|
|
|
|
Seasons Greetings from Oregon Peak Adventures, This is the December 2002 Oregon Peak Adventures Newsletter. You are receiving this because you are a past client, you have asked about us, you are family, or friends. So have a read. If you don't wish to receive any further Newsletters, just reply with "Remove" in the Subject and we actually will take you off the list. You can find past issues of the newsletter at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/newsletters.htm. TOPICS - Report on our Khumbu Trek in Nepal - Activities Coming Up - 2003 Schedule - Tips We are back from an amazing trek in Nepal in November. We met wonderful people, marveled at incredible mountains and walked a lot. Our trip went as planned, and we returned with strong convictions about the style we will follow on our future trips. In our group was Surya Thappa-Chettri, Chake-dai, and myself. Both Surya and Chake have been guides in Nepal for many years, although it was Chake's and my first trip to the Khumbu region. We spent three days in Kathmandu, getting last minute items, plane tickets to Lukla, and visiting many of the stupas, temples, and museums that abound in this amazing city. The flight to and landing at Lukla was exciting, although many launches and landings on aircraft carriers may have taken the edge off for me a bit. We took two days to reach Namche Bazaar via Phakding and stayed there two nights. We were very intentional about spending enough time to acclimatize and had no problems with the altitude. From Namche, we took four days to travel up the valley to Gokyo with stops at Phortse Tenga and Luza. This is a beautiful area with a series of lakes and breath taking mountain views. We walked to the top of Gokyo Ri (17,500') where we had amazing views of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Makalu among other peaks. That afternoon we walked through the Gokyo moraine to Thagnak at the base of the Cho la (pass). The next morning we woke up to a surprising sight - snow! If we had a larger, less experienced group we would have probably turned around and taken a less challenging route, but we decided to go for the pass crossing. It continued to snow and we were fortunate to have rock cairns to follow to keep us on route. The route was easy to follow, if somewhat icy. At the top of the pass, we encountered a glacier and snow fields. We worked our way across the glacier to the moat on the north side and descended to the Chola drainage. It was slow going due to the snow and reduced visibility and we were a happy trio when we reached the lodge at Dzonglha. From Dzonglha, we took two days to travel to Gorak Shep with an overnight stop at Lobuche. Our lodge was on the edge of a dry lake bed at the base of Kala Patthar (black rock in Hindi). Our first afternoon we walked up to the summit (18,500') of Kala Patthar to see the sunset on Everest. The next day we walked up along the Khumbu Glacier to the the vicinity of the Everest Base Camp and the terminus of the infamous Khumbu Icefall. Our return to Lukla took three long days with overnights at Pheriche and Kyangjuma. Four would be better. Since the weather was unsettled at Lukla, we were pleased to get on the last plane of the day to return to Kathmandu, hot showers, and warmer nights. There are basically two trekking styles in Nepal. A camping group is self-contained, carrying food, tents, and equipment with them. For us in the USA, this is generally what we have to do, since there are few facilities in most of our mountain areas. The other style is to stay in the lodges. In the Khumbu, lodges are plentiful, cheap, and located so as to be reached in an easy day's walk. The bizarre aspect of the camping style is that, most of the time, the groups are setting-up their camps next to the lodges. The result is that when the groups are moving between site the porters are carrying huge (well in excess of 100 pounds) loads, plus there are large yak trains with the yaks heavily loaded as well. Many of the lodges are almost empty with these large groups camped beside them. It was an amazing sight to me. The other interesting aspect of the trip was that in 3 1/2 weeks in Nepal, I saw about 20 Americans. There were lots of Japanese and European trekkers, but Americans are not in Nepal. I assume this is result of a combination of concerns resulting from the 9/11 attacks and the US State Department warnings about the dangers from the Maoist Movement in Nepal. These are unstable times, BUT the odds of getting taken out in a traffic accident in the US are much higher than anything you could do in Nepal. The Maoists are not targeting tourists. We had no problems of any kind. We talked to many tourists who had trekked from Jiri to Lukla and did have encounters. In the typical scenario the Maoists asked for donations - some trekkers gave, some did not. Those that gave received receipts, those that did not, nothing happened. I am not saying that the Maoists are nice people - they are not. But except for a very few incidents in areas controlled by the Maoists, there have been no problems for trekkers. It is really too bad. It is a wonderful place to go and by going there we provide income to the Nepalese people in a much more effective way that any foreign aid program can accomplish. We are planning another trip for next year. We will do about same route and leave in late October, the optimum time for clear weather. We will stay in lodges, have a maximum of 10 clients, with our Nepali guide, two OPA trip leaders, and one porter per person in the party. The trek will be 19 days and we will have about five days in Kathmandu. We will also take four additional days to climb Island Peak at the end of the trek for those who wish to do so. Price for the trek only is $2,600. Add the Island peak climb and it's $3,100. Check out the website at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/nepal.htm in a few days for more information. COMING UP In March, we will begin Alpine Mountaineering training which will include Basic Snow Travel, Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue, and Expedition Climbing skills. You can take one or all three of the classes. Basic Snow Travel is recommended if you are planning to do early season climbs on St. Helens or the South Spur route on Adams. Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue is a good idea if you are thinking about doing the Mazama Glacier route on Adams. See the dates below. We will be doing these through June. In January 2003, we fly to Tanzania for a Kilimanjaro climb, safari and Zanzibar. On January 10, 2003 we will present a slide show on Tanzania. It's at 7:00 PM at 909 NW 19th in Portland, Oregon. It's in a theatre on the ground floor of the Mazama Clubrooms. It's free and will be an opportunity for the folks in the Portland area to get an overview of the trip and see some great slides. We are now accepting reservations for the 2004 trip. 2003 Schedule Here is our trip schedule though the end of 2003. Please note that if these dates do not fit your schedule, we can put a trip together just for you as long as we have time to arrange for guides and can get any required permits. Trip dates marked with an * have an associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session through Portland Community College or one of the Portland area Park and Recreation Departments. Please go to the our website at www.oregonpeakadventures.com for more information on all the trips. We will, of course, provide more detailed information in the newsletters as we get closer to the specific trips.
HIKING We can do hikes any time. Let us know when and where you want to go. CLIMBS ST. HELENS Swift Creek Route - April 18*, May 16, June 20 (Might be Monitor Ridge if we can drive to the trailhead.) Monitor Ridge Route- July 11*, 25, August 8, 22, September 5, 26*. MT. ADAMS South Spur Route - July 22-24* (can stay in camp another night on summit day), August 20-21 Mazama Glacier Route - July 18-20. (This is an intermediate level climb) North Cleaver Route - August 5-7 BACKPACKING TRIPS MT. ST. HELENS FOUR-DAY ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN - July 11-14, August 3-6. MT. ADAMS FIVE-DAY ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN - July 31-August 4* MT. MARGARET BACKCOUNTRY FOUR-DAY LOOP - August 11-14*, September 12-15. (max party size is four) INDIAN HEAVEN THREE-DAY LOOP - September 5-7*. (Leisurely trip focusing on backpacking skills) TRAINING ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING - March 8*, April 12*, May 10*, June 14 GLACIER TRAVEL AND CREVASSE RESCUE - March 15*, May 18*, June 15 EXPEDITION CLIMBING - March 22-23*. (Includes a St. Helens Summit attempt) WINTER CAMPING - April 5-6* ( Snowshoe to an overnight tent camp) MAP & COMPASS -June 7**, October 11**. WILDERNESS SURVIVAL - June 28-29**, October 4-5**. *Has an optional associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session. **Has a required associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session.
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS NEPAL See above ECUADOR We are planning to go to Ecuador in December 2003 to see the sights, meet the people, shop for very cool things, eat great food, and to climb some big mountains : Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo. The price is $2,500 for a 19 day trip. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/ecuador.htm for more information. TANZANIA ADVENTURE We will return to Tanzania in February 2004. Our trip will include a nine-day
climb of Kilimanjaro, five day safari and five days in Zanzibar. Prices are from
$2,700 for the Kili Climb only to $4,100 for the full trip. The 2003 trip filled
by June 2002, so if you are interested please let us know right away. When you're in the car, you might want to carry a sleeping bag, warm socks and boots, hat, gloves, and coat, a shovel, chains/cables, tow strap, a small stove and pot, flashlight, and a first aid kit. Your cell phone is a good idea as well. Keep track of the mileposts as you drive so you can tell the emergency response folks where you are if you or someone else needs assistance. You can also get an emergency battery unit for $50. When you are in the backcountry, dress appropriate to your activity level. You don't want to sweat! Staying hydrated and well fed are also critical for you to stay warm. You can find more detailed clothing and gear recommendations at our website at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/equipmen.htm. Our best wishes for the Holiday season to your and your family!
We are looking forward to doing a trip with you. Please e-mail us at info@oregonpeakadventures.com or call at (877) 965-5100 to reserve your spot or get more information.
Again, if you don't wish to receive this newsletter, please reply with Remove in the subject line and we'll cease and desist. Best Regards, Joe Whittington |