Pictures from Nepal

Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth

Our one-day journey, November 2, 2004

In an exciting last-minute plan, Pritam booked two helicopters to fly us all to Mount Everest (See Who is Pritam Singh). We left from Katmandu and flew to Lukla (a common starting point for Everest hikes, treks, and climb attempts) to refuel. We then took a scenic arial tour of Mount Everest, and landed at Tengboche, a temple site at 12,700 feet, which is within sight, if not easy walking distance, of Everest.

This was one of our helicopters. We flew in a small copter which holds
5 people, and a larger one which seats nine. (Small helicopter pictured.)

We flew past images like this one during our 70-minute flight to Lukla. (Dominic thought that the mountain shown on the left would be an excellent launching point for the world's largest water balloon).

Looking down from the helicopter, we saw many farms. Local people have carefully terraced and sculpted their mountain home, and have managed some truly amazing feats of agricultural engineering. To the lower right is a farm; to the upper left is a camp for trekkers.

A lake nestled high in a Himalayan valley.

It's a bit difficult to tell, but the runway at Lukla is on a steep slant. You land going uphill (presumably to help you decelerate). When you take off, you're pointed down at a very steep angle, causing everyone aboard to hope that their aircraft begins gaining altitude again soon! The refueling process at Lukla is a bit low-tech. Here two airport employees pour petrol from plastic jugs into our helicopter through a jury-rigged metal funnel.

When we landed at Tengboche, we had a clear view of Mount Everest. It was stunning to be so close to such a renowned and famous place.      It's hard to pick Mount Everest out of the picture on the left. Viewed from most angles, it's not an impressive-looking mountain, and even our viewpoint was quite some distance away. This is a zoomed-in picture with Everest clearly marked. It's often described as being shaped like a large pyramid.

Dominic and Allyson at Mount Everest

This is Tengboche. In the foreground in a stupa. Behind is yet another beautiful mountain, sitting below a setting gibbous moon.



The mountain on the right is Ama Dablam. From Tengboche, it seemed almost impossibly tall. Still, it it more than a mile shorter than Everest, visible on the left of the picture.

      We climbed a nearby hummock for a look around the valley. It was probably less than 400 feet tall, but because we were starting our climb at 12,700 feet, the climb was amazingly tiring. Simply walking up, we felt as if we'd finished a road race; the view and the hike were equally breathtaking.



This temple sits at Tengboche, and is a natural pilgrimage site for the Buddist faithful and the foreign trekker.

       A view from inside the temple. A famous lama was presiding over a group of monks performing a worship service. We learned that he was the third incarnation of Lama Gulu, an important figure in Mahayana Buddism. We each received a blessing from the lama before leaving.

          Finally, Allyson made a sound recording at Everest,
describing what she sees, and demonstrating the sounds
of the monks' horns.

Click above for a movie of some yaks at Tengboche, and to
listen to the almost magical sound of their bells.

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This was one of our helicopters. We flew in a small copter which holds 5 people, and a larger one which seats nine. (Small helicopter pictured.)


It's a bit difficult to tell, but the runway at Lukla is on a steep slant. You land going uphill (presumably to help you decelerate). When you take off, you're pointed down at a very steep angle, causing everyone aboard to hope that their aircraft begins gaining altitude again soon!	The refueling process at Lukla is a bit low-tech. Here two airport employees pour petrol from plastic jugs into our helicopter through a jury-rigged metal funnel.


When we landed at Tengboche, we had a clear view of Mount Everest. It was stunning to be so close to such a renowned and famous place.		It's hard to pick Mount Everest out of the picture on the left. Viewed from most angles, it's not an impressive-looking mountain, and even our viewpoint was quite some distance away. This is a zoomed-in picture with Everest clearly marked. It's often described as being shaped like a large pyramid.


The mountain on the right is Ama Dablam. From Tengboche, it seemed almost impossibly tall. Still, it it more than a mile shorter than Everest, visible on the left of the picture.		We climbed a nearby hummock for a look around the valley. It was probably less than 400 feet tall, but because we were starting our climb at 12,700 feet, the climb was amazingly tiring. Simply walking up, we felt as if we'd finished a road race; the view and the hike were equally breathtaking.


This temple sits at Tengboche, and is a natural pilgrimage site for the Buddist faithful and the foreign trekker.		A view from inside the temple. A famous lama was presiding over a group of monks performing a worship service. We learned that he was the third incarnation of Lama Gulu, an important figure in Mahayana Buddism. We each received a blessing from the lama before leaving.

		Finally, Allyson made a sound recording at Everest, describing what she sees, and demonstrating the sounds of the monks' horns.
Click above for a movie of some yaks at Tengboche, and to listen to the almost magical sound of their bells.