Index of Daily Trek Dispatches As Alpine Ascents International leads a commercial trek through the Khumbu Valley of Nepal to Base Camp on the south side of Everest, they will check in with The Mountain Zone. Their calls are archived below with the latest dispatches on top. Click on a headline to get a page with audio and transcript from the call.
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Monastic Boarding School
Sat, April 17, 1999 Kathmandu, Nepal
"It's just a time when we can all kind of kick back, talk a little, and spend time with each other on sort of equal footing. It's a really nice thing and usually lasts a long time. Everybody kind of breaks down, tells stories and things like that..." Gordon Janow
A Festive Occasion
Thu, April 15, 1999 Lukla, Nepal
"Everybody ate traditional momos, and drank some of the local brew called chang, and there was a nun, a Buddhist nun who actually gave us a blessing on the way out. So it was pretty festive and quite a ball..." Gordon Janow
Monasteries in the Khumbu
Tue, April 13, 1999 Thyangboche, Nepal
"There's one in Thame and another one actually near Thame as well...which is pretty exciting to walk around, spend some time with the head lama there, and learn a little more about Buddhism..." Gordon Janow
Marathon in the Himalayas
Sun, April 11, 1999 Pheriche, Nepal
"This morning we woke to the great Everest Marathon. The wind was howling as they took their places at the starting line, freezing their butts off. It was a pretty bizarre sight..." Gordon Janow
Base Camp Arrival
Sun, April 11, 1999 South Side Base Camp
"It's very very warm, much warmer than usual. All the trekkers made it except two that decided to stay down in Gorak Shepfeeling the altitude pretty heavily..." Todd Burleson
Snowfall in the Khumbu
Fri, April 9, 1999 Gorak Shep, Nepal
"We got about three or four inches last night, which made it a little tricky walking up from Lobuche up to Gorak Shep...I bet they may be getting a lot of snow up on the big mountain right now. Hopefully, we'll see Pete tomorrow..." Todd Burleson
Climbers and Joggers
Tue, April 6, 1999 Pheriche, Nepal
"The terrain really changes from Pangboche up to Dingboche where we were headed, but unfortunately, we ran into the Everest Marathon... about 90 people running... It borders between very cool and absurd out in this part of the land..." Gordon Janow
Hilltop Monastery
Sun, April 4, 1999 Khunde, Nepal
"We all received a nice blessing, then headed out on a big walk back toward Namche... up to the Thame Monastery, which is a beautiful monastery about 350 years old..." Gordon Janow
Life in the Khumbu
Sat, April 3, 1999 Phakding, Nepal
"Gordon led the trek up, and I went way up into the mountains to about 14,500 feet to a monastery called Langdow...It's a gorgeous day..." Todd Burleson
Tales of Everest
Fri, April 2, 1999 Namche Bazaar, Nepal
"Most of the afternoon was spent sitting around the park just telling stories about Everest in the past, in the future, and just the wacky crowds of people that have come here over the years..." Gordon Janow
Kids To the Left, Yaks To the Right
Thu, April 1, 1999 Namche Bazaar, Nepal
"It was really a perfect day for walking. The rhododendrons are starting to bloom on the way up so we had that on our right... it's a lot easier crossing, especially when the yaks are headed right your way..." Gordon Janow
Watch Where You Step
Wed, March 31, 1999 Phakding, Nepal
"Today, we had a good walk up, a little bit of rain this afternoon, but other than that, the skies were clear. Trails are good! All of our people are doing well..." Todd Burleson
Yak Bells in the Distance
Wed, March 31, 1999 Phakding, Nepal
"We all got to meet Sir Edmund Hillary, who was at the airport this morning..." Gordon Janow
It All Starts At The Yak & Yeti
Tue, March 30, 1999 Kathmandu, Nepal
"We had a wonderful day today. We went up to Swayambunath, Bodhnath, and Pashpatineth. A lot was going on. They cremated a lot of bodies today at Pashpatinath..." Todd Burleson
Leaving For Nepal
Fri, March 26, 1999 Kathmandu, Nepal
"I cannot imagine not visiting this timeless city of mad monkey gods,
communist teens, aging monarchs and Buddha's watchful eyes. More than
anything Kathmandu is a place of discovery..." Gordon Janow