Mt. Everest

Today we experienced an adventure like no other: A helicopter exploration of MOUNT EVEREST!!

Normally I’d make cheeky comments about climbing the mountain in my bare feet, but the heart-stopping grandeur that is Everest evoked in me a reverence that I didn’t expect and literally moved me to tears. The vast, sweeping expanse of the mighty Himalayas inspired not only awe, but also a sense of perspective of one’s small place in the universe. And as the exhilaration and tension of being at the mercy of Nature ultimately gave way to wonder, it brought with it a sense of humility at how fortunate we are. It was, without question, the most memorable event of all our travels, and indeed one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Ascending the Himalayas via helicopter is no easy task: It’s a harsh environment, and we ultimately ascended to over 18,000 feet. Many safety precautions were required, including having two pilots on board — one to control the aircraft; the other as a “backup” in case anything happened. We first took one helicopter to the small Tenzing airport at 10,000 feet altitude in the Lukla range. As we came in for landing, we had to swerve to avoid a flock of birds — and such a maneuver could have proved fatal to an airplane, because the position of the runway between steep mountain peaks leaves no room for such tactics. Once we had safely landed, we changed to a different helicopter that was specially equipped for high altitudes: It had a more powerful engine and was equipped with oxygen. Because of the extreme altitude to which we were about to ascend, the helicopter could not afford excess weight from fuel — so it was used only for the high altitude segments of our journey.

There, we exited the helicopter, and it was like walking on the surface of another planet: The effects of altitude made our bodies seem heavier and less responsive; and due to less oxygen in the air, cognitive processes were slowed, giving the entire experience an other-worldly effect. We marched triumphant and took some photos to document the moment, but were only allowed to stay a few minutes. The ‘copter was kept running the entire time because it might not have been able to start again in such thin air.

From there, we ascended even further, and at this point our pilot grew much more business-like: At these extreme altitudes, there was no room for error, and the weather patterns in the Himalayas can change without warning. We swooped past many of the mountains surrounding Everest at high speed, in some cases only feet away from them. We hit a patch of turbulence at one point, and I’ll admit my heart was in my throat.

The grandeur that is Everest became apparent from its sheer scale: Its peak is above the clouds for much of the year, which means it is so high that it rarely gets snow — there simply are no clouds high enough to snow on it. We explored the peak from many angles, and then our pilot gently guided us to a small climber’s outpost at 13,000 feet where a table had been laid for us.

There, we breakfasted on a hearty meal of muesli with warm milk, masala omelets and yak cheese served to us by a sherpa family. All the while, Mt. Everest was dead-center in the middle of our table. It was the most spectacular breakfast of our lives.

It was hard to leave such majesty behind, but Nature required it: Every day around 11am, winds descend from the peak of Everest, which would have left us stranded.

As we made our descent back to Kathmandu, I reflected on the Nepali people that made our journey possible — despite the harsh environment in which they live, they were, without exception, possessed of a gentleness of character and a spiritual quality that is unmistakable. I realized this should come as no surprise: They live at dizzying heights, literally above the clouds, where they just might, on occasion, touch the very face of god.