When people talk about trekking in Nepal, there's one question that’s probably going to come at you, time at again; how high did you go? That's more than just bravado – given Nepal's tortuous topography, conquering the intimidating altitudes in definitely not an everyday’s cup of tea.
(TRAVPR.COM) NEPAL - August 25th, 2015 - When people talk about trekking in Nepal, there's one question that’s probably going to come at you, time at again; how high did you go? That's more than just bravado – given Nepal's tortuous topography, conquering the intimidating altitudes in definitely not an everyday’s cup of tea. Trails in Nepal climb higher than the summits of the tallest mountains in Europe, and ascending the high passes of the Himalaya is a badge of honor for any hiker worth their hiking boots.
The glory of trekking in the Himalayas most often than not relies on how high you can go – because of the latitude, the snowline starts higher than the summits of many mountains further away from the equator. However, this is not an environment to be taken lightly, as the events in Annapurna National Park on 12 October 2014 tragically demonstrated. Many trekkers perished after the blizzards struck the upper stages of the Annapurna circuit in one of Nepal's worst trekking disasters. On any trek, it is essential to make sure you are properly equipped for the conditions, that you tell people where you are going and when you will be back and that you monitor the weather and take shelter promptly if conditions exacerbate.
So, crossing a Himalayan pass; what’s the catch? Well, forget about the razor-edge ridges. Most passes in the Himalayas involve a strenuous blend of slow yet steady ascent and decent. While the climb tests your physical aptitude, the descents are going to lambast your knees almost to the breaking point. By the time you have just trudged up a ridge and thinking about taking a big sigh of relief and content, you almost get freaked out to witness another capricious ridge hooding up ahead. Identifying the actual passes is not that difficult, all you need to do is look out for the strings of fluttering prayer flags.
Those who successfully conquer the high passes of the Himalaya can join the exclusive club of high-altitude trekkers, and share their interesting triumphal anecdotes in the usual rendezvous at Thamel, the tourist hotspot in Kathmandu. You are likely to be pounded with the questions from the “wanna be climbers/trekkers” like- how did you feel at the top? Did you get any symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness)? Did you take Diamox? Enjoy your bragging rights at this point of time….after all you have successfully a mighty natural obstacles. For that reason, the high passes of Nepal deserve a special place in the trekking hall of fame.
Is crossing a pass, an adventure or a necessity?
For the locals residing in the proximity of the mountains, crossing the passes or “La” is akin to an everyday thing as these passes link the valleys of the high Himalayas. In the regions like Solukhumbu, where the human habitation extends all the way to the Khumbu icefall on the flanks of Mount Everest, going up and down the passes are almost inevitable. The melt water streams that drain from the world's highest mountains have carved a tortured landscape of interlinked valleys that zigzag south towards the Terai plains like fossilized lightning. To get from Valley A to Valley B, the only way to avoid walking downhill for days to reach the nearest river confluence – is to go over the top.
Sounds interesting and challenging, doesn’t it? Well, if you feel like giving it a shot, why don’t you take a quick peek on the links below! Should you have any question or concern, holler back to us at marketing@marrontreks.com.
http://www.marrontreks.com/itineraries/225-26/gokyo-cho-la-pass-trek-22-days.html#
http://www.marrontreks.com/itineraries/128-26/everest-base-camp-via-renjo-la-gokyo-lake-cho-la-kala-patthar-trek-22-days.html#
http://www.marrontreks.com/itineraries/227-26/everest-three-pass-trek-23-days.html#
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