien Sasseville is a Vancouver climber diagnosed with Type One Diabetes in 2002. He has now become the first Canadian with Type One Diabetes to reach the top of Mount Everest.

IMG reported on member Val and Phunuru, Tim Warren and Phinjo, Mike and Dasona, and Passang Sherpa summitting on May 23. Another group comprising Dave and Nicky hoped to reach the top today, although yesterday night it was a little bit too windy at the South Col, where the climbers were.

AA team topped out on May 24. Summiteers were guides Vern Tejas, Lakpa Rita Sherpa, and Jose Luis Peralvo; members Dianette Wells, Charlie Hyde, Armand Musey, Jim Curtain, John Soebbing, RC Scull, Greg Konrath, and Mark Luscher; and Sherpas Thapkee, Chewang Nima, Dorjee, Ang Passang, Da Nuru, Mingma Tsering, Pa-Rita, and Passang Tsering.

Danish Everest team members Henrik Kristiansen and Søren Smidt summited at 7:00 am, local time on May 25. Tim Warren has summited as well.

Aborted attempts and second shots

News is expected from UK-based outfitter Jagged Globe. Irish climbers Ian Taylor (29) reportedly summited on Friday, while his mate Graham Kinch (29) turned around at the South summit.

Strong wind and cold made Silvio Mondinelli and Marco Confortola to hold in C4 on May 24, while Michele Enzio attempted the summit without supplementary O2. He turned around at the fore-summit, according to the Italian team.

Stephan Keck aborted his expedition after learning about the death of his friend, Swiss Gianni Goltz.

Mountain trip team aborted their summit bid on May 24, due to the late hour. “By the time we made it to the bottom of the South Summit we had been moving for over 6 hrs and we were in danger of running out of oxygen, so I decided to call it a day,” the team leader reported.

Also British Adventurer Ranulph (Fiennes) and US Astronaut Scott have aborted their attempts, for health reasons.

Brazilian Rodrigo Raineri has decided to use O2 on his attempt. He reported over sat phone today that the winds are very strong and many teams were turned back yesterday. One of the Sherpas who supported the 76-year old Nepali reportedly froze all his fingers. Eduardo Keppke and Rodrigo Raineri will make an attempt for the summit tonight, reports Elias Luiz from extremos.com.br.

The first day of the rest of Andrew’s life

Andrew Brash is also back in BC, after bagging the summit on Friday – and crossing the Khumbu Icefall for the last time. “The problem with this mountain is that it isn't just a casual stroll to the bottom. I was feeling an urgency to get down. Unfortunately there were a number of people heading in that same direction. Most of them were porters, many carrying stunningly big loads as teams begin to clear up their high camps. As a result, there were traffic jams at several unfortunate points."

“Obviously I got through once again. Sitting on my backpack after exiting the icefall I kind of thought to myself, 'hey, this is the first day of the rest of your life'.”

Annapurna: All rescuers enroute to Kathmandu; medals ahead

Iñaki Ochoa died in Annapurna’s C4 on Friday morning. The 14 climbers who had been trying to reach him now faced a snow storm and highly dangerous conditions on the wall.

Romanian Alex Gavan got lost for a few hours in the fog, Don Bowie reported constant avalanches, Ueli Steck insisted on climbing down alone from C4 (where he had tried to keep Iñaki alive until the end), while Alexey, Denis and Serguey were stuck in C3 in a storm. Saturday night, all climbers had managed to descend safely, except for some of the Sherpas who were still in C2. Today at last, all could be airlifted out of BC.

“Most of the people have got to Kathmandu today,” reported rescuer Mihnea Radulescu earlier today. “Dennis, Serguey, Horia, and Nancy are still in Pokhara, reporting to the police and the Liaison Officer (Ed. Note: Nancy is Iñaki’s girlfriend, who remained in BC. Story edited May 27, 6:07am: Mihnea Radulescu is not a female climber as we previously wrote.)

The tremendous rescue effort has caught the hearts of Iñaki’s home town in northern Spain. “A few minutes ago Navarra's government agreed to give all the climbers involved - and Iñaki - the Gold Medal to Merits in Sport," reported Inaki's webmaster Jorge Nagore. "It is the most important honorific award to be given to the region’s sportsmen. Congrats.”

The climbers are Romanians Horia Colibasanu, Alex Gavan and Mihnea Radulescu; Swiss Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten; Russians Alexey Bolotov and Serguey Bogomolov; Kazakh Denis Urubko; Canadian Don Bowie; Polish Robert Szymczak and five Sherpas.

Makalu: Lock bags his lucky 13th: Atkins and Jaros on top too

”At 11.15am, 21 May 08, I stood on the summit of Mt Makalu: 8470m, the world's 5th highest mountain and the 13th summit in my quest to climb all 14 of the world's '8000ers',” reported Australian Andrew Lock after he returned to BC on May 23.

”Unfortunately neither Hector nor Neil were able to join me on top […] From the start from C4 (7950m) on May 21 Hector suffered extreme exhaustion, probably a combination of altitude and all the ailments that had afflicted him throughout the expedition. It was a great disappointment to see him turn around at about 8100 meters. I continued on with 2 other climbers, Ted Atkins (UK) and Radek Jaros (Czech Republic). We reached the pointed, true summit, 7 1/2 hours after setting out from c4.”

(Ed. Note: Czech Radek Jaros originally planned to attempt Annapurna, after summiting Dhaulagiri some weeks ago).

Lhotse: DCXP on top and Pauner’s chopper grounded

It's the 25th May and “DCXP managed to put 6 members on top of Lhotse on May 25,” the home team reported. “With 700m of climbing from our high camp to reach the summit, Paul (who had renounced to attempt the summit) gave his oxygen supply to Mal Haskins and Richard Moriarty. This enabled both clients to climb on maximum flow rates, through cold windy conditions and deep snow drifts. They reached the summit at mid-day.” Escorting Mal and Richard were Sherpas Pasang, Ang Kami and Pasang Nuru.

Carlos Pauner and Javier Perez who expected to be airlifted from Everest BC yesterday had to spend another night at altitude, since the chopper remained grounded due to bad weather. According to the climbers’ latest contact, they hoped to leave today.

La spedizione di Cristina Castagna era partita dall’Italia il 31 marzo scorso per conquistare la vetta che sta a metà tra il Tibet e il Nepal. Il Makalu è la quinta montagna più alta della Terra ed è entrata nel mirino della giovane alpinista veneta che potrebbe così diventare l’unica donna italiana ad aver conquistato il “Grande Nero”, così chiamato dai tibetani per via delle rocce scure che lo compongono. Cristina Castagna dal 2003 interpreta la propria passione alpinistica con grande professionalità, pur mantenendo l’impiego a tempo pieno come infermiera al Pronto Soccorso di Vicenza, in provincia di Vicenza".

(Fonte: uff. stampa Salewa)

Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. It usually takes place on trails in rural or wilderness areas. [Photo (above): Sun rays striking the peaks of Mount Everest and Makalu as seen from Sandakphu]

The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are differences in usage. In some places, off-trail hiking is called 'cross-country hiking', 'bushwalking', or 'bushbashing'. In the United Kingdom, hiking is a slightly old-fashioned word, with a flavor more of heartiness and exercise than of enjoying the outdoors. Australians use the term 'bushwalking' for both on- and off-trail hiking. New Zealanders use 'tramping' (particularly for overnight and longer trips), 'walking' or 'bushwalking'. Hiking in the mountainous regions of India and Nepal is called 'trekking'. Overnight hiking is called 'backpacking' in some parts of the world. Hiking a long-distance trail from end to end is referred to as 'thru-hiking' in some places. Since we are based in Darjeeling Hills and offer Hiking Packages in Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim henceforth, we will only used the word Trekking.

Trekking is one of the fundamental outdoor activities on which many others are based. Many beautiful places can only be reached overland by trekking, and enthusiasts regard treking as the best way to see nature. It is seen as better than a tour in a vehicle of any kind (or on an animal; see horseback riding) because the trekker's senses are not intruded upon by distractions such as windows, engine noise, airborne dust and fellow passengers. Trekking over long distances or over difficult terrain does require some degree of physical ability and knowledge. [Inset: Trekkers making their way through the Mist]

Trekkers often seek beautiful natural environments in which to trek. Ironically, these environments are often fragile: trekkers may accidentally destroy the environment that they enjoy. The action of an individual may not strongly affect the environment. However, the mass effect of a large number of trekkers can degrade the environment. For example, gathering wood in an Himalayan Ecological Area to start a fire may be harmless once (except for wildfire risk). Years of gathering wood, however, can strip a Himalayan area of valuable nutrients.

Generally, protected areas such as parks (Singalila Park) have regulations in place to protect the environment. If trekkers follow such regulations, their impact can be minimized. Such regulations include forbidding wood fires, restricting camping to established camp sites, disposing or packing out faecal matter, imposing a quota on the number of trekkers per day.

Chorten in the storm - Tonglu

Many trekkers espouse the philosophy of Leave No Trace: trekkking in a way such that future trekkers cannot detect the presence of previous trekkers. Practitioners of this philosophy obey its strictures, even in the absence of area regulations. Followers of this practice follow strict practices on dealing with food waste, food packaging, and alterations to the surrounding environment.

Human waste is often a major source of environmental impact from trekking. These wastes can contaminate the watershed and make other trekkers ill. Bacterial contamination can be avoided by digging 'catholes' 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) deep, depending on local soil composition and covering after use. If these catholes are dug at least 60 m (200 feet) away from water sources and trails, the risk of contamination is minimized. Many trekkers warn other trekkers about the location of their catholes by marking them with sticks stuck into the ground.

Sometimes, trekkers enjoy viewing rare or endangered species. However, some species (such as martens or bighorn sheep) are very sensitive to the presence of humans, especially around mating season. Trekkers should learn the habits and habitats of the endangered species, in order to avoid adverse impact.

There is one situation where an individual trekker can make a large impact on an ecosystem: inadvertently starting a wildfire. For example, in 2005, a Czech backpacker burned 7% of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile by knocking over an illegal gas portable stove. Obeying area regulations and setting up cooking devices on bare ground will reduce the risk of wildfire.

Etiquette of Trekking

Because Trekking is a recreational experience, Trekkers expect it to be pleasant. Sometimes trekkers can interfere with each others' enjoyment, or that of other users of the land, but they can minimize this interference by following good etiquette. For example:

• When two groups of trekkers meet on a steep trail, there may be contention for use of the trail. To avoid conflict, a custom has developed in some areas whereby the group moving uphill has the right-of-way. In other situations, the larger of the two groups will usually yield to the smaller.
• Being forced to trek much faster or slower than one's natural pace can be annoying, and difficult to maintain consistently. More seriously, walking unnaturally fast dramatically increases fatigue and exhaustion, and may cause injury. If a group splits between fast and slow trekkers, the slow trekkers may be left behind or become lost. A common custom is to encourage the slowest trekker to trek in the lead and have everyone match that speed. Another custom is to have an experienced trekker sweep up the rear, to ensure that everyone in the group is safe and nobody straggles.
• Trekkers often enjoy the silence and solitude of their surroundings. Loud sounds, such as shouting or loud conversation, disrupt this enjoyment. Some trekkers purposely avoid loud sounds, out of deference to other trekkers. Staying quiet will also increase the likelihood of encountering wildlife. (This is a hazard if dangerous animals are present; see "Personal safety hazards".)
• Trekkers sometimes trespass onto private property from public land or rights of way (easements). Such trespass can alienate the property owners and (in countries where rights of way are not protected by law) close down trekking rights-of-way. To maximize trekking opportunities for everyone, most trekkers will either stay on public land and easements, or solicit permission from property owners. Staying on well-marked trails avoids the possibility of trespass.
• Tree branches or other vegetation often hang low across trails. A passing trekker may cause a tree branch to snap back in the face of a trekker behind. While it is courteous to warn following trekkers if a branch is likely to snap back, it is every trekker's responsibility to allow enough space between himself and the trekker ahead to avoid the hazard.
• When two groups of trekkers meet, it is considered a common courtesy to exchange greetings (either verbal or physical (e.g. smiles and friendly nods)). To pass another group without such acknowledgement is seen as rude.

Personal Safety Hazards

Trekking may produce threats to personal safety. These threats can be dangerous circumstances while trekking and/or specific accidents or ailments. Dangerous treing circumstances include losing the way, inclement weather, hazardous terrain, or exacerbation of pre-existing medical conditions. Specific accidents include metabolic imbalances (such as dehydration or hypothermia), topical injuries (such as frostbite or sunburn), attacks by animals, or internal injuries (such as ankle sprain).

Trekkers often propose a set of behavioral prescriptions to minimize these threats. A well-known example of such a set of prescription is the Ten Essentials.