Himalayas posts
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (17 hours ago)
Feb 12th, 2012 at 9:00AM: A new climate change study, released this past Thursday, has surprised some experts and blown some major holes in the doom and gloom predictions that have been given out in recent years. In fact, the new study, which was published in the scientific journal Nature, found that there has been virtually no ice lost in the Himalaya over the past decade, which runs contrary to reports that many ...
by Laurel Miller (RSS feed) (9 days ago)
Feb 3rd, 2012 at 1:00PM: Acclaimed Seattle-based adventure travel company and guide service Mountain Madness debuts its newest trip on February 4th: an excursion to Colombia's El Cocuy National Park. Although Colombia is often characterized as being mostly tropical jungle or coastline, the Andean Cordillera Oriental crosses a significant portion of the country. The El Cocuy trip will allow trekkers to explore glaciers, ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Dec 31st, 2011 at 9:00AM: Two famous Nepalese Sherpas are preparing to hike the entire length of the Great Himalaya Trail in an effort to raise awareness of the effects of climate change on the region. The duo will set out on January 15th and hope to encourage economic development along the new trekking route as well.
Apa Sherpa and Dawa Steven Sherpa will begin their journey in eastern Nepal in the village of Ghunsa ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Nov 27th, 2011 at 8:00AM: For decades Mt. Everest has held sway over the imagination of adventurers everywhere. Standing 29,029 feet in height, it is the tallest mountain on the planet and the focus of countless books, television shows, and movies. But a new documentary entitled 40 Days at Base Camp looks to offer new insights into what it takes to climb the mountain and spend more than a month living in its shadow.
As ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Nov 8th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Bad weather in the Himalayas has left many travelers stranded in a remote village in Nepal this past weekend, stretching supplies and accommodations to the limit. Fortunately, improving conditions allowed for many of them to be evacuated yesterday, with those remaining are expected to return to Kathmandu today.
Last week, heavy fog and rain descended on Lukla, a small village located at 9383 ...
by Stephen Greenwood (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Nov 1st, 2011 at 3:30PM:
It's been a wild month for 'animals vs. adventurers' on Gadling. First, there was the antelope that tackled a cyclist harder than any NFL linebacker could, then there was the kayaker that got up close and personal with a blue whale, and finally, the South African motorcyclist that saved a calf from drowning in a canal.
Today's battle? An incredible video from Russian YouTube user ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Oct 22nd, 2011 at 9:00AM: Three Korean climbers have gone missing on a remote Himalayan peak that has a reputation for being amongst the most deadly in the world. The men had hoped to reach the summit along a new route yesterday, but search and rescue were initiated when there had been no word from them in nearly three days.
Park Young-seok, Kang Ki-seok and Shin Dong-min left Base Camp on Annapurna, the tenth highest ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Oct 10th, 2011 at 4:00PM: The Great Himalaya Trail is officially open for visitors in Nepal in southern Asia. This trail, which stretches from Taplejung in the east to Humla in the west near the border of Tibet, is one of the longest and highest hiking routes in the world.
The goal of creating this trail is to boost tourism in Nepal and portray the country as the perfect destination for adventure seekers. During the ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Oct 8th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Research scientists focused on the impact of climate change on the Himalaya have installed a new webcam to keep an eye on Mt. Everest. The high-definition camera is part of a larger initiative called SHARE, or "Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment," which hopes to track the retreating glaciers on the world's tallest peak – something that is already having a profound ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Aug 18th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Nepal is, without a doubt, one of the top trekking destinations in the entire world. The hike to Everest Base Camp is a favorite with many adventure travelers and the Annapurna Circuit is widely considered to be one of the best long distance treks in the world. But those two well known hikes aren't the only options for travelers, as there are a number of other great treks to be had as well. Take ...
by Laurel Miller (RSS feed) (6 months ago)
Aug 5th, 2011 at 1:30PM: "Adventure travel" is a nebulous term these days. But whether your idea of a thrill is a Class-III rapid or climbing Everest, there's one thing that's ubiquitous when choosing an outfitter: safety. There are hundreds of adventure travel companies worldwide; not all are created equal. There are key things you should look for when choosing a company or independent guide, whether you're booking a ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (6 months ago)
Jul 22nd, 2011 at 8:00AM: The government of Nepal has announced that it will remeasure the height of Mt. Everest in an effort to settle a dispute with China. This new survey is expected to take up to two years to complete and will likely provide the most accurate measurement of the height of the mountain ever.
Back in 1955 a team of Indian surveyors, using the best instruments available at the time, recorded the height ...
by Laurel Miller (RSS feed) (8 months ago)
Jun 3rd, 2011 at 1:30PM: If you've got a bad back or neck--and many of us do--it can make certain aspects of travel challenging, especially if you're otherwise healthy and active. Perhaps the most frustrating issue for adventure travelers such as myself is being limited to day hikes, unless there are overnight options that don't involve humping a 50-pound-plus backpack into the wilderness.
I suffered a moderately ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (8 months ago)
Jun 3rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: Way back at the beginning of April we told you about Nepal's Save Mt. Everest campaign, a project sponsored by that nation's tourism board that hoped to clean up the world's tallest mountain, and the region that surrounds it. Now, two months later, the group has wrapped up their activity, at least for now, and reports that they have removed eight tons of garbage this spring alone.
In all, there ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (8 months ago)
May 24th, 2011 at 9:00AM: There is a well known adage amongst mountaineers that says "getting to the summit is only halfway to the finish," as obviously they have to safely come back down the mountain after they've completed their ascent. There are few places where this is more apparent than Mt. Everest, where climbers not only have to make a long, grueling trek to the top, they also have to negotiate a tricky descent as ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
May 12th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Legendary mountain guide Apa Sherpa successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest yesterday, extending his own record for the person who has accomplished that feat the most often. For Apa, this was his 21st time standing on top of the world's highest mountain.
The Nepali native, who now makes his home in Utah, reached the top of the 29,029-foot mountain at 9:15 AM local time yesterday morning. ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
May 7th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Yesterday we mentioned that the Sherpas had finished fixing the ropes to the summit of Everest, clearing the way for all the commercial climbing teams to soon follow. We predicted that the big push to the top of the mountain was still a week away, but a British climber took advantage of good weather and empty slopes, to rush to the summit yesterday. Once there, he not only savored the view from ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
May 6th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The first successful summits of Mt. Everest for the 2011 spring climbing season took place yesterday, and as you might guess, they were accomplished by a group of Sherpas. The six-man team stood on the highest point on the planet after fixing the ropes to the summit, the same ropes that will now be used by the foreign climbers who will soon begin the long, challenging climb for themselves.
Each ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
May 4th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The spring climbing season in the Himalaya is well underway, with dozens of teams climbing on a variety of mountains across the region. The busiest of those peaks is Mt. Everest of course, where in a few weeks time, a couple of hundred mountaineers will be hoping to stand on top of the highest summit on the planet. Many of them wouldn't have a chance of doing so however, if it weren't for the hard ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
Apr 20th, 2011 at 8:00AM: His books have inspired millions with their tales of generosity, both given and received, but following a scathing 60 Minutes segment that aired this past weekend, author and philanthropist Greg Mortenson finds himself at the center of a controversy. The investigative piece put together by the staff at CBS alleges that Mortenson has fabricated key parts of his stories and profited from his ...
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