Pethangtse 2009 and High Hope

BARUNTSE 2011

pethangtse — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:23:51 +0000

Things are really heating up for a Baruntse expedition in the fall of 2011. Steve, Colin, and David are all working to get on board with Alex who says…”Let’s go!” If you draw a line between Everest and Makalu, Pethangtse is half way along the line. If you make an equilateral triangle, Baruntse is at the apex of the triangle. It’s climbed more frequently but is about 500 meters higher and somewhat more challenging with some tough ice climbs above 7000 meters. Himalayan keeners unite!

Pema and Extreme Everest 2010

pethangtse — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:55:03 +0000

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”.

Extreme Everest 2010 Objectives – Mission

To collect waste left above 8000 meters above sea level and manage appropriate means of bringing it down.
To keep Mount Everest pristine and unpolluted.
To raise awareness on the negative effects of climate change in the Himalayas.
To urge our public in Nepal to keep their cities and villages clean.
To promote tourism and assist in spreading the message of Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

Pethangtse and the Vancouver Mountain Film Festival

pethangtse — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:43:50 +0000

On October 15, the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival comes to the Kelowna Community Theatre. David Graham has been asked to present photos and an account of the Pethangtse expedition. Stay tuned for more information on the availability of tickets. You won’t want to miss the Festival and you will enjoy seeing Pethangtse on the big screen.

Pethangtse Proudly Published

pethangtse — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:35:49 +0000

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.

High Hope Pethangtse and High Hope Expeditions support Solokhumbu Project

pethangtse — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:16:28 +0000

Hope for the Nations is starting a new project in Nepal. Nick Arkle, the Chair of the Himalayan Section of Hope for the Nations, visited a remote corner of the Solokhumbu Region and discovered the need a residence for girls attending school in the Taksindu region. The walk from home to school is several hours over rough trails and most are prevented from attending school. The residence will allow them to attend school during the week and be home on the weekend. He also found a small social service organization called Taksindu Social Welfare already working in the region and able to partner with Hope for the Nations. A new project is born and with its geographic proximity to the High Hope Pethangtse expedition, our support for this project is a natural. Fund raising efforts and donated funds will go in this direction.

The previous project, the Young Adults Home, has achieved success and while their is still need, graduates of the program are moving into independent living. The Solokhumbu project addresses a more urgent need and is a great match for the support from High Hope Pethangtse and High Hope Expeditions.

New Era for High Hope

pethangtse — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:13:47 +0000

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.

ADVENTURE THAMSERKU appoints David as its North American rep.

pethangtse — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:40:54 +0000

Dawa Geljen Sherpa and Adventure Thamserku are extending their reach into North America by appointing David Graham as the North American representative. David has created HIGH HOPE EXPEDITIONS to provide personalized assistance to trekkers, climbers and cultural tourists in Nepal, seemlessly linking North Americans to Adventure Thamserku and their excellent support services across Nepal.
HIGH HOPE EXPEDITIONS can assist you with travel plans, planning and preparations for your customized adventure, equipment requirements, budget, communications with Dawa’s team, and secure payment procedures to Nepal.

A new website is under construction for High Hope Expeditions and can be found

here:

Contact David at : david@highhopeexpeditions.com

or
or 1-250-860-1715

Also check out the Adventure Thamserku website here to see the bit about David as the North American representative.

Success and Failure on Rainier

pethangtse — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:04:44 +0000

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.

Pethangtse expedition by Adventure Thamserku

pethangtse — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:17:44 +0000

Adventure Thamserku is now offering the Pethangtse climb as part of its organized mountaineering expeditions along with Everest , Baruntse, and Ama Dablam. This is the outfitter and Himalayan guiding company that supported the High Hope Pethangtse expedition. Owned and operated by the highly respected guide/outfitter Dawa Geljen Sherpa, this company knows how to organize and lead a climb of Pethangtse. The service from Adventure Thamserku was always above and beyond expectation.
Dawa is from Lukla and knows the Khumbu and easten Himalaya as his home. His network within the Sherpa climbing community is outstanding and he can put the best people at the sharp end of the rope. His attention to logistic detail is amazing. We can recall the day when he put fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat on a helicopter delivering to us at Makalu Base Camp, simply because he knew we would enjoy it. The chopper was going there empty to evacuate an injured trekker with a different group. Dawa simply took advantage of it.
Click on this
for the Pethangtse details.

Popular Pethangtse

pethangtse — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:41:40 +0000

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!!