A Mountaineering Journey to the Sharp Edge of the Nepal/Tibet Border

Our lead Climbing Sherpa, Pema Chiri Sherpa, joined the Extreme Everest 2010 Project to clean up Mount Everest. This project was planned and implemented by Sherpa climbers who successfully reached their high altitude goals, as set out in their website:  http://www.extremeeverestexpedition.com/eee2010.html

In a recent Skype conversation with Pema in Kathmandu,  he explained to me that the team brought down thousands of kilo’s of waste including discarded oxygene tanks and  garbage. After contacting the appropriate family members, they were also able to remove or relocate human remains  left along the route. All of this is a grim reminder that our sport has very serious impacts and needs careful management.

Pema also told me that he spent 16 days above 7000 meters, and climbed to the South Col three times, and the summit twice. These achievements and the strength he demonstrated on Pethangtse give Pema the right to be able to say again…”no problem, easy”.

Our humble expedition to the sharp edge has gained notoriety due to being published in a number of important places.

The Himalayan Data Base maintained by Elizabeth Hawley and Richard Salisbury has documented our climb. The American Alpine Journal has also done so.  Climbing Pethangtse from the south is not a great achievement by world mountaineering standards, but it is a fabulous location that has been lost in time. The American Alpine Journal has been flexible in applying its editorial standard (The World’s Most Significant Climbs), seeing this location as important with it’s unique persectives on the massive Kangshung Faces of Everest, Lhotse, Lhotse Shar and Peak 38. We are proud to have our expedition recognized in this way.

Also, Okanagan Life Magazine has published a feature article on our expedition with front page and centre fold photo spreads. This magazine is widely read in the Okanagan region of British Columbia and its coverage has helped bring attention to our charity, Hope for the Nations, and its projects in Nepal. Again, we are thankful and appreciative of the interest and the coverage.

The High Hope Pethangtse blog was created to enable family and friends to keep track of our expedition, and to publicize our fund raising efforts for Hope for the Nations. Now more than a year since it was first created, the blog is shifing it’s focus to High Hope Expeditions and a new project with Hope for the Nations.

High Hope Expeditions is a business created by David Graham to assist North Americans in expedition planning and support for mountaneering and trekking in Nepal. It also provides expedition planning and support for anyone wishing to reach remote wilderness areas in Jasper and Banff National Parks. High Hope Expeditions is the exclusive North American Representative for Adventure Thamserku, Dawa Sherpa’s Kathmandu company that provided support to the High Hope Pethangtse expedition.

Hope for the Nations is starting a new project in Nepal. The goal is to build a school in the Taksindu Region south east of Lukla in the Solukhumbu. A portion of the funds generated by High Hope Expeditions will be used to help the project.

 Important links: 

www.highhopeexpeditions.com   New website for High Hope Expeditions

http://www.hopeforthenations.com/project/project.aspx?asset=360  Hope for the Nations Solukhumbu Project

http://www.adventurethamserku.com/trips/north-american-representative.html  Adventure Thamserku North American Representative

View the blog archives for photos and the story of High Hope Pethangtse.

I lead a small group of stalwarts up Rainier last weekend. One of our team was absolutely flattened by AMS between 8000 and 9000 feet. It’s a vivid reminder that you don’t have to be at extreme altitudes to experience the sickness or dangers of AMS. Jim was experiencing vomiting, severe weakness and dizziness and was unable to progress. Jonathon quickly volunteered to take Jim down. Jonathon’s selfless action saved Jim from some serious danger to his health.
Alex and I however continued on to base camp at Camp Muir (10,000 feet), where we hitched up with a young couple who like us was not very comfortable with only two on the rope. We made for the summit at 1am with 2 ropes of 2. Seven hours and a world class sunrise later, we were on the summit.

Interest in Pethangtse and our expedition is still alive. The BC Recreation and Parks Association asked for a presentation to their annual symposium. Okanagan Life Magazine is getting ready to cover it with a feature story. It’s the most widely read publication in the Okanagan. And the American Alpine Journal is covering our expedition in their upcoming 2010 edition. That is simply astounding since they profess to report only “the world’s most significant climbs”. This journal is published world wide and is the most significant journal of mountain climbing in the English speaking world. Pethangtse will no longer be the lost mountain. This publication will draw others to what will be described in its pages as “this spectacular location, lost by the passage of time”.
Dawa Sherpa of Adventure Thamserku, our most capable outfitter, is realizing that he has the only company in the world with experience providing support services for a climb of Pethangtse. He is getting ready to offer the service through his website.
Pethangtse…get ready for more visitors! You can handle it!!