All photos by Jack Wheeler
Western Cwm of Everest at 7,000m/23,000ft, Everest to left, Lhotse straight ahead.
Well, this is sobering – at least for me. Two months from now, I turn 75.
How did it get here that fast? I haven’t a clue. What I do know is that the older you get, the faster time goes by. Which means, I better not slow down.
My attitude towards life is one of undiluted gratitude. Each one of us is unbelievably lucky to be alive, to be conscious of, and participate in this world.
And what a world it is. The wonders of our world, and your capacity to experience them, are endless. As an Escape Artist, you know that.
I’ve been granted by good fortune to experience so much of our world, every country on the planet in fact. Yet, there is one place more than any other that keeps calling me back: the Himalayas. So that is where I’ll celebrate my 75th. Care to join me?
The highest, most staggeringly gigantic mountains on our earth are here, eight of them over 8,000 meters. You see two of them, Everest (highest of all at 8850m/29,028ft) and Lhotse (4th highest at 8516m/27,932ft) above. Here they are from a different angle, and the other six.
Mount Everest from Scoundrel’s View, North Face in Tibet on left, West Face in Nepal on right.
Lhotse, South Face and South Wall.
Kanchenjunga Main, 3rd highest mountain in the world, 8586m/28,169ft. Entire ridge line above 8000m.
Makalu, 5th highest mountain in the world, 8485m/27,830ft.
Cho Oyu, 6th highest mountain in the world, 8501m/27,883ft.
Dhaulagiri, 7th highest mountain in the world, 8167m/26,787ft.
Manaslu, 8th highest mountain in the world, 8163m/26,775ft.
Annapurna I, 10th highest mountain in the world, 8091m/26,538ft.
These photos, all of which I took, are merely a hint of what it is like to be in the physical presence of such overpowering natural majesty.
And all this is matched culturally. Last February, you learned about The Hidden Kingdom of Lo, the most preserved pure Tibetan culture left, tucked away in a remote valley that’s been an independent kingdom since 1380.
Frankly, there’s no greater adventure on earth than experiencing all this, especially as we do, by AS350 B3 high altitude helicopters in one single week.
Admittedly, it’s pricey – because chartering the world’s best helicopters with the world’s best pilots from one end of the Himalayas to the other is pricey: $22,500. But as they say, you only live once and you can’t take it with you.
I realize that this is far beyond most people’s means and I wish there were a less costly alternative, but there isn’t. If it’s feasible for you, please let me know at jack@wheelerexpeditions.com.
If it is not, but you know a friend for whom it is and has a true adventurous spirit, please have them contact me.
You’ll note in the information you get that there are two dates, Nov 3-10, and Nov 10-17. The first date is sold out. The second date has only two spaces left.
I’m going to celebrate my Himalayan 75th by sharing one the most gloriously thrilling experiences it’s possible to have on our planet today with a small group of fellow adventurers. I hope you may be among them. See you in Kathmandu!
Upcoming Wheeler Expeditions – click for details on each:
September 13-October 2: Hidden Central Asia
October 8-October 18: Hidden Holy Land
November 3-November 10 & November 10-November 17: Himalaya Helicopter Expedition
Jack Wheeler is the founder of Wheeler Expeditions
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