Are you planning to take a trip this summer? Here’s some friendly advice about traveling on the cheap.

By Ann Armstrong

Travel Expert

Summer is quickly approaching which means it’s time to plan that annual summer vacation. In order to help you plan the cheapest vacation possible here are some simple suggestions to save money on your summer vacation.

The first and most important step to traveling cheaply is to ask yourself “What’s fixed and What’s flexible?” You should consider which of your traveling options are already set in stone (e.g. destination) and which of your options are able to be changed (e.g. when you would go).

Take out a piece of paper and make two columns– one labeled “Fixed” and one labeled “Flexible.” As you go through the following list put each category into the column that it best fixed. The more categories you can put in the “Flexible” column the cheaper your trip can be.

Fixed/Flexible questions to ask yourself:

• Destination: Is there someplace you must go? Or are you just looking for a general vacation? Is there a specific region or the country or world you want to visit? Is there a hobby/activity you are looking for (e.g. lie on the beach, go golfing, visit art museums, see Gothic architecture, etc.)? The more flexible you are with your destination the cheaper you will be able to travel.

• When: In travel it’s all about timing. Do you have a set week or month you want to travel? Do you have to leave on a weekend or can you leave during the week? If you are flexible in terms of when you can and want to travel you will be able to get better deals on everything from tickets to hotels to sightseeing. Also, if you are planning a trip for a year from now compared to a trip this weekend, it will make a difference in the cost.

• Length: How much time can you spend on this trip? This includes travel time to and from the destination, not just the time there. A longer trip may cost you more in hotel and meal bills, but may get you a cheaper airfare.

• Form of Transportation: Do you have to take a plane to get to your destination? Or is a bus or train or boat an option? If you are able to get to your vacation spot by multiple methods you will likely get a better ticket price.

• Style: Do you have to travel in style or can you rough it a little bit? Obviously, if you can rough it a little bit by staying in hostels or even camping the cost of your trip will go down.

• Number of People: Is it just you? You and a friend? Your whole family? Sometimes traveling with more people can be cheaper because you can share hotel/hostel rooms, meals, and even certain transportation or museum passes. But, if you travel with others your cheap traveling style may not be what they had in mind– possibly influencing you to spend more than you had planned.

• Budget: How much can you spend? What set amount have you worked into your budget for this trip? This should actually be a fixed amount that you can’t go above.

All of these options interrelate; if you have one option that’s fixed, it may dictate that another option is also fixed. For example, if you only have 3 days for a trip you probably won’t want to drive 8 hours each way to get to your destination. Or if you only have $200 you probably won’t be able to fly to Europe for two weeks.

Remember to be as flexible as you can– within reason. After all, it’s supposed to be a vacation and you don’t want to sell yourself short by being too cheap.

Tips for saving money on your next trip to Europe

When the economy is jittery, there is no need to put your vacation plans to Europe on hold. Americans need to travel smarter in order to turn their trip into a safe, smooth, and affordable reality:

·         Think small: Larger hotels are usually pricier than small hotels or B&Bs.

·         Consider a chain: More hotel chains offering cheap or moderately priced rooms are springing up. You won't find character, but you'll get predictable Motel 6-type comfort.

·         Business Hotels: In Scandinavia, Brussels, and Berlin, business hotels need customers in the summer and on weekends, when their clientele is away. And, the later your arrival, the better the discount.

·         Don't stray from your needs: Know the government ratings. A three-star hotel is not necessarily a bad value, but if you stay in a three-star hotel, you may have spent $50 extra for things you don't need (a/c, elevators, room service, porters to carry bags).

·         Check prices and discounts: Room prices can vary greatly within a hotel (i.e. a shower is cheaper than a tub). If you want a cheap room, say it. Some have a few rooms needing renovation without private baths. They usually don't mention them, figuring they'd be unacceptable to Americans. And, if you plan to stay three or more nights, or if you pay in cash, it's worth asking if any discounts are available.

·         If it's off-season, bargain: Prices usually rise with demand during festivals and in July and August. Off-season, try bargaining. If its too expensive, tell them your limit; they might meet it.

·         Travel with a good guidebook: To sleep well and inexpensively on a big-city bed, you need a good guidebook's listing of hotels and budget alternatives. It's like having a friend check places out for you.

·         Consider hotel runners: As you step off the bus or train, you'll sometimes be met by hotel runners wielding pictures of their rooms for rent. They are usually just hardworking entrepreneurs who lack the guidebook listing that makes life easy for small hotel owners. If you like what the runner says, and the hotel isn't too far away (many are), follow him to his hotel. You are obliged only to inspect the hotel. If it's good, take it. If not, leave. You're probably near other budget hotels anyway.

·         The early bird gets the room: If you anticipate crowds, arrive in the morning when the most (and best) rooms are available. If the rooms aren't ready until noon, take one anyway. Leave your luggage behind the front desk; they'll move you in later.

·         Let hotel managers help: Have your current manager call ahead to make a reservation at your next destination (offer to pay for the call). If you're in a town and having trouble finding a room, remember that nobody knows the hotel situation better than local hotel managers

Remember, whereever you choose to go, plan ahead, shop around and be flexible. A vacation should be stress-free; a vacation should be a trip you will foundly remember. It should be filled with sights, good eating and lots of time to relax and unwind. You can’t see everything; accept the fact. Above all else, leave plenty of time for yourself.

All About Hang Gliding

By Mike Makapuu

Extreme Sports Expert

Introduction

Hang gliding is like no other sport because it is a free flying experience. It is the one sport in which human pilots fly like birds gliding on updrafts of air without the use of any kind of propulsion. It can be recreational or competitive. In either case, it is one of the most unique and fastest growing sports in the world. It is also one of the most dangerous.

Although it started out as simply gliding down small hills on low performance kites, hang gliding has evolved the ability to soar for hours, gain thousands of feet of altitude in thermal updrafts, perform aerobatics, and fly cross country over large distances. Hang gliding is closely related to paragliding and glider or sailplanes but usually using much simpler and less expensive craft.

The typical hang glider consists of an aluminum or composite-framed fabric wing, with the pilot mounted on a harness hanging from the wing frame and exercising control by shifting body weight; there are alternatives to such equipment and choices of materials. Like most extreme sports, hang gliding has evolved into

categories where more complex and expensive systems may be used; whether simply a sport, hobby, and a vocation hang gliding may involve very low cost constructions or extremely expensive assemblies. Professional hang gliding is quickly joining the ranks of other professional extreme sports.

In one respect there are three kinds of hang gliders:

• The flexible wing hang glider, having flight controlled by a wing whose shape changes as a result of the shifting weight of the pilot.

• The paraglider is a rigid wing hang glider in which flight is controlled by spoilers, typically on the top of the wing. In both flexible and rigid wings the pilot hangs without any additional fairing.

• The Class 2 (designated by the FAI as a Sub-Class O-2) is really a glider plane. The pilot is integrated into the wing by means of a fairing, or fuselage. These offer the best performance and are the most expensive.

The most used definitions have that hang gliders can be foot-launched, but landing some class-2 hang gliders is only possible on wheels. Beyond regulated hang gliding, a hang glider may be so constructed for alternative launching modes other than being foot launched—one practical reason for this is for people who cannot foot-

launch.

Training and Safety

Learning to Hang Glide

Hang gliding has traditionally been considered an unsafe sport, ever since its inception. Numerous deaths and serious injuries have resulted from hang gliding accidents. But in recent years with the imposition of safety standards the casualty rate as steadily dropped. It is still a very dangerous sport but its participants have become much more safety conscious both about equipment and proper flight training.

Modern hang gliders are fairly sturdy when constructed by HGMA< BHPA or DHV. All certified manufactures use these modern lightweight when constructing hang gliders, but because they are so lightweight they can still be easily damaged, either through misuse or by continued operation in unsafe wind or weather conditions. All modern gliders have built-in stall recovery mechanisms (such as luff lines in kingpost gliders) and are designed and tested for as much stability as possible, depending on the performance characteristics desired.

 Pilot safety is, as in all other forms of aviation, a matter of training by certified instructors and perhaps most importantly, the pilots learning self-discipline and good judgment. Nevertheless, the inherent danger of gliding at the mercy of unpredictable thermal and wind currents, often in proximity to dangerous terrain, has resulted in numerous fatal accidents and many serious injuries over the years, even to experienced pilots. However, even the adverse publicity has not diminished the popularity of hang gliding.

As a back up, pilots carry a parachute in the harness. In case of serious problems the parachute is deployed and carries both the pilot and glider down to earth. Pilots also wear helmets and generally carry other safety items such as hook knives (for cutting their parachute bridle after impact or cutting their harness lines and straps in case they land in a tree). These are the same safety measure used by our U.S. Army’s famous 84^th and 101 Airborne Divisions. The time it takes a combat soldier to get himself out of a tree or disengage from his parachute could mean life or death. Similarly, a hang glider pilot cannot afford to be dragged by his glider or parachute across dangerous terrain.

Good Gliding Weather

Well formed Cumulus clouds, with darker bases, suggest active thermals and light winds.  These are the ideal hang gliding weather. On a good day, glider pilots can stat airborne for hours. This is possible because they seek out rising air masses that give them lift. Lift for a hang glider is caused for the following reasons:

Thermals

The commonly used source of lift is created by the sun’s energy heating the ground which in turn heats the air above it. This warm air rises in columns known as thermals. Souring pilots quickly become aware of visual indications of thermals such as: cumulus clouds, cloud streets, dust devils and haze domes. Also, nearly every glider contains an instrument known as a variometer (a very sensitive vertical air speed indicator) which shows visually (and often audibly) the presence of lift and sink. Having located a thermal, a glider pilot will circle within the area of rising air to gain height. In case of a cloud street thermals can line up with the wind creating rows of thermals and sinking air. A pilot can use a cloud street to fly long straight-line distances by remaining in the row of rising air.

Ridge Lift

Another form of lift occurs when wind meets a mountain, cliff, or steep hill. The air is deflected up the windward face of the mountain forming lift. Gliders can climb in this rising air by flying along the steep feature. Another name for flying with ridge lift is slope soaring.

Mountain Wave

The third main type of lift used by glider pilots is the lee waves that occur near mountains. The obstruction to the airflow can generate standing waves with alternating areas of lift and sink. The top of each wave peak is often marked by lenticular cloud formation.

Convergence

Another form of lift results from the convergence of air masses, as with a sea-breeze or on-shore marine front. In Southern California this same effect can be caused by an off-shore front of warm air from the desert, often referred to as Santa Ana winds. In each case the effect is the same. The convergence of air masses causes lift that can be used for gliding.

More exotic forms of lift are polar vortexes, and a rare phenomenon known as Morning Glory has also been used by glider pilots in Australia to soar to record breaking heights.

Cross-country Flying

Once the skills of using thermals to gain altitude have been mastered, pilots can glide from one thermal to the next to go “cross-country”. This is often called “XC” by hang glider pilots. Potential thermals can be identified by land features which typically generate thermals, by soaring birds or by cumulus clouds which mark the top of a rising column of warm, humid air as it reaches the dew point and condenses to form a cloud.

Performance

With each generation of materials and with the improvements in aerodynamics, the performance of hang gliders has increased. One measure of performance is the glide ratio. For example, a ration of 12:1 means that in smooth air a glider can travel forward 12 meters while only losing 1 meter of altitude. That’s more or less the standard ratio for today’s gliders. However, high performance gliders far exceed this ratio. For example:

• Topless gliders have a glide ration of 17:1, and a speed range of 30 to 145 km/h, best glide at 45 to 60 km/h

• Rigid wings have a glide ration of 20:1 and a speed range of 35 to 10 km/h, best glide at 50 to 60kn/h

Not: Glide ratio is typically not provided by the manufactures as it is nearly impossible to measure reliably because the pilot is in the airstreams (unlike a sailplane) depends on many factors like pilot weight, pilot position, harness design, helmet, placement of instruments and so on.

Ballast the extra weight provided by ballast is advantageous it the lift is likely to be strong. Although heavier gliders have a slight disadvantage when climbing in rising air, they achieve a higher speed at any given angle. This is an advantage in strong conditions when the gliders spend only little time climbing in thermals.

Costs

Costs of hang gliders range greatly in type, construction materials and equipment. A beginning glider might cost as little as $5000, intermediate $6400, Topless glider $9200, and Rigid wings $14400. This of course does not include lessons from a certified hang glider instructor. This could add anywhere from $1500 to $5500 or more depending on the school. Typically good hang gliding schools offer a course of 10 lessons. Remember like everything else in life you get what you pay for. Proper instruction in all aspects of hang gliding, especially in safety precautions, is a must. As one instructor put it, “The better the instruction, the better the pilot. The better the pilot, the better the hang gliding experience.”

Instruments

In order to maximize a pilots understanding of how the hang glider is flying, most pilots carry a series of instruments. The most basic being a variometer and altimeter—often combined. Some more advanced pilots also carry airspeed indicators and radios. When flying in competition or “cross-country” pilots often carry maps and/or GPS units. Hang gliders do not have instrument panels as such, so all the instruments are mounted to the control frame of the glider.

Vario-altimeter

People can sense the acceleration when they first hit a thermal, but they cannot detect the difference between constant rising air and constant sinking air, so they turn to technology for help. A variometer is a very sensitive vertical speed indicator; in other words, the variometer indicates climb rate or sink rate with audio signals (beeps) and/or a visual display. These units a generally electronic, vary in sophistication, and often include an altimeter and an airspeed indicator. More advanced units often incorporate a barograph for recording flight data and/or a built-in GPS.

The m main purpose of a variometer is helping a pilot find and stay in the “core” of a thermal to maximize height gain, and conversely indicating when he or she is in sinking air and needs to find rising air. Varriometers are sometimes capable of electronic calculations based on the “MacCready Speed Ring” to indicate the optimal speed to fly for given conditions.

The MacCready theory solves the problem of how fast a pilot should cruise between thermals, given both the average lift the pilot expects in the next thermal climb, as well as the amount of lift and sink he encounters in cruise mode. Some electronic variometers make calculations automatically, after allowing for factors such as the glider’s theoretical performance (glide ratio), altitude, hook in weight and wind direction.

2m-Band Radio

Pilots use radio for training purposes, and for communicating with other pilots in the air—particularly in crowded skies and when traveling together on cross-country flights. Radios used are PTT (push-to-talk) transceivers, normally operating in or around the FM VHF 2-metre Bank\d (144-148 MHz). Usually a microphone is incorporated in the helmet and the PTT switch is either fixed to the outside of the helmet, or strapped to a finger.

GPS

GPS (global positioning system) is a necessary accessory when flying competitions, where it has to be demonstrated that way-points have been correctly passed—much like buoy markers are used in yacht races. It can also be interesting to view a GPS track of a flight when back on the ground, to analyze flying technique. Computer software is available which allows various different analyses of GPS tracks (e.g. CompeGPS).

Other uses include being able to determine drift due to the prevailing wind when flying at altitude, providing position information to allow restricted airspace to be avoided, and identifying one’s location for retrieval teams after landing-out in unfamiliar territory or in emergency situations. More recently, the use of GPS data, linked to a computer, has enabled pilots to share 3D tracks of their flights on Google Earth. This fascinating insight allows comparisons between competing pilots to be made in a detailed “post-flight” analysis

Competition

Competitions started with “flying as long as possible” and spot landings. With increasing performance cross-country flying replaced them. Usually two to four waypoints have to be passed with a landing at a goal. In the late 90s low-power GPS units were introduced and have completely replaced photographs of the goal. Every two years there is a world championship. The Rigid and Women’s World Championship in 2006 was hosted by Quest Air in Florida. Big Spring, Texas is hosting the 2007 World Championship. Hang gliding is also one of the competition categories in the World Air Games organized by Federation Aeronautique Internatgional (World Air sports Federation—FAI). The FAI also has a chronology of the FAI World Gliding Championships.

As can be seen, hang gliding as a competitive sport, recreational hobby or avocation is here to stay. Regardless of the inherent dangers, each year more gliders are taking to the air riding thermals far into the sky. Actually, when you compare your risk of being seriously injured or killed in an automobile accident, hang gliding is much safer.

As can be seen, hang gliding as a competitive sport, recreational hobby or avocation

is here to stay. Regardless of the inherent dangers, each year more gliders are taking to the air riding thermals far into the sky. Actually, when you compare your risk of being seriously injured or killed in an automobile accident, hang gliding is much safer.

“Free as a bird,” a hang-gliding friend told me. “It’s the only way to describe the exhilaration of hang-gliding.”

“It’s like being an eagle or a hawk soaring on up drafts. Just you, your glider and your skill as a pilot,” he told me. “There’s nothing like it. It’s the ultimate extreme sport.”

Extreme Travel—Climbing Mt. Everest

By Jeff Stiles

Thinking of climbing Everest? Here are some things you may want to know first. Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It has been a challenge to reach the top for centuries. Approximately 70 people die a year. About 170 have died all together. The summit is approximately 29,035 feet (8,848 meters) high.

History

Mt. Everest has a great deal of history behind it. It was named after Sir George Everest, surveyor-general of India. On May 28, 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were left behind by their companions. They hoped to be the first to climb the world's highest mountain. The next day they became the first people in the world to climb Mount Everest. They were only on the crown of the world for fifteen minutes before they had to step off the highest perch on earth.

Sir Edmund P. Hillary was a beekeeper from New Zealand. He was born in Auckland. His first attempt to climb Mt. Everest was in 1951 and 1952. The next year he reached the summit. Queen Elizabeth II knighted Hillary for his great achievement.

Mt Everest is the holy mountain that oversees the entire globe. It is the pinnacle of two shifting tectonic plates of the Earth’s crust, the Indian subcontinent and the continent of Asia that sends rock far into the sky. Couched within the safe confines of the Himalaya mountain range, it dwarfs the border of Nepal and China. Mt. Everest is the highest point above sea level in the world.

The Tibetan name for Mt. Everest is “Mt. Quomolangma” which literally means “The Third Goddess, and because of its height is sometimes referred to as “The Third Pole”.

Though the exact measurement of the summit is the cause of some debate, the official height of Mt Everest is listed at 29,028 feet - exactly 777 feet above the nearby K2, also a member of the Himalayas. Its reputation as one of the most difficult climbs in the world is well-deserved. There are basically only two paths to the top, testing even the most experienced of climbers – reaching the summit means you go down in the history books as one of the few intrepid voyagers with superhuman ability to withstand the cold, the thin air, and the physical challenges presented by the mountain. Though the easier route towards the top is found on the Nepalese side, the Chinese border is almost as popular with climbers – few actually even attempt the ascent to the top, though there are plenty of smaller and more manageable trails up small sections of Mt Everest that continue to confound mountaineers of all skill levels.

The height of Mt Everest is imposing and almost impossible to comprehend just by peering at photographs. The actual sight of the mountain does nothing if not impress upon the viewer just how amazing it is than anyone has ever succeeded in climbing Mount Everest – around 2000 climbers have done so at the time of this writing, the majority of which have done so in the past ten years. But that doesn't mean it's getting any easier - hundreds have died seeking the topmost height of Mt Everest, and there are certainly no shortage of graves found on the mountain, not to mention anecdotes and stories of climbers who set off towards the summit, never to return.

Exhaustion is the main reason most of the mountain's climbers have been forced to turn back, but on May 29, 1953 the first pair of mountaineers set foot on the summit of Mount Everest. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top, beginning their adventures miles below on the Nepalese side. The first to escape what is called the “death zone” (the region found above 24,000 feet), Hillary put his name in the record books as the first known explorer to step foot on the summit of Mount Everest.

It is difficult, but not inconceivable, for most travelers to even attempt an assault on the mountain.  For years, few climbers tried - now, for the right price (approximately $70,000) one can join an expedition with little to no experience whatsoever.  This adventure, however, is extremely dangerous.  For every five climbers that leave their mark on Mt Everest, one climber dies.  The inclusion of less than seasoned mountaineers who feel that climbing Mount Everest is a fine idea is the subject of great debate in the climbing community.

This doesn't mean that Everest is not an attractive tourist destination. The Everest base camp, found near the Rongphu monastery in the outskirts of Tibet, is still visited by thousands of tourists a year, for whom stepping foot on the great mountain is victory enough.

Itinary for Our 2007 Climb

Mountain Madness Tours was our tour guide for the climb. There are many other professional climbing tour guides, but the group I climbed with had used Mountain Madness on two earlier climbs. I must say they were real professionals at arranging our itinary and making sure our climb was the experience of a lifetime.

March 24 – 26: Travel from your home port to Kathmandu. All flights cross the dateline and a day is consequently lost. Arrive in Kathmandu, where a Mountain Madness guide will meet you. On your way to the hotel, we stop by our office, Mountain Madness Pvt. Nepal Ltd. Check into the Yak & Yeti Hotel, a classic five-star hotel located in the Durbar Marg district. Great food from all over the world, fabulous shopping and Durbur Square, with its numerous temples and markets, are nearby.

March 27: While we wrap up last minute paperwork with the Nepal Government, you will have a casual day of shopping for souvenirs in the streets of Kathmandu, visiting the palaces, Thamel District, Hindu temples and shrines, Buddhist stupas, or just relaxing at the hotel. Favorite destinations are Swayambunath, a Buddhist temple with prayer flags descending from the highly ornate steeple and situated on a small hill that offers outstanding views of the city. Or you can join the thousands of Hindus who venture to the Pashupatinath temple, one of the most famous Hindu temples in Nepal and the most famous Shiva temple in Asia.

March 28: We fly to the Himalayan foothills where we will begin our trek into the Khumbu region. The sights from the plane are amazing, providing panoramic views of terraced hills and the distant Himalayan giants. After landing in the village of Lukla (9,350 feet) we will meet our staff and porters and continue on about two and a half hours to Phakding (8,700 feet).

March 29: We continue trekking along the banks of the Dudh Kosi, crossing this majestic river many times on wild suspension bridges laden with prayer flags. After entering Sagamartha National Park at Jorsale, the trail climbs steeply with breathtaking views up to Namche Bazaar, the gateway to the Khumbu region at 11,300 feet.

March 30: Today is a rest and acclimatization day in Namche. Namche is a colorful village with many wonderful and interesting shops and vendors, fabulous food and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. An early hike above town before the clouds move in will reward climbers with a spectacular Himalayan sunrise and views of Everest, Lhotse (the 4th highest peak in the world), and the beautiful Ama Dablam. On the way down, we can visit the Sherpa Museum that displays an exhibit on traditional Sherpa lifestyle as well as a fabulous photography collection. A local Nepalese naturalist takes all photos, and in one room the Sherpa traditions are highlighted, while in another Sherpa high altitude climbers are presented.

March 31: The trek continues along the Dudh Kosi with rushing clear blue rivers and magnificent views of the mountains. We will stay the night at Thyangboche monastery at 12,887 feet where you will find one of the best views in the world. Inside the monastery are incredibly ornate wall hangings, a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha, and the musical instruments and robes of the Lamas. If our group is lucky, we will get to see the Lama perform a ceremony and listen to the mystical chanting and music. Remember to bring lots of film!

April 1: From Thyangboche the trail drops to Debuche, crosses a wild bridge on the Imja Khola, and then climbs to the village of Pangboche where incredible mani stones line the path. The uphill trek continues, taking us to the quaint traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche (14,250 feet) with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam.

April 2: Another rest day. There is the option of taking a light acclimatization hike up the valley for better photo shots of the valley and mountains of the Khumbu region.

April 3: From Dingbouche, the trail traverses along farmlands and meadows before continuing up the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. Our path skirts along the glacier’s edge to the Italian Research Station where we are treated to great Italian food, showers and real beds!

April 4: After an early morning start, we ascend Kala Pattar (18,450 feet) and enjoy famous views of the Himalayas; then descend from this viewpoint and continue on to Base Camp on Khumbu Glacier, at the foot of the icefall.

April 5 - May 4: We arrive at Everest Base Camp (17,500 feet) on the jumbled moraine below the infamous Khumbu Icefall. There we spend some time acclimatizing. The next weeks are spent negotiating the Khumbu Icefall, entering the Western Cwm, and climbing to lofty Camp III (23,500 feet). Our objective for the next 3 to 4 weeks is to establish and stock three camps above base camp and to acclimatize for the climb to the summit. We sleep at Camp III for a night or two before heading down to base camp to rest before our summit bid.

May 5 - 9: With everybody fit and acclimatized, we head back to base camp. For the next 5 days rest is top priority. We visit with trekkers, eat, rest, eat, rest, and prepare for the summit bid.

May 10 - 31: We climb to camp II, then to camp III and finally to the South Col where we place our final camp at 26,000 feet. Our summit target date is between May 15 through the 25. We are prepared to stay at base camp to wait for good weather or until the monsoon arrives at the end of May. Mountain Madness service continues as we head back down to Kathmandu (3-5 days); we’ll fly out of Lukla. Hotel accommodations with breakfast and dinner in Kathmandu for the night of our return and the next night are included in your package. However, if individuals want to make a faster return to Kathmandu or deviate from the trek back down from other points along the way, they are free to do so at their own expense.

Climbing Mount Everest

“In life, and sometimes in death, Mount Everest has had a lasting effect on all of those who have challenged its heights. It can vanquish those who disrespect it, and mercilessly test those who honor it. Yet Everest is indifferent to your presence. Climb it and you will receive a lifetime dose of humility and exhilaration.” Anonymous

It was -45 degrees Celsius and we (the climbers, Sherpa team and our photographer) were half way up Mount Everest, when we heard a scream. It was Charlie, he slipped and fell into a snowdrift and started to scream. In the distance we heard a faint rumble it was too late when we realized it was an avalanche!!! There was nowhere for us to go but down. We started to climb down but the avalanche was too quick for us. We were engulfed by white freezing cold snow. Thank God that we have oxygen tanks! No, this can't be happening to me. My oxygen is nearly gone. I begin to panic. And then Charlotte sees my predicament and gives me one of her oxygen canisters. This is Charlotte’s third assent of Mt. Everest. She’s from Auckland, the same town in New Zealand as Edmund Hillary.

I have just tried to stand up. But my feet are too weak to support me!! I'm falling, falling, and falling, falling!!! I have landed once again, but this time I am further down than I was the last time. I feel as if something is watching me!! No one can be watching me because I am down so far! I can't tell if I am warm or cold I feel warm but I think that I am cold!
 

I wonder how I can be cold?! Because I am stuck in a snow suit getting my picture took from every angle! And what do you mean you don't understand!! The thing is I am a writer and I to get paid to for each article I write. And this doesn’t include the photographer and my mountaineer tour guide. The trip didn’t cost the Sierra Madre Village Editor a dime. I paid my own way. Just one of many benefits I enjoy thanks to the inheritance my parents left me.

 Air Pressure

Climbers will usually begin to feel the effects of air pressure at 9,800 feet above sea level. Headaches are the most common symptom of mountain sickness. At high altitudes, small hemorrhages can occur in the eyes. This may happen when the capillaries in the eyes become enlarged to allow increased blood flow. Other symptoms of altitude sickness are: nausea, irregular breathing, loss of coordination, and dehydration. Hypoxia can also trigger swelling in the eyes, face, hands, ankles, or feet. As altitude increases, the body's ability to regulate levels of potassium decreases. This upsets the tissue water balance and results in swelling. Fluid balance in the body changes dramatically. This air does not contain much relative humidity, and when combined with climbing dehydration can lead to rapid fluid loss. Climbers can lose up to two liters of water daily.

Clothing

When climbing the mountain the proper clothing must be worn. There are six layers that should be worn. The first layer is long underwear and socks. The second layer, and base camp clothing, is pants, hiking boots, and a pile jacket. The third layer is a down jacket, light hat, and light gloves. The fourth layer is wind pants, double boots, a wool hat (over the light one), and gloves (second pair), a harness, crampons (iron spike on a shoe), gators, glacier glasses, and a storm jacket. The fifth layer is a down suit, glacier glasses, heavy gloves, face mask, an oxygen bottle, a mask and regulator, and a radio. The sixth layer is a mask, mittens, and black over boots, ice axe, ski goggles, radio, oxygen canister and regulator in backpack.
 

Food

Our diet will consist of beans, rice and noodle soup cooked over dried yak dung.
Route

This is the route we will be taking. Hopefully we will reach the summit. We will start at base camp (at 17, 500 ft.), then climb to the Khumbu Ice Fall. Next we will climb to Camp I. It is at 19, 500 ft. We will climb 1.500 more feet to Camp II. Next we will reach Camp III. It is located at 23,500 ft. The last camp is Camp IV. It is at 26,300 ft. Then we will reach the South summit, and finally our destination, the summit at 29, 028 ft.

My climbing guide, Charlotte Thompson, ascending Mt. Everest.

Survival is the name of the game. Making it to the summit of Mt. Everest is just half the journey. Returning safely to Base Camp and from their safely descending to the starting point can be just as dangerous as the assent of Mt. Everest. Altitude sickness, frostbite and fatigue are your constant enemy. But making it to the top of the highest mountain in the world and returning unharmed is an experience of a lifetime—the memory of which will be with me until the day I die.

Cost

It will cost around $65,000.00 for the pleasure of climbing this beautiful mountain. Most of the money goes the nation of Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. So climbing Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on the planet, is not for the budget conscious traveler. But if you’ve got the bucks and the guts, it’s worth every penny!

Author & Extreme Traveler Jeff Stiles on the summit of Mt. Everest

While I was on the summit I couldn’t help thinking of all the other climbers who have taken up the greatest challenge of mountaineering. Mount Everest is literally located at the top of the world, and is considered the Holy Grail of mountain climbing. It is little wonder that as soon as it was crowned the world's tallest mountain, people inevitably had to climb it. And just as inevitably, many of them failed. While more than 2,200 people have succeeded, nearly 200 have lost their lives attempting the climb.

I consider myself lucky that the frostbite I suffered did not maim me for life. Most Everest veterans I have spoken to no one leave the mountain up touched by her majesty and danger. My fingers did regain their circulation and I recovered completely. But there was a fleeting moment descending Everest when I thought if losing the tips of my fingers was worth it. I still don’t have an answer.

So why climb Everest? The most famous answer to this question came from climber George Mallory: "because it is there." Though he was likely responding in frustration after being asked the same question dozens of times, his answer succinctly cuts to the heart of the matter.

In this article, we'll examine the history of climbing Mount Everest, see what routes most climbers use and find out what climbers take with them to survive the trek.

Everest hasn't always been considered the king of mountains. It wasn't until 1852 that a Bengali mathematician and surveyor named Radhanath Sikhdar determined that "Peak XV" was actually the highest point on the earth. In 1865, Sikhdar's discovery was confirmed. India's Surveyor General Sir Andrew Waugh renamed the mountain Mount Everest after Sir George Everest, the previous Surveyor General and the person overseeing the original survey that listed "Peak XV."

­ The Nepalese who live to the south of Mount Everest have always known that it was special. They called it Sagarmatha, which is translated variously as "goddess of the sky" and "forehead of the sky." The Tibetans living north of the mountain called it Chomolungma, or "mother goddess of the world."

Politics kept would-be climbers out of Everest for many years following its discovery, because neither the Nepalese nor Tibetan governments welcomed strangers into their countries. But in 1921, after much diplomatic negotiation, Tibet opened its borders and the first of many British expeditions began on the mountain's north side.

One of these expeditions included British nationals George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Their 1924 expedition was Mallory's third trip to the mountain. In a 1922 attempt, climbers reached record altitudes before deteriorating weather conditions forced them to turn back. During that attempt, an avalanche killed seven Sherpas.

On the morning of June 8th 1924, Mallory and Irvine left the highest camp on Everest bound for the summit. At 1 p.m. they were seen climbing the mountain, behind schedule but still making progress towards the top. After that, they were never seen again. In 1999, a team of investigators located Mallory's body on the north face of Everest around 27,000 feet. There is some debate over whether Mallory and Irvine made it to the top, but most believe that they did not.

In 1949, the political situation around Everest reversed and Nepal opened its borders, one year before the Chinese government closed Tibet. Climbers shifted their approach to the south and in 1953, someone finally made it to the top. Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountain climber and beekeeper, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa, are the first people credited with reaching the Mountain's summit. Theirs would be the first of many notable firsts on Everest:

·         In 1963, James Whittaker became the first American to reach the summit of Everest.

·         In 1975, a Japanese woman named Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit.

·         In a truly incredible first, American Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to scale Everest in 2001.

When you boil the experience of climbing Mt. Everest done to a few words it’s about the pure thrill of going to the precipice and surviving. All I can say about my experience is that if you haven’t been on the summit of Mt. Everest, can you never know how magnificent it is to be on the world’s tallest mountain. As someone once said:

“In life, and sometimes in death, Mount Everest has had a lasting effect on all of those who have challenged its heights. It can vanquish those who disrespect it, and mercilessly test those who honor it. Yet Everest is indifferent to your presence. Climb it and you will receive a lifetime dose of humility and exhilaration.”  

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