“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Himalayas are the world’s tallest mountains, towering more than five miles above sea level. Himalaya means “home of snow” because the tallest peaks of the Himalayas are always capped with snow. The Himalayas include Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Everest rises 29,028 feet above sea level on the border between India and Nepal. No plant life grows near the mountain’s peak due to powerful winds, extremely cold temperatures, and a lack of oxygen. Many adventurous people attempt to climb Everest every year. Often their venture ends in sickness or death. Most people are unable to breathe 20,000 feet above sea level because there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere. A person will suffer brain damage when they are unable to breathe. Strong winds and frigid temperatures make the climate even more rigorous.
To climb a mountain in Nepal you need permission. There are three different sets of peaks that are open, "Expedition peaks", and then the A and B group "trekking peaks". Any peak not on any list is closed for mountaineering. There are 15 group A peaks and 18 group B "trekking peaks" and several hundred expedition peaks. Expedition peak rules have been refined over the years and now for peaks under 6500m no liaison officer is required. The liaison officer system is still incredibly corrupt, but at least there are better garbage policies. The royalty paid to the government of Nepal for expedition peaks now varies with altitude and the season.
Note all peaks in West Nepal are free but the paperwork still results in a file an inch thick. If climbing without a guide, recognizing your personal limits is important, this is the Himalaya after all. Some of these peaks are 'straightforward' but what this really means is that to be safe you don't need a shop's worth of karabiners, ice-screws, snow-stakes and rock racks - just a partner, rope, a few bits of protection, experience using this gear, good weather and an overriding urge to die of senility.
The diversity of wildlife in the himalayas is huge. In the lower ranges, tigers, leopards, and the one horned rhinocerous can be found while the higher altitudes support a smaller but more unique group of animals. These include the snow leopard, Markhor goat, argali, and red panda. Trekking is the most popular activity, with a wide selection of possibilities, from deserts to jungles. It's also popular to study Yoga or Meditation. White Water Rafting is popular in many places
Where it isThe Himalayas are a range of mountains in Asia, most correctly defined as stretching from the Indus river in Pakistan, through India, Nepal, Bhutan, ending at the Bramaputra River in India. Basically people visit Nepal to see the Himalayas.
How to reach
Nepal is the typical entry point for exploration of this mighty range. Visiting Nepal has gotten easier in the last decade; still, getting there isn't particularly straightforward. Nonstop air service between Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, the city closest to the Himalayas, with many other cities doesn't exist, but there are several other flight options for travel to Kathmandu. Flights out of the Himalayas are often cancelled due to bad weather, be sure to give yourself at least a few days before needing to catch a connecting flight. If you do not you will be stuck there and be having to pay extra.
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