THE HEIGHT OF LUXURY

Both mesmerised and terrified by first-person accounts of climbing Mount Everest, a writer opts for the less trodden route to reach North Base Camp in Tibet, China.

- BY SATHYA SARAN

From the time I read a book that introduced me to the story of [George] Mallory and [Andrew] Irvine—the two brave men whose attempt to scale Everest ended on a mysterious and, eventually, tragic note—I was obsessed.

For years, I nursed the desire to climb Everest, and was particularly magnetised by the Khumbu Icefall, one of the deadliest parts of the ascent on the south side of the mountain located in Nepal. I continued to read as much as I could on the subject, as I knew my desire to scale the mountain could well turn into a death wish. Softened by city life, I wasn't sure if I would be able to weather the arduous 15-day trek to base camp, in spite of being a trekker.

I caught my first glimpse of Everest from a plane on my way to Bhutan. Elated—I took a picture of it from my phone. But as the years rolled by, the idea of scaling the mountain grew fainter. The thought of trekking for two weeks through treacherous passes and narrow ridges, crossing rivers that could flood on a whim, braving the dysentery and the hacking cough that almost everyone who sets off from Nepal to reach the South Base Camp must endure, made it seem increasingly intimidating. So, I folded up my dream of seeing the mountain up close.

But then I learnt of an alternative route that required traversing the Tibetan plateau over eight days and was accessible via road, leading to the North Base Camp. Nothing could stop me now. I recruited a younger colleague from my journalism days, whose partner also joined us—that both are professional photographers was a bonus—and began planning our expedition.

Keep in mind that you will need both a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit, issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau, to get to North Base Camp. Most travel agents and tour operators should be able to help with this.

Here We Go