The team spent a wonderful morning with the Deaf Women's Empowerment Group. These proud women craft lovely hand-embroidered greeting cards on Nepali paper and fabricate reusable sanitary napkin kits for young women who otherwise would not attend school during their period. Modern disposable napkins are not affordable for many. Pic: Lonnie getting a demo of the sanitary napkin bag. The afternoon saw us reuniting with the Blind and Visually Impaired kids at their school. Vertical Nepal first met these kids at a climbing wall last year - it was great to spend time with them again. A special thanks goes out to Rob Rose and Nirmala for helping make this special day happen. The Rose International
In the arctic, the inuit kids called me “Uncle Oomingmak (muskox)” because I let my beard go during expeditions. In the Himalayas of Nepal my name switched to "Yak Man”. Yak ancestor phot attached. Since then I found a talented barber that knows how to sling a straight edge. Thank you again to our lead sponsor: PrimaLoft To our major sponsors: Mountain Hardwear & Granite Gear and to our support sponsors: Hilleberg the Tentmaker, Exped, SPOT LLC., Globalstar, Simply Native Foods, Optic Nerve Eyewear, BlueWater Ropes, 3M Graphics, Garmont North America. ScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleSchedule
Horses loaded for an expedition in Larke La Pass. Behind us is the Tibet/Nepal border. Schedule
Though we spent a lot of time staying in tea houses along the way, we were still able to put our trusted recipes to work during the climb on Langju and Larkya. Below are a few of our favorites: Simply Native Foods Wild Rice Growing up with wild rice in Minnesota, this is a must for any expedition, whether it's in the Boundary Waters canoeing or climbing Denali in winter. This rice has totally replaced our expedition breakfast staple of oatmeal and muesli. We'd often mix in the wild rice in with the local's recipes such as chicken noodle soup to add some extra nutrition while on the trail. Simply Native's wild rice stays with us longer, is more nutritious and tastes better. Image by Stevi
In most villages there is either home-stay or tea houses climbers and trekkers can spend the night and find a good meal. Its a great way to visit with the locals and learn a bit of culture. Places range from primitive to cushy. Our porter Lakpa helping out making Dal Bhat (rice, curry potatoes and lentil soup and saag (sauteed vegetables), a standard fare in Nepal. ScheduleImages courtesy of Lonnie DupreSchedule
Traveling through the Tsum Valley, Nepal. Images by Lonnie Dupre Schedule
* Bridget and Pascale up Langju * Team setting up camp at 18,200 feet. Images courtesy of Elias de Andres Martos Schedule ScheduleScheduleSchedule
We had a nice change in our diet from rice and lentils to salad and fruits today. I can feel my body absorb the fresh nutrition. Next to missing leafy greens after a trip is a hot shower…and we found one…how sweet. It’s those little things that we tend to take for granted that make life a bit more enjoyable. The images are of Elias and Furba checking out the conditions on Langju at 5500 meters and of our climbing team from right to left: Pascale, Krishna, Lakpa, Bridget, Yours Truly, Dawa, Elias, and Dorje. mages courtesy of Elias de Andres Martos ScheduleSchedule
We arrived in Katmandu after a 7 hour jeep and bus from the base of the himalayas. One can describe the drive as detaching one’s organs from body. It has to be the most rough terrain on the planet one can subject a Toyota Land-cruiser too. It is absolutely amazing that any machine can be designed to withstand even a few hours on such a path let alone a day. The team is dusty, dirty, stinky, rashy, snotty, scaly, and hairy. Currently looking for a bar of soap and scissors. ~Lonnie mages courtesy of Elias de Andres Martos ScheduleSchedule