We found this fantastic video of a local parade in Ladakh, and we wanted to share. It’s such a magical place, way up in the Indian Himalaya, so close to Tibet that the people there could easily pass for being Tibetan. We can’t wait to start leading treks to Ladakh.
If the embedded video here doesn’t show up, use this link instead.
Ladakh Festival 2011 from Ewa Zygarowicz on Vimeo.
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This weekend, a mountaineering legend will take on one of the world’s greatest walks to raise awareness of one of Earth’s biggest challenges.
Apa Sherpa, who has climbed Mt. Everest a staggering 21 times, will walk 1,062 miles in 120 days to raise awareness of global warming. You can read all about it in this Reuters article, but we just want to say two things: 1, Go Apa! and 2, We are now officially dreaming of the Great Himalayan Trail.
Here’s part 1 of a three-part video on the GHT. You’ll find links to subsequent parts on YouTube:
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A wonderful client of ours, Mary Steimle, got a chance to write up her experience after a three-week trip to Tanzania, including a climb of our favorite Kili route, the Lemosho to the Western Breach.
She wrote a great report for travelblog.org’s Africa section, which includes this touchingg summary:
My 3 weeks in Tanzania was the best trip I’ve ever taken. The natural beauty, challenge, adventure and diversity made it a really unique trip. The selflessness of the porters and crew was an experience in humanity that I needed without even realizing that I needed it.
We can’t recommend enough that you read the whole thing, which she calls Kilimanjaro Reflection.
Thanks and congrats, Mary!
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Embark Adventures & Expeditions was featured in this month’s newsletter of the Multnomah Athletic Club. Embark founder Donovan Pacholl will give a a presentation on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro at the MAC on January 26. It’s a members-only event but you can be added to the invite list by getting in touch with Donovan.
This event is just one of several upcoming opportunities to meet with us in person.
To read the article from the “Winged M,” just click the image below or follow this link.
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Embark Adventures & Expeditions will be part of several great events in the coming months. Come say hello in person, and let us help you plan your next great adventure!
Embark Adventures & Expeditions is one of the sponsors of this event, and we will have a booth at this event. Organized by Friends of Outdoor School and Uncage the Soul Productions, Photo of the Year showcases amazing photography from around the world and raises thousands of dollars for the Outdoor School Program. More details can be found on the Photo of the Year website.
Donovan Pacholl, founder of Embark Adventures, will give a presentation on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The is a private, members-only event. Please contact Donovan if you would like to be on the invite list.
Donovan Pacholl and Jim Ronning will showcase their recent trek to Everest Base Camp and the climb up Island Peak, a 20,000-foot mountain in the middle of the Himalayas.
See the Mazamas website for details.
Embark Adventures & Expeditions will have a booth at this event. This adventure show will bring together representatives from destinations in all corners of the globe, and they will be ready to assist you in planning your next great escape! More details can be found at OutdoorAdventureShow.ca.
Embark Adventures & Expeditions will have a booth at this event. According to the website: “Professional and amateur outdoor adventure athletes from the Vail Valley and around the world will converge upon the mountains and rivers of Vail to compete in eight sports and 23 disciplines including: x-country, freeride, slopestyle and road cycling, freestyle, 8-Ball, sprint and extreme kayaking, raft cross, World Cup Bouldering, stand up paddle sprint and surf cross, as well as trail, mud and road running, dog comps and the GNC Ultimate Mountain Challenge.”
More details can be found at TevaMountainGames.com.
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We don’t mean to be Chicken Littles yelling about the sky falling, but when a bunch of scientists announce that Himalayan glaciers have shrunk as much as 20 percent in the last 30 years, we take notice.
The report said the highest rate of loss was in Nepal (21 percent) and Bhutan (22 percent). But another number jumped out at us, a new one which hadn’t been researched before: the best guess is there are 54,000 glaciers in the Himalayas, covering 60,000 square miles. We also read here that there are 25,000 plan and animal species in the area, and a larger diversity of forest types than the Amazon.
So no, the sky is not falling, but the glaciers appear to be shrinking. And the Himalayas are, and will continue to be, and amazing place to go touring and trekking.
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Much has been written about Bhutan’s official policy of Gross National Happiness. It’s meant to ensure good governance, sustainable development, and the preservation of Bhutan’s ancient culture. But a government policy … how fun is that?
An American named Jonathan Harris decided to lighten up our understanding of Bhutan and of happiness. And he used balloons.
As this story from Bhutan’s news service tells us, Harris went around Bhutan with a camera and recorder, and he asked 117 people five questions relating to happiness and their dreams. He then took their pictures, holding balloons with their dreams written on them, and the results are posted at balloonsofbhutan.org.
We have to fight the temptation to think of Bhutan as a place frozen in time, filled with people from the past. It’s a beautiful country which has held off modernization for many years, but its people have the same dreams we do. And yet the relative simplicity of their lifestyle and aspirations can inspire us and remind us that maybe we don’t need to be so stressed out.
Yet another reason we love to travel, especially to go trekking in places like Bhutan.
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