OVERVIEW
Nepal has long been a land of mystery to the West. Virtually inaccessible to foreigners for many years, this small, landlocked country now is a playground for climbers and trekkers of many nations. The Himalayas dominate the landscape of most of the nation, living up to its Sanskrit meaning "abode of the snow.” The Himalayan mountain range includes 9 of the 10 tallest mountains on earth. Mt. Everest is the most well-known goal, and thousands have reached its summit – including 169 climbers on the same day. The Government of Nepal has recently opened several new areas containing numerous 6,000 to 7,000 meter unclimbed peaks, which will be the focus of this expedition.
PROJECT LAUNCH - OCTOBER 2015: The Vertical Nepal team; Dupre(m) USA, Andres Martos (m) Spain, Schletty(f) USA and Nepali native(TBA) will travel to Nepal with several potential unclimbed 7,000+ meter high peaks to investigate, in multiple districts. During the projected two month long they will perform a reconnaissance of these hidden slopes by foot to choose a peak, determine future climbing strategies and supply needs. One candidate is 7,915 meter high Tenzing Peak, named after the first Sherpa to summit Mt. Everest, Tenzing Norgay alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, on the Cho Oyu-Everest chain of peaks bordering Tibet. During this time the team will make an ascent of Ama Dablam, 22,349ft (6,812 meters) as part of training for the main objective for Spring of 2016. The education, science and humanitarian programs will be implimented throughout the duration of the expedition.
Environment: Collect high altitude snow and ice samples for Adventurers & Scientists for Conservation for studies on rapid glacial recession. Most glaciers are retreating at rates of 10 to 74 meters annually due to climate change. Work in cooperation with The Snow Leopard Conservancy to gather information and evidence of snow leopards in areas where the climbers travel.
Humanitarian: Provide assistance and enrichment to rural communities, who are seldom contacted by the outside world. Our preference is to work with established NGOs that have infrastructure in the area and will make the best use of our contributions for long-term change.