Everest Trek

This is the highlight of the Everest Trek. A superb view of Everest from atop the hill called Kala Patar, some 5000m above sea level. I arrived at the top of Kala Patar around 10 am on a November morning in 1985. The sky was crystal clear and Everest seemed so near. I took this picture with a 645 medium format camera that I lugged all the way along the trek. It was well worth the effort. Most people now fly to Lukla, a remote airstrip to begin the Everest Trek. However, if you have time, it is well worth starting the trek in Jiri, and spend another 7 days on the trek. Along the way you will be crossing several passes, the highest of which is the Lamjura Pass, at about an altitude of 3500m

The village of Namche is the gateway to the Everest region. Namche has grown into a fairly large town set amidst the great peaks of the Himalayas. It is the home of the Sherpa people, renowned for their courage and skill as porters and guides for the many mountaineering and trekking expeditions that visit the region every year.

This picture of the Tengboche Monastery was taken in 1985. The Monastary was tragically burned down in 1989, but has since been rebuilt. I witnessed a prayer ceremony in the Monastery on this trek and was very impressed with the devotion of the monks. The music from their long horns, drums and cymbals, and their chants are very solemn, and makes a very great impression on those who are present.

I took this picture of a Sherpani guide who was accompanying a trekking expedition. She is probably one of the few women folk who works as a guide. Most of them are housewives. I visited several homes in the region and was always made to feel very welcomed. Tea or chang would inevitably be offered. We have much to learn from the hospitality of these simple mountain folks.