lakes of nepal

Nepal is a Shangrila destination to all trekkers. The treasure of tourism of the country has not been fully explored yet. Most hidden mysteries of enchantment are under exposition. Natural gifts, panorama landscape, man made heritages, ethno-cultural richness, innocent social setting and hospitality and many more unexplored treasures are dreams for connoisseurs of tourism (Sharma 2005:1). Tourism in Nepal, comprises as one of the key development components, and will remain as significant sector forever for overall sustainable development. Rural tourism in Nepal is a complex multi-faceted activity that includes special nature holidays and eco-tourism comprising walking, climbing, horse riding, adventure, sports, health, hunting, angling, educational travel, arts, heritage and in some areas, ethnic and tourism (Pandey 2005: 23). In spite of that, Nepal is visited simply for few worldly known destinations such as the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest, the birth place of Gautam Buddha, Lumbini, cultural museum of Kathmandu valley- the ethnic turn table of Asia (Hagan, 1961 in Sharma 2005:1 “The Inclusive Democracy” an unpublished article). But there are places to savior of tourism of all interests which one should not miss. The cheapest with the highest hospitality destination, Nepal can cater tourists of all kinds and from all over the world. Nepal is the melting pot to visit across Asia, particularly to the richest and mysterious destinations- China, India, Hindukush range and Pacific areas. Tourism as smokeless industry has attracted all throughout the world (Kunwar 1997: acknowledgements). Therefore, on the way, spending few days inside Nepal can really provide an opportunity to quench the passion of knowing natural setting of the world. Among different packages of visit to Nepal, trekking can be regarded the most adventurous and enchanting. Treks to round Annapurna, Khumbhu region, Kanchanjunga, Rolwaling, Langtang, Simikot-Mansarobar, upper Mustang, Dolpo, etc are unique destinations. Besides them, a two-day trek with tremendous experience and new insights on the horizon from Khalanga-Jumla to Rara Lake-Mugu cannot be forgotten. So let us go with it today. The Journey to Jumla- Rara A trekker can board in Nepalgunj or Surkhet to Jumla by a twin otter. The experience of plain (terai) with hot climate of Nepalgunj may have one or about the same climatic experience in Surkhet valley, the headquarters of Mid-Western development region. The take-off of the plane gradually leaves the plain land and climbs up the Chure jungle and sights the Surkhet valley with scattered settlement on the red color landscape and snake shaped (bends) of Bheri river and its tributaries. Within 12 to 15 minutes flight from Terai, the topographic diversities change the minds of the plane passengers on the board. Peeping through the window for about 5 minutes to Surkhet valley, the aircraft reaches above Dailekh District or Jagarkot (to you right). The traveler proceeds ahead looking down the curves of Karnali river, panorama of rural settlement, somewhere road constructions (Surkhet-Jumla road) sight along the bank of the river and passing through lowland to upland- hills, villages and bare hills, jungle, brooks and lonely lands. The plane climbs up the altitude leaving behind Surkhet valley and Dailekh district heading towards Kalikot, (to your left) the mountainous district in hill district. Kalikot is known as most inaccessible and remote district among 75 districts of the kingdom (Khadka 20056 BS). The terrace settlement, vertical hill with sparse villages, gorges of the rivers, green hills, laligurans (Rhododendron), sometime you will narrowly view rocky mountains, the sheds of sheep and cows; some Kharkas (seasonal pasturage) with the thatched huts, gothalas (cowboys) and so forth. When you approach to the border of Jumla district you will be narrowly passing through very exciting mountains- Haodelek where few foot-trekkers to and from Jumla-Surkhet are climbing up or down. Then your aircraft will follow the bank of KarnaliRiver toward Jumla region. Close to the hill to your left side you will be watching down the gorge of KarnaliRiver and high green mountains to you right side or left. Now your plane climbs down to Khalanga (open valley) above Talium, Bahara gaon with flat clay roofs clustered settlement and Khalanga (Chandannath VDC)- the headquarters of Jumla as well as Karnali zone. Your plane slightly tilts to left side over Chandannath and finally lands on Jumla airport. This ends your thirty five minutes air journey. When the Surkhet-Jumla road construction completes, the journey will be different one and a different experience. Jumla Khalanga Stay one day in Jumla Khalanga and prepare the journey to Rara for the next day. Visit Chandannath temple, chat with Jumli people and enjoy apples if it is in autumn. Buy necessary trekking foods; hire a porter and a guide cum-cook; since there are not any good hotels and lodges in the trekking route. Collect all necessary goods, food stuffs, sleeping bag, etc. A movie camera or camera with good lens is must. If you are all set, ask blessing from Chandannath and head toward Danfekolek, a steep climb to the sky! The next day from Khalanga, you will proceed ahead to Jumla campus and Technical institute, a nice training vocational training school roofed with high quality local slates. Going ahead leaving behind the technical institute, you will pass through a meadow (Chyare Chaur) where sheep and cows would be seen grazing. For a while, about half an hour you can chat with the shepherd/cowboys. It is a part of rest. Then upto the foot hill of Danfekolek, you will enjoy easy walking as usual in your hometown or resident area. Then enjoy fresh water, get adequate rest and even light snacks. Now begin the steep climb up the Danfe hill. Go along the curly track, get short pauses (rest) after 10 to 15 minutes, view and enjoy green meadows, far off technical institute and partial view of the Khalanga bazaar and government office buildings. Whenever you meet locals (people) coming from other side u can ask them how far the top is or at what time you will be at Tharmare, a rest café beyond the Danfe peak. It will give you a new hope, relax and opportunity to know the way of behavior of the local people. To climb up this hill you are advised to enjoy a pack of glucose biscuits with local water or chewing gum or at least polo which you have bought in Nepalgunj or Khalanga. O.K after one and half or two hour you will be on the top of the Danfe pass. Get rest in the Chaupari (rest spot) about an hour, view high mountains around with chill air, the Khalanga valley and far away as you can. Do about half dozen photo snaps, over there. Here you may feel a little bit of suffocation due to the high altitude. It. is about 14000 feet height. If you are much tired enjoy light snacks, then move ahead toward Tharmare. Again you will walk through another meadow (Khalichaur), a fantastic solitary place to camping and hiking. Here you will find cattle grazing- sheep, pony, yaks and cows. But here, you will see no sign of human settlement i.e. no houses, farms and even village. You are completely with the nature either blue sky over your head or jungle and grassy land around you. Or simply the chirp sound of birds. If you are lucky Danfe, the national bird, may be sighted and far away cattle grazing scene are the usual phenomena. If you are much interested to know about the Kharkha, a seasonal pasture, spend a day with the shepherds (gothalo) who may be with the cattle under a big tree or inside a plastic tent or under a cave. You will find them either knitting woolen/allow thread and weaving woolen blanket such as radipakhi, lieu, kamlo and their own garments or playing cards, smoking attar (ganja) and hukka (local smoke). They spend such life about 5/6 months and when the autumn falls they come down to their settlement or to lowland. When it is spring, they again go up for Kharka. This is the usual cycle of their life and it is found in other parts of Jumla and Mugu districts. After half an hour walk or so you will be at the Tharmare shed (café) where you will be served black tea, biscuit, chowmin and sometimes local mutton. Thar means wild goat and Tharmare means a hunting spot where Thar used to be hunted by the locals. After having your hot black tea or chowmin at the Tharmare bhatti, you have to pass through the jungle and climb down to Neurigadh brook. It will take an hour to get there. Now there you will find about a dozen houses with few Bhattis (tea stalls). If you are there by 3 o’clock or so and not much tired, go ahead up to Kabra and stay there. Otherwise stay at Neurigadh for that night because Kabra has single Bhatti and no other houses. Bhattiwal will provide you dhulo (roti) and fresh green vegetable mixed with highland potato (tasty and unique). If you have your own scheme, manage a tent and get it with your trekking team. On the next day, get up early, have your tea and breakfast then march ahead to Chautha. On the way you will find few primitive types of settlements with few tea stalls. You have to go straight neither climb up nor down. Chautha is a junction to Sinja and Mugu destination. There are a dozen houses. You will see more than one Bhattis. Food items may be more and even the quality of food and shelter are better there. A visit to Sinja, a historically important place for humanities development i.e. Nepali language and tribal expansion, will have a separate chapter of trekking. It was the capital of Nepal during since the rule Nagraj in Karnali up to Challa dynasty in medieval Nepal Khadka 2056 BS: 168). After spending one and half hour lunch time, you climb up the Ghuchhiko Lek. Climbing up through the jungle of pine and Bhojpatra trees you will be lost without any sign and scene of human settlement. During an hour climb up, you will be with the nature- steep rock, century old forest, chirp of birds and murmuring brook as well as trees. Now you are in the Rara National Park. You have chances of sighting Danfe, wild bore, bear and leopard. Before you get to the top of the Ghuchhiko Lek, you have few Bhatti at Bhulbhule where about half dozen houses serve you light snacks. This is the last Bhatti so get rest there at least for half hour and enjoy black tea with you light snacks, probably biscuits or so. Here do not forget to taste the local potato. Then again climb up about half an hour where you find a big meadow (Guchhi Chaur) or Kharka (Gothi Chaur) where you find grazing cattle and few tents of the Gothalos (shepherds). Now you turn to your left leaving ahead up to the Ghuchhi lek (pass) for Rara lake. Go ahead from Chuche Mara Lek (probably bore hunting). You have another option too. Go along the Ghuchhi lek and climb down Pina-Jhyarigaon and come down Rara lake. Walk straight through the jungle of the national park about three hours then you will be at the Rara area. Now you are at the northern corner of the lake. The third option is via Gumgadhi. There is a single Bhatti to the west side of the lake beside the Nepal Army camp especially stationed for the security of the Rara national Park. Just opposite of this spot i.e. to the East of the Lake, you can see a plain land where late King Mahendra used to camp and write few poems. So the Rara is also known as Mahendra Tal. The lake looks like: The RaraLake Stay in the guest house or camp yourself for two days. Danfe Guest House is the single hotel run by Nepal Army. It can accommodate about five dozen tourists per day. It is the army canteen cum guest house. But it provides services to general public too. While going around the lake be careful of the wild bore and bear because they frequently visit the lake side even an encounter can take place. To the west of the lake there is a temple nearby which a wooden bridge over the outlet water of the lake. Rara lake is the biggest lake of Nepal. The clean blue water reflects the Kagmara Mountain range, Murma top and other surrounding hills of the lake. Under the subsidy of SAPROS-Nepal, an NGO, a goose farming project was initiated. To learn other facts and wild as well as natural phenomena you can be briefed by Nepal Army or locals who may be there for firewood and grass collection or some may be with their cattle. You can see fishes in the shallow water but you can not fish since you are within national park. One must go for boating for about half day. You can round or to North to South and East to West to get a real enchanting panorama of Rara lake. There are three boats including a motor boat which can be hired in a nominal charge of Rs. 50 for Nepali and Rs 300 for foreigner. However, the locals have not to pay. RaraNational Park Though a visit to Rara National Park can be a separate destination, the trekker can enjoy most of the part of this park while up and down of the Chautha to Rara Lake. Rara lake is perched on a high shelf at 2980m and is protected by Rara National Park, Which was established in 1976. The Park, covering an area of 106 sq., km., is the most popular trekking area in the far west Rara Lake, 5 kms long and 2 kms wide, is Nepal’s largest lake. Its shimmering blue waters, reflecting Gurchi Lekh’s snowy peaks, are ringed by meadows alpine forest. The park is a bird watcher’s delight especially during November and April when ducks, cormorants and other birds visit during their seasonal migration. The next day you just climb up Murma top where from you can overview immediate five districts- Humla, Kalikot, Bajura, Acham and Jumla. It is a nice place to stay for about an hour and find the natural beauty where you may be lost as poet William Wordsworth or like late king Mahendra to a dream of heaven. Everywhere you will see green forest and far off white topped mountains and sirens of nature. The Murma top probably changes every heart of human being. Your camera will be half exhausted at the top. The author of this article recommends the entire tourists to visit Rara destination mostly in the autumn season. The other way to visit only Rara Lake is going by air service directly to talcha airport where from you can have pony drive or travel about two hour up to the Rara national park. Furthermore, if you have long trekking mission go to Kailash Mansarobar about two weeks trek. I have not mentioned much about the unique places, things and insights of the Jumla-Rara trek because the visitor oneself will find and explore the unexplored mystery of the destination. Therefore, the article is also under explored. On the way back the trekker can collect new experience and scene and sights with local products. In spite of this, the author like to draw the attention of the concern stakeholders- Nepal government, tourism entrepreneurs, local governments and locals of that very destination to come out with a new vision, plan and program to exploit the vast potentiality of this region. Thus, Jumla-Rara trek is one of the wonderful adventures in Karnali region. It is the gateway to explore the hidden treasure of Karnali region and can bring prosperity over the poverty of the people.

nepaliculture

National flag

Nepali bride

scenary

Tea gardens of Ilam

Tea is nearly 5,000 years old and was discovered by a Chinese emperor Shen Nong when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water and a brown liquid was infused. The Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created. In the 1610s tea became popular throughout Europe and the American colonies.
Today tea is the most prominent drink of world, and India is the world's largest producer, exporter and consumer of tea. Assam teas are strong, well rounded and malty with rich aroma, flavor and stimulating effect. Darjeeling tea is the best and most expensive in the world due to its delicate and superior flavor and unique aroma.
Tea is the most sought after beverage the world over. Indian tea more particularly has in it all that is best in tea. The varieties it produces have aroma, flavour, liquor, over and above the health benefits that tea provides. In fact no other beverage comes anywhere near Indian tea when it comes to overall quality and aroma, and health benefits of course.

Tea breaks down into three basic types: black, green and oolong. In the world, over 90 percent of the tea consumed is black tea. Black tea undergoes a fermentation process as part of production. Green teas are unfermented, whereas oolong is partially fermented.Bicco can provide high quality tea in bulk, Such teas could be of your own choice of grades or blends which will have all the attributes of highest quality and aroma.
Many things about tea have been said or written."Tea for two, and two for tea,Me for you, and you for me" Irving Ceaser, "Tea for Two" - 1925Wouldn't it be dreadfull to live in a country where they didn't have tea?" - -Noel Coward Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.Chaim Potok: The ChosenThank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.Sidney Smith (1711

visit in kathmandu

setting of its surroundings. The gate was erected by King Ranjit Malla and is the entrance of the main courtyard of the kathmandu vally
Kathmandu Valley Tour
ItineraryDay 01: Arrive Kathmandu Overnight hotel Arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu, you are welcomed by the hospitable meeting and then you will be transferred to your hotel. Our guide will explain briefly the program upon arrival at hotel.Day 02: Overnight hotelAM: Visit Kathmandu city and SwayambhunathKathmandu’s Durbar Square is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today. The two-hectare (five-acre) palace complex is divided into two main chowks, or courtyards, and was initially constructed in the 16th century, although subsequent additions were made in the Shah (Gurkha) dynasty in the 18th century and by the Rana rulers in the 19th century. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum, dedicated to the monarch who opened up Nepal to the outside world, and the Mahendra Museum, dedicated to his son, King Mahendra. It is also possible to visit the State Rooms inside the palace. At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chowk. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a young girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durba. She is worshipped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.Swayambhunath the golden spire of the 5th-century Swayambhu stupa is adorned with a colourful fluttering of prayer flags; it crowns a hill overlooking the Kathmandu Valley and offers fantastic views over the city of Kathmandu. Swayambhunath is one of the most recognisable symbols in Nepal and the painted eyes of Buddha watch all who ascend the worn stone steps. It is a World Heritage Site and one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, and is at the source of the Valley’s mythical beginning. Legend has it that the history of the Valley began with the draining of an ancient lake by an Enlightened Being to reveal the Valley and a lotus flower was transformed into the hill and the shining light became the stupa itself. Swarms of pilgrims and red-clad monks circle the complex, spinning the prayer wheels, while the scores of monkeys that give the temple its nickname, Monkey Temple, prance about in irreverent groups. Interestingly the temple complex is scattered with shrines and statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities and the assortment of pilgrims from both faiths characterises the country’s unique religious harmony.PM: Visit Patan City.Patan is 15 minutes drive from Kathmandu. Lalitpur, the city of beauty is separated from Kathmandu only by the Bagmati River and is the second largest town in the valley. Lalitpur is fragmented from other cities due to its substantive architectural ancient masterpieces. Patan's central Durbar Square is absolutely packed with temples: Its an architectural center point with a far greater concentration of temples per sq. meter than in Kathamandu or Bhaktapur.Krishna Mandir which is one of the grandeur of the square was built in 1637 by the king Siddhinarsingh Malla. The entire temple is constructed from the stone. Golden Temple which is the unique Buddhist Monastery was founded in the 12th century which is a large rectangular building has three roofs and a copper gilded facade with the images of Buddha and Avalokitesvara where there are Buddha images and illustrations on the walls. The square has been unrestrainedly adorned by the Bhimsen Temple, Manga Hiti, Vishwanath Temple, Jagannarayan Temple, Golden Temple and numerous. Take the pleasure of discovering this Patan Durbar Square which has been entitled in the World Heritage Site.Day 03: Overnight hotelAM: Visit Pashupatinath and BouddhanathNot only is Pashupatinath the most important Hindu temple in Nepal, its one of the most important Shiva temples on the subcontinent and draws numerous devotees from all over India each year. Pashupati is considered to have a special concern for the kingdom of Nepal. Pashupatinath, an ancient plinth, by the banks of the holy Bagmati River, stands the 16th century of Pashupatinath - Shiva, as Lord of all Creatures. The old buildings on the site were destroyed by Moslem invaders in the 14th century, its stone linga smashed to dust, but it rose again behind their retreating backs. Succeeding monarchs reinstated the temple and the images. The flowing Bagmati is a holy river and the ghats (crematorium) at its bank are the earnest Hindus truest cremation center.Bouddhanath is among the largest stupas in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet, and Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many of them decided to live around Bouddhanath. They established many gompas, and the "Little Tibet" of Nepal was born. This "Little Tibet" is still the best place in the Valley to observe Tibetan lifestyle. Monks walk about in maroon robes. Tibetans walk with prayer wheels in their hands, and the rituals of prostration are presented to the Buddha as worshippers circumambulate the stupa on their hands and knees, bowing down to their lord.PM: Visit Bhaktapur City.Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. The golden effigies of kings perched on the top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carvings in every place-struts, lintels, uprights, tympanums, gateways and windows, all seem to form a well orchestrated symphony. The main items of interest in the Durbar Square are:The Golden Gate: The Golden Gate is said to be the most beautiful and richly moulded specimen of its kind in the entire world. The door is surmounted by a figure of the goddess Kali and Garuda (the mythical man bird) and attended by two heavenly nymphs. It is also embellished with mythical creatures of marvellous intricacy, In the words of Percy Brown, an eminent English art critic and historian, the Golden Gate is the most lovely piece of art in the whole Kingdom: It is placed like a jewel, flashing innumerable facets in the handsome Palace of Fifty five Windows.The Palace of Fifty five Windows: This magnificent palace was built during the reign of King Yakshya Malla in A.D. 1427 and was subsequently remodelled by King Bhupatindra Malla in the seventeenth century. Among the brick walls with their gracious setting and sculptural design, is a balcony with Fifty five Windows, considered to be a unique masterpiece of woodcarving.Day 04: Free Rani pokhari

tourktm

Featue of Mt. Everest

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General
Discovery and exploration
Himalaya mountains
Nepal
Sherpas
General
Clarke, Charles 2003, 'Surviving Everest', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 128-32.The author, a doctor who accompanied two expeditions to Everest led by Chris Bonnington in 1975 and 1982, describes some of the physiological problems mountaineers can encounter at high altitude and the ways in which their bodies react. [Abstract from Austguide]
Deegan, Paul 2003, 'A brief history of Everest', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 19-22.A chronology providing a brief history of Mount Everest, from 1847 when it was surveyed as part of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, through historic expeditions - such as the successful British expedition of 1953 - and later ones. [Abstract from Austguide]
Klesius, Michael 2003, 'The body: adjust or die', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 203, no. 5, May, pp. 30-3.A diagrammatic description of the physiological effects of high altitude which particularly looks at the strains mountain climbers put their bodies under. [Abstract from Austguide]
'Moving mountains', The Geographical Magazine, 2003, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 68-9.Mount Everest's height was first determined in 1847 as part of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India as being 29 002 feet. Despite significant advances in technology, and numerous surveys since, the accepted figure has changed very little from that given in 1847, and is now recognised as being 29 032 feet, or 8 849 metres. [Abstract from Austguide]
Venables, Stephen 1998, 'Balancing act', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 70, no. 7, July, pp. 6-11.The author, a very experienced mountaineer, deplores the 'dumbing down' of climbing which is represented by much of the commercialisation of the sport, with assistance being given to quite inexperienced climbers to reach the top of the Matterhorn or the summit of Everest. [Abstract from Austguide]
Washburn, Bradford 1988, 'Mount Everest - surveying the third pole', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 174, no. 5, November, pp. 652-9.Space-age technology provides a brilliant new look at the central Himalaya in a double map supplement, the most accurate portrait of the Everest region ever produced. Project leader Bradford Washburn relates its history. Includes photographs. [Abstract from journal]
Wright, Karen 2000, 'Measuring Mount Everest', Discover, vol. 21, no. 5, May, pp. 36-7.In May 1999 GPS technology was used to measure accurately the elevation of Mount Everest. The article describes why earlier measurements of the height of Everest were considered either suspect or not accurate enough and then details the process whereby it was measured using GPS receivers. [Abstract from Austguide]
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Discovery and exploration
Adler, Jerry 1999, 'Ghost of Everest', The Bulletin, vol. 117, no. 6174, 18 May, pp. 102-4.The body of George Mallory, who, with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine, disappeared on the North Face of Mount Everest in June 1924, has been discovered by an American mountaineering team. Though there is no evidence that Mallory made it to the summit, the discovery has once again sparked speculation that he possibly could have conquered the mountain. [Abstract from Austguide]
Anker, Conrad 1999, 'Mystery on Everest', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 196, no. 4, October, pp. 108-13.George Mallory and his climbing companion Andrew Irvine disappeared from the sides of Mount Everest in 1924. Since then mountaineers have speculated whether Mallory, a renowned climber, may have made it to the summit. Early 1999, Mallory's body was found and here the author describes details of how he and his team made this discovery. [Abstract from Austguide]
Douglas, Ed 1999, 'The man who wouldn't die', New Scientist, vol. 164, no. 2209, 23 October, pp. 48-51.In 1996 Beck Weathers, along with a number of other climbers, was caught in a blizzard on Mount Everest. Despite suffering acute hypothermia and being unconscious for twelve hours, as well as spending a night in the open, Weathers was eventually saved after staggering back into camp the following day. Just how his body survived this ordeal is a mystery. [Abstract from Austguide]
'Everest: 50 years and counting', The National Geographic Magazine, 2003, vol. 203, no. 5, May, pp. 2-29.Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, was successfully climbed for the first time in May 1953. To celebrate this achievement by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay this article traces the history of Everest expeditions both before and after the successful British expedition of 1953. [Abstract from Austguide]
Fear, Sue 2003, 'Everest and I', Australian Geographic, no. 73, January-March, pp. 78-89.Sponsored by the 'Australian Geographic', the author made an ascent of Mount Everest, using the North Ridge route, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first successful conquest of the mountain by Hillary and Norgay. Here she describes her experience of the climb - the account also includes a table of Australians on Everest. [Abstract from Austguide]
Gillman, Peter 2003, 'Crowning glory', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 24-30.A look at the long history of British involvement with Mount Everest which discusses aspects of British expeditions to the Everest region in the 1920s and 1930s and the successful 1953 expedition led by John Hunt. [Abstract from Austguide]
Hillary, Edmund 2003, '50 years: my story', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 203, no. 5, May, pp. 38-41.The first man, along with Tenzing Norgay, to successfully climb Mount Everest here recollects his feelings on reaching the summit of the Earth's tallest mountain and discusses aspects of his subsequent mountaineering career and life, especially his work over many years in Nepal. [Abstract from Austguide]
Kluger, Jeffrey 1997, 'Mountain without mercy', Time Australia, no. 42, 20 October, pp. 60-5.This article tells the story of a team of IMAX filmmakers who scaled Mount Everest to film the ascent to the summit in the highest-quality movie film available. The equipment had to be adapted to suit the conditions, and they were there at the time when eight died as storms engulfed the peak in mountain climbing's worse disaster. [Abstract from Austguide]
Steele, Peter 1998, 'In the shadow of Everest', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 70, no. 5, May, pp. 72-6.Eric Shipton was one of this century's great mountain explorers. Born in 1907 Shipton learnt mountaineering in the Pyrenees and Swiss Alps, before leading many expeditions to the Himalayas during the 1930's. His 1951 Everest reconnaissance expedition laid the foundations for the successful 1953 expedition when Everest's summit was first reached. [Abstract from Austguide]
Stephens, Rebecca 2003, 'The quiet achiever', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 71-6.A profile of Sir Edmund Hillary who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Much to his surprise this accomplishment made him internationally famous and something of a celebrity, yet he doesn't regard it as his most important achievement. [Abstract from Austguide]
Varley, Martin 1999, 'It's tough at the top', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 71, no. 9, September, pp. 32-5.This article relates some of the facts that an expedition this year was able to ascertain concerning the death of George Mallory, a pioneering mountaineer, who died trying to scale Mount Everest in 1924, and also describes what recent investigations have learnt about the mysterious demise of John Franklin's 1845 expedition in search of a Northwest Passage. [Abstract from Austguide]
Zaharias, Zac 2004, 'Top of the world: Australian Himalayan climbing 2001-2003', Wild, no. 92, autumn, pp. 40-7.At the start of the 21st century, Himalayan climbing is undergoing transition. More Australians are tackling the Himalayas than ever before, with thirty-three expeditions to major peaks, many through commercial operations. One-third of these have aimed for Mount Everest, with eleven expeditions producing six Australian summiteers, two of whom were guided. Includes photographs. [Abstract from author]
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Himalaya mountains
Fry, Carolyn 2003, 'Everest's rocks reveal their secrets', New Scientist, vol. 178, no. 2397, 31 May, pp. 14-15.English geologist Mike Searle has produced a complete and detailed geological map of Mount Everest and the greater Himalayan region, revealing the immense forces of the process that created the mountain range. [Abstract from Austguide]
Searle, Mike 2003, 'High and rising', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 64-6.An outline of the geophysical mechanism and forces that created the 2 400 kilometre long Himalaya mountains, which includes Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, incorporating a brief discussion of the composition and structure of Everest's geology. [Abstract from Austguide]
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Nepal
Allmam, T.D. 2000, 'Nepal: changed for good, for bad, forever', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 198, no. 5, November, pp. 96-117.A profile of modern day Nepal, which looks beyond the country's image as an untouched tourist paradise and focuses on the numerous and complex challenges facing Nepal as technological and political developments radically transform what was, only fifty years ago, a largely medieval society. [Abstract from Austguide]
Douglas, Ed 2005, 'Inside Nepal's revolution', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 208, no. 5, November, pp. 46-65.An account of current conditions in Nepal, where Maoist rebels who began operations against the government in 1996, control most of the rural areas and where both government forces and rebels tend to oppress the people generally in a country whose economy is suffering as tourist numbers fall away because of the country's unsettled state. [Abstract from Austguide]
Laird, Thomas 1998, 'Inside the last hidden kingdom', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 70, no. 4, April, pp. 52-6.The Nepalese government has only recently opened the tiny region of Mustang, which for years was sealed off by mountains. The author treks the region, and describes the scenery, people, wildlife, plus a little of its history and influences, particularly Tibetan Buddhism. [Abstract from Austguide]
McWilliam, Fiona 1996, 'Sensory overload', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 68, no. 4, April, pp. 34-5.A description of the Nepalese city of Kathmandu, a low-rise city which has expanded rapidly in the past ten years, and in which traditional building methods are being replaced by buildings of concrete with corrugated steel roofing. It is still a haven for backpackers. [Abstract from Austguide]
Salt, Jo 2001, 'The lowdown on Nepal', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 73, no. 9, September, pp. 46-50.Tourists generally turn to Nepal for mountain trekking but the country, with 6 000 kilometres of rushing rivers, provides some of the most challenging white water in the world. This is an account of the pleasures of rafting some of these waters and of the wildlife to be seen in some of Nepal's national parks. [Abstract from Austguide]
Valli, Eric; Summers, Diane 1993, 'Himalayan caravans', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 184, no. 6, December, pp. 2-35.As they have for centuries, trading peoples of northwestern Nepal cross the high Himalaya in great caravans to barter for salt. Now tourism and development threaten their annual treks. [Abstract from journal]
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Sherpas
Carrier, Jim 1992, 'Gatekeepers of the Himalaya', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 182, no. 6, December, pp. 70-89.For decades the Sherpas of Nepal have aided foreign climbers on expeditions in their mountain realm. Now, as a tribute to their people, an all-Sherpa team has scaled Everest for the first time. Includes photographs. [Abstract from journal]
Douglas, Ed 2003, 'Tibetan tiger', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 80-4.A biographical sketch of the life of Tenzing Norgay which looks at how he overcame personal tragedy and humble beginnings to become the most famous sherpa in the world, after reaching the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953. [Abstract from Austguide]
Douglas, Ed 2003, 'Upwardly mobile', The Geographical Magazine, vol. 75, no. 5, May, pp. 86-93.Through their association with trekking and climbing in the Himalayas, the Sherpas have earned a well-deserved reputation as the masters of high-altitude work and become the world's most famous mountain race. This article looks at their origins, some of the most famous Sherpa climbers and how they have generally benefited from working with trekkers. [Abstract from Austguide]
Ganguly, Meenakshi 2000, 'Ruling the top of the world', Time Australia, no. 23, 12 June, p. 47.A profile of Babu Chiri, a Nepalese Sherpa who recently set the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Everest, completing the climb in under seventeen hours. Chiri, like many Sherpas, is angered by the lack of recognition of Sherpa mountaineering feats in the West. [Abstract from Austguide]
Reid, T.R. 2003, 'The Sherpas', The National Geographic Magazine, vol. 203, no. 5, May, pp. 42-71.A detailed discussion of the Sherpas, the most famous of Nepal's thirty or so ethnic groups, which looks at the fame and wealth they have obtained from their association with the trekking and climbing industry since Everest was first climbed in 1953, and the costs this has wrought to some of their traditional customs and lifestyle. [Abstract from Austguide]