Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Have You ever been to Tibetan Everest Base Camp? This is where the British came in 1923 for the first serious attempts on the mountain via the trechereous North Ridge, where Mallory and Irvine disappeared. You can see the famous west ridge route climbed by the Americans Unsoeld and Hornbein in 1963. You can see the great couloir climbed by my Swiss friend Jean Troillet and Eduard Loretan in the mid 1980's, up and down, unroped, in less than 48 hours. These are expeditions that have enthralled me since I was a boy .... and now here I am in this great theatre. The memory of this moment will be with me forever. Thats not all .... Have you ever visited the Giant Pandas in Chengdu China and fed them bamboo? Have you ever crossed the Tibetan plateau on the highest railway in the world, passing over 5,200 meters? Have you ever dressed in Tibetan royal garments and had your photo taken at the Dalai Lama's summer palace - Norbulinka? Have you ever wandered around Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, at the height of an important festival, the sounds, the colour overwhelming? If you haven't done all that ... as Nepalis say ... "don't worry chicken curry". Just watch our short 10 minute video summary. https://vimeo.com/79560490 Comments always welcome :)