SummitClimb Pumori 2006: Dispatch One Kathmandu is calm

Dear EverestNews.com Readers, Despite what you may have heard or read, Kathmandu is calm, peaceful and as beautiful as ever. Well - "calm" and "peaceful" are relative terms. The streets of Kathmandu are always mad pandemonium with scores of cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, dogs, cows and pedestrians all trying to squeeze through narrow streets. The laws of physics are most certainly stretched in this country!

My point being that even though you may have heard of riots, bombings, shootings and the like:- that is NOT occurring here in Kathmandu at the moment.

What IS happening here at the moment is "Losar"  - the Sherpa New Year - is approaching and the Sherpa and Tibetan communities are preparing for a big celebration on Feb 28.

Also the festival called "Shivaratri" which is the celebration of the Lord Shiva - the most important festival in Hindu culture. Over 300 000 devotees  - including many from India - will visit the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu tomorrow!

Two Expedition members are here with me in Kathmandu. They are Dennis Jonsson and Jonas Ahlman both from Sweden. They are 2 of a 5 member group of Swedes here to climb Pumori this year. If successful, they will allegedly be the first Swedes to summit Pumori. Will they make it? The other 3 Swedes, Mickeal Forsberg, Richard Carlsson and Tony Segelstrom, are currently on their way to climb Island Peak with 2 of our great staff, Lakpah Kongle Sherpa and Lakpah Garmu Sherpa.

Throughout the trip, we'll keep you informed of the news as it happens!

Thank you for following our expedition, from Jay Reilly and all of us at Summitclimb.com

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